a real arab city

I took a 24-hour detour to Damascus (Al Sham as the Arabs call it), and I was blown away. Admittedly, I had never been to Sham and didn't know much about the City. Further, when I would mention to a Lebanese person that I was going to Sham, the typical response was, with nose up in the air and a downward lip curl, "Oh...why do you want to go there?" as if it's a desolate backwards place that the refined Lebanese do not visit.

Thus, to my surprise, Sham is simply amazing. It's a beautiful, clean city that is full of life and so much history. What I liked most is that people are genuine; truly genuine in the full sense of the word. In Beirut and Amman everyone wants to be "Western." It's as if they work hard to deny their heritage in order to be what they perceive as something "better" - more American or European. In Sham, this is not the case. People are true to who they are and proud to be Syrian. They are also generally well-educated, friendly, pleasant; simply top-class.

(From top left, clockwise) Our hotel courtyard, Old City, Ummayad Mosque, Old City Souq

Sham is what I dream a real Arab city should be. Full of beautiful architecture that tells its rich history, respectful of its heritage; yet modern, intellectual and comfortable. The University of Damascus, with over 85,000 students, is at the heart of the City. Society is very open. People from a mix of religions coexist and collaborate daily.

With so little time, I didn't have a chance to experience its nightlife. But a close friend who was visiting at the same time stayed a couple of extra days and partied with a Syrian friend, the Syrian way. When he went home at 4am, his friends were still going strong. He explained it as the most fun he had during his entire trek through the Arab World. Fun clubs, great music, reasonably-priced alcohol, approachable people. And the girls.... Compared to the often harsh glamour of Lebanon, the girls have a delicate natural beauty. They seem less preoccupied with their appearance and more interested with the quality of conversation.

The food is also amazing. I believe the Syrian kitchen is unparalleled in the Arab World. Some of my Palestinian and Lebanese friends may beg to differ, but as a Palestinian myself, I think the Syrian kitchen is #1. I'll share with you one of the Syrian delicacies "Habara Neye" (raw meat). The pictures from left to right show the progression from serving plate presentation, to composed on my plate, to fully eaten - all in under 5 minutes. Yum!

In all, this is definitely a place I want to return to and experience more fully. As harsh as this may sound, I think Damascus puts the rest of the Arab world to shame.