Asia

[Visited: June 2006 and many times before]

Let me begin by saying that Syria has a multi-ethnic population: Syrians can be Arabs, Bedouins, Kurds, Armenians, Circassians and Turks and several other people. This is evidently the result of being such a strategically located country. So far, my experience in Syria has been very positive. People are genuinely friendly, helpful, and also curious to talk to strangers. In all my visits so far, Syrians have mostly been very kind, and given me a feeling of being truly welcome in their country.
Their kindness shows in small things, like when they simply say "Welcome to Syria" in passing you, when they make you feel comfortable in their city, making you taste fruit or sweets in the street, inviting you over for tea, when they help you get off the right station while you are on the bus, when they proudly smile at you when you are just watching one of the beautiful sights of their country. While you may still see Syrians dressed up fashionably in Damascus, this quickly changes as you travel out of the capital. In other places, you can come across traditionally dressed Syrians, apparently completely different, in a colourful parade on the streets.
For instance, in the streets of Deir es Zor, on market day, we saw many women coming by in beautiful, brilliant dresses, on their way to shop at the market or to sell in the streets. Some could well pass as princesses, as they looked all groomed to perfection, often with a serious and proud face, in brightly coloured costumes that would be completely out of place in, say, Damascus. But these people still live in small communities under harsh conditions, and dress up for going to the city. While Syria is famous for its many historical sights, the visitor should never close his eyes to the people.

Around the World in 80 Clicks

Personal travel impressions both in words and images from Syrian people (Syria). Clicking on the pictures enlarges them and enables you to send the picture as a free e-card or download it for personal use, for instance, on your weblog. Or click on the map above to visit more places close to Syrian people.
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Syrian people > Syria > Asia

[Visited: June 2006 and many times before]

Around the World in 80 Clicks