SYRIA THE OTHER SIDE OF THE COIN
Syria is a land of great antiquity. The capital city, Damascus, is said to be the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world and it was Damascus which was claimed to be paradise on earth. The city has much to offer the visitor, notably the Street called Straight, with its bazaars and many interesting buildings nearby. The National Museum gives a superb display of Syria's history down through the years.

Undoubtedly, a visit to Palmyra - some 150 miles from Damascus, is the highlight of a journey through
Syria. However, there is much else besides-notably the magnificent Crusades Castle-Crac des Chevaliers.

Further a field the ancient sites of Ugarit, Ebla, Bosra, Aleppo and Hama, will thrill those interested in history and archaeology. At Latakia you have the fine sandy beaches.
Wherever you go you are assured of a friendly welcome from the people of Syria.

CLOTHING: General dress for comfort. Light casual clothing, preferably cotton, is ideal for the warm summer climate, but at other times of the year be prepared for rain and colder days, taking a raincoat and sweater. An extra sweater is very useful for Damascus in the winter. Good non-slip walking shoes are essential for sight-seeing.

CURRENCY: The monetary unit is the Syrian Pound (Lira), 1 U$ = 45.-- SYR Lira in 1998. The pound is divided into 100 piasters with coins of 25, 50, and 100 piasters coins and 2,5,10 and 25pounds coins. There are : 5, 25, 50, 100 and 500 bank-notes. Foreign currencies and traveler cheques can be easily exchanged at all major hotels and banks.

POPULATION: There are about 15 million in Syria, with about 4 million in Damascus (the capital), 2 million in Aleppo, 1 million each in Homs and Hama, 1 million in Latakia and 800,000 in Deir Ezzor. The population is Semitic-Aramaic and the Bedouins inhabit the steppe of Central Syria and descended form the pure Arab race of Arabia. Arabic is the official language, but almost everyone speaks English or French, especially at major hotels and restaurants.

TIME: GMT plus two.
Comparable timings :
Damascus ............. 12 noon
London ................. 10 a.m.
Los Angeles .......... 2 a.m.
Rome .................... 11 a.m.
New York.............. 5 a.m.
Tokyo...................... 9 p.m.