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Damascus Hotels

At travelsupermarket.com we compare hotels in Damascus from a wide range of hotel providers and travel websites to help you find some great deals and bargains. Our service offers some great functionality, allowing you to sort hotels by price, distance or star rating, view hotels on a map and browse local facilities and attractions. We have also teamed up with tripadvisor to provide independent customer reviews of many of the hotels we compare.

To begin your search for cheap hotels in Damascus simply enter you requirements into the search form on the left, selecting the number of rooms, number of guests, star rating and the dates you wish to stay and hit the search button. Then simply choose the accommodation that suits you and click through to complete your booking.

What's On?                     Overview                     Prepare                     Highlights 

Overview

Overview

Biblical, busy and welcoming, Syria's capital combines markets, graceful Ottoman mansions and majestic mosques. Lose yourself in the narrow streets, enter the fun of the bazaars and feast on one of the world's cuisines.

See

Start off at the majestic Umayyad Mosque, centrepiece of the medieval old city, and explore the Souk el-Hamidiyya, highlight of the labyrinthine market, and Ottoman Azem Palace's ornate courtyard and distinctive striped walls. Admire the Byzantine mosaics and ancient ivory statues at the National Museum and get the best views of the city from the peak of Mount Kassioun.
Spend

Find inlaid wooden backgammon sets (tawwla) in the souks, and handmade brocades in Azem Ecole. Buy dried hibiscus in Souk al-Bzouriyya, silks in Souk al-Khayateen and gold and silver in Souk al-Saghah. Get your favourite perfume concocted in Souk el-Hamidiyya and pick up water-pipes (argileh) in Souk el-Aragheel.
Get Out

Rest atop Mount Kassioun's 1,200-m peak for tea and a view to die for as the sun goes down. Join the locals at terraced coffee houses in the Old City; down a strong coffee and play a game of backgammon. Stroll around Damascus Citadel or take an excursion to the ancient, Aramaic-speaking village of Ma'alulah.
Culture

Watch traditional concerts at the Dar Al-Assad for Arts and Culture. Listen to Abu Shadi relaying ancient Arabic folk tales (hakawati) nightly in the old coffee house near Umayyad Mosque. See Dervish dances at the Abu Al-Ezz and Umayyad Palace Restaurant in the Old City.
Eat & Drink

Get stuck in to falafel snack bars for lunch or dine on mezzes and grilled meats for a grand feast. Enjoy fresh starters like hummus , rich bean foul and kibbeh , followed by diced lamb with bulgar wheat. Wash it down with a fiery aniseed arak . Leave room for desserts made with rosewater or dried fruits.
New Perspective

Wander around the Souk el-Hamidiyya after it closes to watch unofficial hawkers lay out their cheap wares on huge white sheets.

Prepare

Prepare

Arm yourself with an empty suitcase for handicrafts and carpets, a sunhat for summer and a few cheery Arabic greetings.

Damascus Year

Smell exotic blooms at the International Flower Show in June, and take in the essence of the historic route during the Silk Road Festival's music and art in September. Browse at the huge International Book Fair in the Al-Assad library, and enjoy silver-screen culture from around the world during the Damascus International Film Festival biennale in November and December.
Public Holidays

New Year's Day, (1 Jan), Eid-ul-Adha (Feast of Sacrifice, date varies), Islamic New Year, (Jan, date varies), Revolution Day, (8 Mar), National Day (17 Apr), Easter Sunday (April/May), Labour Day (1 May), Martyrs' Day (6 May), Milad al-Nabi (Prophet Mohammed's birthday, date varies), October Liberation War (6 Oct), Eid (end of Ramadan, date varies), Christmas Day (25 Dec).
Weather

Damascus enjoys a dry climate, reaching 30°C-37°C during the hottest months of June to September. It gets cooler, with light rainfall, between November and January (8°C-15°C), when it rarely reaches freezing although evenings are chilly. A fan or air-conditioning is recommended in summer, and a heater in winter.
Electricity

220V AC, 50 Hz, two-pin plugs are standard.
Dialling Code

+963 (national), (0) 11 + 7-figure number (Damascus).
Money

Syrian pounds (S£) is the currency.
GMT

GMT + 2 (GMT + 3 in summer).
Damascus Tourist Info

Syria Ministry of Tourism website

Fit In

Cover legs and elbows. T-shirts are acceptable but shorts are not. Women bring a scarf to cover hair and upper arms when visiting mosques, although hooded robes are handed out if you are considered unsuitably clad.

Highlights

Highlights

The vast courtyard of the Umayyad Mosque is spacious compared to the noisy narrow streets of the old city, home to medieval souks and historic treasures.

Head for the gleaming gold domes of the Omayyad Mosque in the middle of the Roman walls enclosing the Old City, and wander through the Roman-arched entrance to the stalls of the teeming Souk el-Hamidiyya. Explore the adjacent stripey 18th-century Azem Palace, home to the Museum of Popular Arts and Tradition.

Visit downtown's National Museum for ancient alphabets and prehistoric statues. See the slender minarets rising from the gardens of the Takiyya el-Suleimaniyeh, the Ottoman mosque. Perch above the city on biblical Mount Kassioun, with a great night-time view.
Sightseeing Tips

Some shops and museums take long lunch breaks, and close for Friday prayers at midday. The Old City is best explored on foot and the mornings are less crowded. The tourist office is closed on Friday.

Content provided by Frommer's Unlimited © 2009, Whatsonwhen Limited.