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Tips & Traps
Insider advice from Local Friends and travelers. What to do, and what to avoid, city by city.
- TipA place or a move worth it
- TrapWhat to avoid, and how
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Insider advice from Local Friends and travelers. What to do, and what to avoid, city by city.
Join RALF to share your own tips and traps
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The Damascus International Book Fair returned in 2026 as its 57th edition, organised by the Ministry of Culture at the Conference Palace and open to the public after the opening day. That edition ran in February with Saudi Arabia and Qatar as guests of honour and included books once banned. Confirm the month with the…
Beit Al Wali on Al-Boulad Street joins four 18th-century Damascene merchant houses into one small hotel, with rooms arranged around courtyards. Breakfast is a traditional Syrian spread, and the Umayyad Mosque, Hamidiyah souq and Bab Touma churches are within walking distance. It suits travellers who want the Old City…
Khan As'ad Pasha, built in 1751 and 1752, is the largest caravanserai in the Old City, with a high covered courtyard under a central dome ringed by eight smaller ones. It stands on the Buzuriyyeh souq, so you can pair it with the spice lane. Caravans from Baghdad, Aleppo and Beirut once unloaded here. Ask at the gate…
Near Bab Sharqi at the east end of Straight Street, a small underground chapel marks the traditional house of Ananias, who meets Saul in Acts 9. Excavations in 1921 found a Byzantine church on the site, and it is still an active Maronite church. Dress modestly, keep your voice low and ask before photographing inside…
The National Museum on Shukri al-Quwatli Street reopened in January 2025, but a theft from its classical wing in November 2025 led to a closure and a security review. Guides disagree on its current status and earlier exhibitions were limited. Ask your hotel to confirm opening on the day, and keep the Old City sights…
Damascus hammams are single-sex, and each bath sets its own schedule: some are men only, others give women separate days or hours. Nur al-Din in the Buzuriyyeh spice souq is men only, so women should pick a bath that has a women's session. Ask your hotel to call ahead the same day and confirm which hours suit your…
International cards are only starting to work in Syria, with first Mastercard and Visa tests in 2026, so many shops, cafés and taxis remain cash only. Some hotels and restaurants may accept Mastercard credit cards, but coverage is not nationwide and Visa had no launch date in August 2026. Carry enough cash for each…
Syria removed two zeros from its currency in early 2026, so 100 old pounds became 1 new pound and the new notes carry much smaller numbers. Printed listings and some people still quote in the old style, so a figure can be 100 times off. Ask whether a price is new or old, check the digits on the note you hand over and…
The Buzuriyyeh souq is a lane of about 150 metres south of the Umayyad Mosque, known for spices, dried fruit, sweets and laurel soap. Walk it once, then return to buy za'atar, sumac and Aleppo pepper in small amounts and ask for the price per 100 grams. Tasting is normal, and sealed labelled bags travel better…
Mount Qasioun reopened to the public after December 2024, and a winding road now climbs to a lit corniche above the city. Locals go at sunset and into the evening for tea, music and photos of the lights, or at dawn for the sunrise. The road can jam in busy hours, so start the climb early. Ask before photographing…
Al-Nawfara sits just east of the Umayyad Mosque in the Qaymariyya quarter and is known as the old coffee house of the Old City. A hakawati, or storyteller, sits in a raised chair and often performs in the evenings with tales of heroes and lovers. Go in the evening, take a table early because seats fill quickly, and…
The Damascus Opera House on Umayyad Square is home to the Syrian National Symphony Orchestra, which has played full programmes there since early 2025, from Beethoven and Tchaikovsky to Syrian composers. Check the monthly schedule on the venue's Facebook page and buy tickets at the box office, as they are sold only…
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