Aleppo was a busy city that took us back in time as we got lost among the labyrinth streets surrounded by Muslim tradition and eager-to-sell polyglots. But as a woman I didn't feel comfortable walking by myself in the streets.
After crossing the dessert by bus and seeing an amazing sunset over the never ending earth, we arrived to Aleppo and found out that the bus station had been moved to 10km out of town. Our idea of walking to the hotel was immediately replaced by the fact that we flagged down a cab and rode the busy streets to the new part of town where we stayed, at the Spring Flower Hotel.
One of the things we enjoyed the most of Aleppo was allowing ourselves to get lost in the labyrinthine souqs (bazaars) where the fragrance of spices, soaps and food fill the air while shopping for anything you may need or just accepting the invitations of the polyglot stall owners to stop and drink tea (before they start pushing their products on you, of course). The souq is organized by the usual demarcations, clothing in one alley, gold in another, fabrics in a cul-du-sac, carpets in one corner, scarves across from that, and spices and cleaning supplies counteracting the smells of the butcher stands.
The streets are loud and besides the donkey-riding couriers and the horse-drawn carts over cobblestone, we realized that honking was a pass-time practiced by too many drivers.
Our hotel was a perfect spot as it offered everything a traveler is looking for and we ended up staying longer than expected, but the busy and noisy streets didn't allow for much rest.
Visiting the Citadel was very interesting and gave us an idea of what it would have been like to be there back in those days. The stepped bridge that you need to cross in order to enter would have had unwanted visitors exposed to a rain of arrows and gallons of boiling oil.
A few blocks away from the old city we found the Christian Armenian quarter where we were able to treat ourselves to some tasty pizzas and lasagnas, after a much needed break from felafels and shwarmas.
We visited the Great Mosque, first built between 705 and 715 AD. Although it has been rebuilt countless times, the only part of it that miraculously has managed to survive and still stays intact is the Minaret, built in 1090. We had to remove our shoes before entering and I had to wear a robe that covered my head down to my feet as women are not allowed to enter wearing pants. The white marble reflected the strong sun that hurt our eyes and burned our shoeless feet.
We met some nice travelers and exchange stories and useful information and I particularly found interesting the fact that other women felt the same way as I did: uncomfortable to explore the city on their own. Some Aleppine men don't waste anytime if they see you alone and also more than "cross the line" with their comments, something that we understand that they dare to do with what they may consider "western liberal traveling women", we guess. Anyway, this fact is hard when you are a very independent person as myself and I end up having to tag Steve along for things that he hates doing, such as shopping.
We decided to see a few things around Aleppo and then head to the coast.
After crossing the dessert by bus and seeing an amazing sunset over the never ending earth, we arrived to Aleppo and found out that the bus station had been moved to 10km out of town. Our idea of walking to the hotel was immediately replaced by the fact that we flagged down a cab and rode the busy streets to the new part of town where we stayed, at the Spring Flower Hotel.
One of the things we enjoyed the most of Aleppo was allowing ourselves to get lost in the labyrinthine souqs (bazaars) where the fragrance of spices, soaps and food fill the air while shopping for anything you may need or just accepting the invitations of the polyglot stall owners to stop and drink tea (before they start pushing their products on you, of course). The souq is organized by the usual demarcations, clothing in one alley, gold in another, fabrics in a cul-du-sac, carpets in one corner, scarves across from that, and spices and cleaning supplies counteracting the smells of the butcher stands.
The streets are loud and besides the donkey-riding couriers and the horse-drawn carts over cobblestone, we realized that honking was a pass-time practiced by too many drivers.
Our hotel was a perfect spot as it offered everything a traveler is looking for and we ended up staying longer than expected, but the busy and noisy streets didn't allow for much rest.
Visiting the Citadel was very interesting and gave us an idea of what it would have been like to be there back in those days. The stepped bridge that you need to cross in order to enter would have had unwanted visitors exposed to a rain of arrows and gallons of boiling oil.
A few blocks away from the old city we found the Christian Armenian quarter where we were able to treat ourselves to some tasty pizzas and lasagnas, after a much needed break from felafels and shwarmas.
We visited the Great Mosque, first built between 705 and 715 AD. Although it has been rebuilt countless times, the only part of it that miraculously has managed to survive and still stays intact is the Minaret, built in 1090. We had to remove our shoes before entering and I had to wear a robe that covered my head down to my feet as women are not allowed to enter wearing pants. The white marble reflected the strong sun that hurt our eyes and burned our shoeless feet.
We met some nice travelers and exchange stories and useful information and I particularly found interesting the fact that other women felt the same way as I did: uncomfortable to explore the city on their own. Some Aleppine men don't waste anytime if they see you alone and also more than "cross the line" with their comments, something that we understand that they dare to do with what they may consider "western liberal traveling women", we guess. Anyway, this fact is hard when you are a very independent person as myself and I end up having to tag Steve along for things that he hates doing, such as shopping.
We decided to see a few things around Aleppo and then head to the coast.
Gaby
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