The country is south of Syria. Useful information for tourists. Old city in Damascus
It became part of the Macedonian kingdom.
The remains of several Neanderthals have been found in the Dederiyeh Cave in the Afrin River Valley.
About 10 thousand years BC NS. Syria became one of the centers of the pre-ceramic Neolithic A, where cattle breeding and agriculture appeared for the first time in the world. The subsequent Pre-Pottery Neolithic B is characterized by rectangular houses of the Mureibet culture. In the pre-ceramic Neolithic era, local residents used vessels made of stone, plaster and burnt lime. Finds of obsidian originating from Anatolia testify to ancient trade relations.
11,000 years ago, the Tel Karassa community became the ancestor of Agriculture... The discoveries made at Tell Qarassa North provide the oldest evidence of the domestication of three types of cereals: one type of barley and two types of wheat (spelled and spelled).
Settlement Tell Halula IX-VIII millennium BC NS. in the north of Syria it had an area of 8 hectares. DNA testing of the inhabitants of Tell Halula and Tell Ramad in southern Syria showed that the first European settlements were founded by the inhabitants of the Middle East.
The oldest known fossil remains of a domesticated cow are found in an early Neolithic settlement Jah de el Mugara in northern Syria and belong to the VIII millennium BC. NS. (The calibrated radiocarbon dates are 10 650 - 10 250 years ago). Molecular genetic analysis of these findings allows us to conclude that the entire population of current cows originated from 80 rounds, domesticated in the settlements of Ja "de el-Mugara and Chaionu Tepesi in southeastern Turkey.
In 5 thousand BC. NS. in the north of modern Syria, there was a Khalaf culture that was at enmity with the Ubaid culture and was absorbed by it.
In northern Mesopotamia, the beginning of urban life can be seen in Nagar (now Tel Brak in northern Syria). By 3800 BC. NS. the city had large buildings, extensive workshops and an estimated population of 20,000, not counting its suburbs. The first significant settlement in southern Mesopotamia was Eridu around 3700 BC.
During the Late Neolithic and Early Bronze Age important role played by the cities of Hamukar and Emar.
Aram
One of the brightest eras of his early history were X-VIII centuries BC. e., when, after the campaigns of conquest of the kings Rizon I and Tab-Rimmon, the city of Damascus became the center of the powerful Aramaic kingdom, which soon became the hegemon of all of Syria. This dominant position was maintained even with their descendants. At the beginning of the IX century. BC NS. the son of Tab-Rimmon, Ben-Hadad I, fought with the kingdom of Israel and seized part of northern Galilee from the Israelites. But after several decades, the hegemony of Damascus began to threaten the rapidly growing Assyrians. They first collected tribute from the rulers of Syria in 859 BC. NS. To better confront the enemy, the local rulers decided to join forces. The son of Ben-Hadad I, Ben-Hadad II, managed to create a powerful anti-Assyrian alliance, which, together with him, included the Tsarikhamatist, Israelite, Arwad, Ammon and some others. In 853 BC. NS. under the walls of the city of Karkara, on the banks of the Orontes River, a fierce battle took place. It was very bloody, but ended in vain. Some time later, the Assyrian king Shalmaneser III again invaded Syria, laid siege to Damascus, but could not take it.
However, the coalition of Syrian and Palestinian rulers, dangerous for the Assyrians, did not last long. Soon between the Israeli king Ahab and Ben-Hadad II (bibl. Venadad) the war began. In the battle of Rimot-Gilead in 850 BC. NS. the Israelites were defeated, and Ahab was killed (2 Kings). Then in 843 BC. NS. died and Ben-Hadad II himself - one of his entourage, a certain Azael, taking advantage of the fact that the king was sick, strangled him with a blanket and seized power himself. In 834 BC. NS. The 120,000-strong Assyrian army approached Damascus for the second time. The king of Assyria, Shalmaneser III, discovered that the Syrians had taken up positions on Mount Senir, one of the mountain peaks of Lebanon, and dug in there. The Assyrians managed to defeat the Syrian army, and Hazael himself was forced to flee to Damascus. The Assyrians surrounded the city and cut down the groves in its vicinity. Shalmaneser III was able to capture a large loot, but he failed to take the city this time.
Antique period
French Mandate
The 1969 constitution defined Syria as a democratic, popular, socialist republic with a planned economy, with private property limited by law. On November 16, 1970, as a result of a military coup, President Salah Jadid was overthrown, and Hafez al-Assad, whose rule was actually a dictatorship, became the president of the republic in 1971. The apparent Soviet bias of the Syrian leadership was counterbalanced by curtsey towards Islam. The Arab-Israeli wars in 1973 and in contributed to an increase in the role of Syria in the general confrontation.
During the reign of Hafez al-Assad, Syria sought to limit Israel's influence in the region. The Syrian Golan Heights came under Israeli control, but Syria's almost complete political control over Lebanon, established during the civil war in that country, became a kind of "compensation" for this loss.
In -1982, a series of armed uprisings took place in Syria
, Aleppo Governorate, Beirut Governorate)
History of Syria- history of the territory in which the Syrian Arab Republic is located. About 10 thousand years BC NS. Syria became one of the centers of the pre-ceramic Neolithic A, where cattle breeding and agriculture appeared for the first time in the world. In the III millennium BC. NS. on the territory of Syria there was a Semitic city-state of Ebla, which was part of the circle of the Sumerian-Akkadian civilization. One of the brightest eras of its early history was the X-VIII centuries BC. e., when, after the campaigns of conquest of the kings Rizon I and Tab-Rimmon, the city of Damascus became the center of the powerful Aramaic kingdom, which soon became the hegemon of all of Syria. In 739 BC. NS. Assyrian troops managed to take Arpad. In 738 BC. NS. they also captured 19 more Syrian cities. Under these conditions, the Syrian rulers forgot about their strife and rallied around the new Damascus king Rizon II. After the battle of Issus, Alexander the Great, instead of pursuing Darius, moved to Syria. Parmenion captured the entire convoy of the Persian army in Damascus, and Alexander himself occupied Phenicia. Thus, Syria in 332 BC. NS. became part of the Macedonian kingdom.
In 635, Syria was devastated and then conquered by the Arabs, who converted a significant part of the Aramaic population to Islam. In 660-750, when Damascus served as the residence of the Caliphs, the prosperity of Syria began to rise again, but with the decline of the Damascus Caliphate, the country became impoverished. In 1260, the decaying Ayyubid state was invaded by the Mongols under the leadership of Hulagu Khan, who took possession of Aleppo and Damascus, but was stopped by the Mamluk forces led by Sultan Qutuz in the battle of Ain Jalut in northern Palestine. Syria was under Egyptian rule until it was conquered in 1517 by the Ottoman Sultan Selim I. Under the Ottomans, Syria was divided into 4 provinces headed by governors who were directly subordinate to the Istanbul administration. During the First World War, the Arabs (mainly from the Hejaz), together with the British, participated in the liberation of Syria from the Ottomans. When the Arab army, led by Faisal ibn Hussein, entered Damascus in October 1918, it was greeted as a liberator. In 1920, France received a mandate to govern Syria in San Remo and began an offensive from the coast to the east with its 60,000-strong army. Soon the French entered Damascus and expelled Faisal with his 8 thousand army.
On April 17, 1946, Syria gained complete independence from France. In 1958, Syria tried to unite with Egypt and the United Arab Republic was formed. In 1973, Hafez al-Assad became the head of the republic. After the death of Hafez Assad, his son, Bashar al-Assad, became president of Syria. In 2011, an uprising broke out in Syria.
Prehistoric period
About 10 thousand years BC NS. Syria became one of the centers of the pre-ceramic Neolithic A, where cattle breeding and agriculture appeared for the first time in the world. The subsequent Pre-Pottery Neolithic B is characterized by rectangular houses of the Mureibet culture. In the pre-ceramic Neolithic era, local residents used vessels made of stone, plaster and burnt lime. Finds of obsidian originating from Anatolia testify to ancient trade relations. Settlement Tell Halula (en: Tell Halula) IX-VIII millennium BC NS. in the north of Syria it had an area of 8 hectares. DNA testing of the inhabitants of Tell Halula and Tell Ramad in southern Syria showed that the first European settlements were founded by the inhabitants of the Middle East.
During the Late Neolithic and Early Bronze Age, the cities of Hamukar and Emar played an important role.
Aram
One of the brightest eras of its early history was the X-VIII centuries BC. e., when, after the campaigns of conquest of the kings Rizon I and Tab-Rimmon, the city of Damascus became the center of the powerful Aramaic kingdom, which soon became the hegemon of all of Syria. This dominant position was maintained even with their descendants. At the beginning of the IX century. BC NS. the son of Tab-Rimmon, Ben-Hadad I, fought with the kingdom of Israel and seized part of northern Galilee from the Israelites. But after several decades, the hegemony of Damascus began to threaten the rapidly growing Assyrians. They first collected tribute from the rulers of Syria in 859 BC. NS. To better confront the enemy, the local rulers decided to join forces. The son of Ben-Hadad I, Ben-Hadad II, managed to create a powerful anti-Assyrian alliance, which, together with him, included the kings of Hamat, Israel, Arwad, Aman and some others. In 854 BC. NS. under the walls of the city of Karkara, on the banks of the Orontes River, a fierce battle took place. It was very bloody, but ended in vain. Some time later, the Assyrian king Shalmaneser III again invaded Syria, laid siege to Damascus, but could not take it.
However, the coalition of Syrian and Palestinian rulers, dangerous for the Assyrians, did not last long. Soon between the Israeli king Ahab and Ben-Hadad II (bibl. Venadad) the war began. In the battle of Rimot-Gilead in 850 BC. NS. the Israelites were defeated, and Ahab was killed (2 Kings). Then in 843 BC. NS. died and Ben-Hadad II himself - one of his entourage, a certain Gazael, taking advantage of the fact that the king was sick, strangled him with a blanket and seized power himself. In 834 BC. NS. The 120,000-strong Assyrian army approached Damascus for the second time. The king of Assyria, Shalmaneser III, discovered that the Syrians had taken up positions on Mount Senir, one of the mountain peaks of Lebanon, and dug in there. The Assyrians managed to defeat the Syrian army, and Hazael himself was forced to flee to Damascus. The Assyrians surrounded the city and cut down the groves in its vicinity. Shalmaneser III was able to capture a large loot, but he failed to take the city this time.
Antique period
French Mandate
In 1920, France received a mandate to govern Syria in San Remo and began an offensive from the coast to the east with its 60,000-strong army. Soon the French entered Damascus and expelled Faisal with his 8,000-strong army. In accordance with the Franco-Turkish treaty, on October 20, 1921, the Alexandretta Sanjak was separated into a special autonomous administrative unit within the French mandate, since, in addition to Arabs and Armenians, a significant number of Turks lived in it. On September 7, 1938, in the north-west of Syria, on the territory of the Alexandretta Sanjak, the State of Hatay was formed, which was annexed by Turkey on June 29, 1939. After the 1925-27 Uprising, France was forced to make concessions on issues of local government, and in 1932 Syria was declared a republic (while maintaining the French mandate).
Modern syria
Syria gained complete independence from France on April 17, 1946, which is celebrated as the Day of Evacuation. The first president was the head of the colonial administration, Kuatli. The emergence of the state of Israel in 1948 and the subsequent Arab-Israeli war led to an acute political crisis... In 1949 in Syria as a result three military coups, three dictators were replaced: Husni al-Zaim, Sami al-Hinnawi ( English) and Adib ash-Shishakli. In 1958, Syria tried to unite with Egypt, resulting in the formation of the United Arab Republic.
Syria with its 15 million population after unsuccessful attempt unification with Egypt, as a result of a coup in 1963, came under the rule of the leaders of the Baath Party (Party of Arab Socialist Renaissance). In Baath, the nationalist faction with an orientation towards total socialism, close to the Soviet model, quickly gained the upper hand. Soon the socialist emphasis in the economy was softened, but this was followed by a military coup in 1966. The course towards strengthening the role of the public sector in the economy was continued. The main opposition to Baath was the Islamists. In 1976-1982, mass demonstrations organized by the Islamists and the terrorist struggle against the Baath, called the Islamic uprising, took place in the country.
The 1969 constitution defined Syria as a democratic, popular, socialist republic with a planned economy, with private property limited by the law. On November 16, 1970, as a result of a military coup, President Salah Jadid was overthrown, and Hafez al-Assad, whose rule was actually a dictatorship, became the president of the republic in 1971. The apparent Soviet bias of the Syrian leadership was counterbalanced by curtsey towards Islam. The Arab-Israeli wars in 1973 and in contributed to an increase in the role of Syria in the general confrontation.
During the reign of Hafez al-Assad, Syria sought to limit Israel's influence in the region. The Syrian Golan Heights came under Israeli control, but Syria's almost complete political control over Lebanon, established during the civil war in that country, became a kind of "compensation" for this loss. An end to this was put in when the Syrian troops were withdrawn from Lebanon.
After the death of Hafez Assad, his son, Bashar al-Assad, became president of Syria.
Bashar al-Assad's policy is more gentle and flexible than his father. In he agreed to withdraw Syrian troops from Lebanon and even agreed to cooperate with UN investigators who suspect the Syrian special services of the murder of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.
According to K. Kapitonov's article, even before the 2003 Iraq War, bypassing the UN Security Council ban, Syria participated in supplying weapons to Saddam Hussein's regime.
Russia (2008), the United States, the EU, Israel and France accused Assad of providing logistical support to paramilitary groups - opponents of Israel (Hezbollah, Hamas, Islamic Jihad), recognized as terrorist organizations in several countries of the world.
Write a review on the article "History of Syria"
Notes (edit)
not a fire spotter, but an officer of the Aerospace Forces Alexander Parkhomenko.
Literature
- Bikerman E. State of the Seleucids / Per. with French L. M. Gluskina. - M .: Nauka, Main edition of oriental literature, 1985. - 264 p.
- Woolley Leonard. Forgotten Kingdom / Per. from English E. N. Samus. - M .: Nauka, Main edition of oriental literature, 1986. - 168 p .: ill. - Series "In the footsteps of the disappeared cultures of the East."
- Grushevoy A.S. Essays economic history Syria and Palestine in antiquity (1st century BC - 6th century AD). - SPb .: Nestor-History, 2013 .-- 392 p. - Series "Historical Library". - ISBN 978-5-90598-803-5
- Ancient Ebla (Excavations in Syria) / Comp. and introduction by Pierre Matthieu. Ed. I. M. Dyakonova. - M .: Progress, 1985. - 368 p .: ill.
- Zablotska Julia. History of the Near East in Antiquity (from the first settlements to the Persian conquest). - M .: Nauka, Main edition of oriental literature, 1989. - 416 p. - Series "In the footsteps of the disappeared cultures of the East." - ISBN 5-02-016588-3
- Matveev K.P., Sazonova A.A. Five Lives of Ancient Suri. - M .: Molodaya gvardiya, 1989 .-- 188 p.: Ill. - Series "Eureka".
- Pigulevskaya N.V. Culture of the Syrians in the Middle Ages. - M .: Nauka, Main edition of oriental literature, 1979. - 272 p .: ill. - Series "Culture of the Peoples of the East".
- Smirnov S. V. State of Seleucus I (politics, economics, society). - M .: Russian Foundation for the Promotion of Education and Science; Dmitry Pozharsky University, 2013 .-- 344 p.
- Tseren Erich. Bible Hills / Per. with him. N. V. Shafranskoy. Ed. D.P. Kallistova. - M .: Nauka, Main edition of oriental literature, 1966. - 480 p .: ill. - Series "In the footsteps of the disappeared cultures of the East."
- Tsirkin Yu. B. History of the Bible countries. - M .: Astrel, Transitkniga, 2003 .-- 576 p. - Series "Classical Thought". - ISBN 978-5-17-018173-6
- Shifman I. Sh. Syrian society of the Principate era (I-III centuries AD). - M .: Nauka, Main edition of oriental literature, 1977. - 310 p .: ill.
- Shifman I. Sh. Ugaritic Society (XIV - XIII centuries BC) - M .: Nauka, Main edition of eastern literature, 1982. - 392 pp., Ill.
- Shifman I. Sh. The culture of ancient Ugarit (XIV-XIII centuries BC). - M .: Nauka, Main edition of oriental literature, 1987. - 236 p .: ill.
Links
| ||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Excerpt from the History of Syria
In addition to the general feeling of alienation from all people, Natasha at this time experienced a special feeling of alienation from the faces of her family. All her own: father, mother, Sonya, were so close to her, accustomed, so everyday that all their words, feelings seemed to her an insult to the world in which she had lived recently, and she was not only indifferent, but looked at them with hostility. ... She heard Dunyasha's words about Pyotr Ilyich, about misfortune, but did not understand them.“What kind of misfortune is there, what kind of misfortune can there be? They all have their old, familiar and deceased, ”Natasha said to herself in her mind.
When she entered the hall, her father quickly left the countess's room. His face was wrinkled and wet with tears. He apparently ran out of that room to give vent to the sobs that were crushing him. Seeing Natasha, he frantically waved his arms and burst out with painfully convulsive sobs that distorted his round, soft face.
- Pe ... Petya ... Go, go, she ... she ... calls ... - And he, sobbing like a child, quickly seeding with weak legs, went up to the chair and fell almost on him, covering his face with his hands.
Suddenly, like an electric current ran through Natasha's entire being. Something struck her terribly in the heart. She felt terrible pain; it seemed to her that something was coming off in her and that she was dying. But in the wake of the pain, she felt an instant release from the prohibition of life that lay on her. Seeing her father and hearing the terrible, rude cry of her mother from behind the door, she instantly forgot herself and her grief. She ran to her father, but he, waving his hand powerlessly, pointed to the mother's door. Princess Marya, pale, with a trembling lower jaw, came out of the door and took Natasha by the hand, telling her something. Natasha did not see, did not hear her. She walked through the door with quick steps, stopped for a moment, as if in a struggle with herself, and ran up to her mother.
The Countess was lying on an armchair, stretching out strangely awkwardly, and banging her head against the wall. Sonya and the girls held her hands.
- Natasha, Natasha! .. - shouted the countess. - Not true, not true ... He is lying ... Natasha! She shouted, pushing those around her away. - Go away, everyone, it’s not true! They killed! .. ha ha ha ha! .. not true!
Natasha knelt on a chair, bent over her mother, hugged her, lifted her with unexpected force, turned her face to her and pressed herself against her.
- Mom! .. dear! .. I'm here, my friend. Mom, - she whispered to her, not stopping for a second.
She would not let her mother out, fought tenderly with her, demanded pillows, water, unbuttoned and tore her mother's dress.
“My friend, darling ... mamma, darling,” she whispered incessantly, kissing her head, hands, face and feeling how her tears flowed uncontrollably in streams, tickling her nose and cheeks.
The Countess squeezed her daughter's hand, closed her eyes and was quiet for a moment. Suddenly she got up with unusual speed, looked around senselessly and, seeing Natasha, began to squeeze her head with all her might. Then she turned her face, wrinkled with pain, towards her and gazed into it for a long time.
“Natasha, you love me,” she said in a quiet, trusting whisper. - Natasha, won't you deceive me? Will you tell me the whole truth?
Natasha looked at her with eyes filled with tears, and in her face there was only a plea for forgiveness and love.
“My friend, mamma,” she repeated, straining all the strength of her love to somehow remove from her the excess of grief that pressed her.
And again, in a powerless struggle with reality, the mother, refusing to believe that she could live when her beloved boy, blossoming with life, was killed, escaped from reality in a world of madness.
Natasha did not remember how that day, night, next day, next night went. She did not sleep and did not leave her mother. Natasha's love, persistent, patient, not as an explanation, not as a consolation, but as a call to life, every second seemed to embrace the countess from all sides. On the third night, the Countess was quiet for a few minutes, and Natasha closed her eyes, leaning her head on the arm of the chair. The bed creaked. Natasha opened her eyes. The Countess sat on the bed and spoke softly.
- How glad I am that you came. Are you tired, would you like some tea? - Natasha went up to her. “You have grown prettier and matured,” the countess continued, taking her daughter by the hand.
- Mamma, what are you talking about! ..
- Natasha, he's gone, no more! - And, embracing her daughter, for the first time the Countess began to cry.
Princess Marya postponed her departure. Sonya, Count tried to replace Natasha, but could not. They saw that she alone could keep her mother from mad despair. For three weeks Natasha lived hopelessly with her mother, slept on an armchair in her room, gave her drink, fed her and spoke to her without stopping, she said, because one gentle, caressing voice calmed the Countess.
The mother's wound could not heal. Petya's death tore off half of her life. A month after the news of Petya's death, who found her a fresh and vigorous fifty-year-old woman, she left her room half-dead and not taking part in life - an old woman. But the same wound that half killed the Countess, this new wound brought Natasha to life.
A mental wound resulting from the rupture of the spiritual body, just like a physical wound, oddly enough it seems, after a deep wound has healed and seems to come together at its edges, a mental wound, like a physical wound, heals only from the inside by the bulging force of life.
Natasha's wound healed in the same way. She thought her life was over. But suddenly love for her mother showed her that the essence of her life - love - was still alive in her. Love woke up and life woke up.
During the last days of Prince Andrei, Natasha was tied to Princess Marya. The new misfortune brought them closer together. Princess Marya postponed her departure and for the last three weeks, like a sick child, looked after Natasha. Last weeks, spent by Natasha in her mother's room, strained her physical strength.
Once Princess Marya, in the middle of the day, noticing that Natasha was trembling in a feverish chill, took her to her place and put her in her bed. Natasha went to bed, but when Princess Marya, lowering her sides, wanted to go out, Natasha called her over to her.
- I don't want to sleep. Marie, sit with me.
- You are tired - try to sleep.
- No no. Why did you take me away? She will ask.
“She’s much better. She spoke so well today, ”said Princess Marya.
Natasha lay in bed and in the semi-darkness of the room examined the face of Princess Marya.
“Does she look like him? - thought Natasha. - Yes, it is similar and not similar. But she is special, alien, completely new, unknown. And she loves me. What's on her mind? Everything is good. But how? What does she think? How does she look at me? Yes, she's beautiful. "
“Masha,” she said, timidly drawing her hand to her. - Masha, do not think that I am bad. No? Masha, my dear. I love you so much. Let's be completely, completely friends.
And Natasha, embracing, began to kiss the hands and face of Princess Marya. Princess Marya was ashamed and rejoiced at this expression of Natasha's feelings.
From that day on, that passionate and tender friendship that exists only between women was established between Princess Marya and Natasha. They kissed incessantly, spoke tender words to each other, and spent most of their time together. If one went out, the other was restless and rushed to join her. The two of them felt a greater harmony with each other than separately, each with itself. A feeling stronger than friendship was established between them: it was an exceptional feeling of the possibility of life only in the presence of each other.
Sometimes they were silent for hours; sometimes, already lying in bed, they began to talk and talked until morning. They spoke for the most part about the distant past. Princess Marya talked about her childhood, about her mother, about her father, about her dreams; and Natasha, who had previously turned away from this life, devotion, obedience, from the poetry of Christian self-sacrifice, with a calm lack of understanding, now, feeling herself bound by love with Princess Marya, fell in love with Princess Marya's past and understood the side of life that was previously incomprehensible to her. She did not think to apply humility and selflessness to her life, because she was used to looking for other joys, but she understood and fell in love with this previously incomprehensible virtue in another. For Princess Marya, who listened to stories about Natasha's childhood and first youth, the previously incomprehensible side of life, faith in life, in the pleasures of life, was also revealed.
They never spoke about him in the same way, so as not to break with words, as it seemed to them, the height of the feeling that was in them, and this silence about him did something that little by little, not believing it, they forgot him.
Natasha lost weight, turned pale and became so physically weak that everyone was constantly talking about her health, and it was pleasant to her. But sometimes she suddenly found not only the fear of death, but the fear of illness, weakness, loss of beauty, and involuntarily she sometimes carefully examined her bare hand, surprised at her thinness, or looked in the mirror in the morning at her stretched, miserable, as it seemed to her, face. It seemed to her that it should be so, and at the same time she became scared and sad.
Once she soon went upstairs and was heavily out of breath. Immediately, involuntarily, she thought of a thing below and from there ran upstairs again, trying her strength and observing herself.
Another time she called Dunyasha, and her voice rattled. She called it again, in spite of the fact that she heard her footsteps, - she called in that chesty voice with which she was singing, and listened to him.
She did not know this, she would not have believed, but under the seemingly impenetrable layer of silt that covered her soul, thin, tender young needles of grass were already breaking through, which should have taken root and so cover the grief that had crushed her life with their life shoots that it would soon be invisible and not noticeable. The wound was healing from the inside. At the end of January, Princess Marya left for Moscow, and the count insisted that Natasha go with her in order to consult with the doctors.
After the clash at Vyazma, where Kutuzov could not restrain his troops from the desire to overturn, cut off, etc., the further movement of the fleeing French and the Russians who fled after them, to Krasnoye, took place without battles. The flight was so fast that the Russian army running after the French could not keep up with them, that the horses in the cavalry and artillery were becoming, and that information about the movement of the French was always incorrect.
The people of the Russian army were so exhausted by this continuous movement of forty versts a day that they could not move faster.
To understand the degree of exhaustion of the Russian army, one only needs to clearly understand the meaning of the fact that, having lost no more than five thousand people wounded and killed during the entire movement from Tarutin, without losing hundreds of people prisoners, the Russian army, which left Tarutin in the number of one hundred thousand, came to Red in the number of fifty thousand.
The rapid movement of the Russians behind the French acted on the Russian army as destructively as the flight of the French. The only difference was that the Russian army moved arbitrarily, without the threat of death, which hung over the French army, and that the backward sick people of the French remained in the hands of the enemy, the backward Russians remained at home. main reason the decrease in Napoleon's army was the speed of movement, and the corresponding decrease in the Russian troops serves as an undoubted proof of this.
All the activities of Kutuzov, as it was under Tarutin and near Vyazma, was directed only to ensure that, as far as it was in his power, not to stop this disastrous movement for the French (as Russian generals wanted in St. Petersburg and in the army), but assist him and facilitate the movement of his troops.
But, in addition, since the time of exhaustion and enormous losses in the troops, which resulted from the speed of movement, another reason presented itself to Kutuzov for slowing down the movement of troops and for waiting. The goal of the Russian troops was to follow the French. The path of the French was unknown, and therefore, the closer our troops followed on the heels of the French, the more they covered the distance. Only by following a certain distance, it was possible to cut the zigzags that the French made along the shortest path. All the skillful maneuvers that the generals proposed were expressed in troop movements, in increased crossings, and the only reasonable goal was to reduce these crossings. And towards this goal throughout the campaign, from Moscow to Vilna, Kutuzov's activities were directed - not accidentally, not temporarily, but so consistently that he never betrayed her.
Kutuzov knew not with his intellect or science, but with his whole Russian being he knew and felt what every Russian soldier felt, that the French were defeated, that the enemies were fleeing and they had to be sent out; but at the same time he felt, along with the soldiers, the whole weight of this campaign, unheard of in the speed and season of the year.
But to the generals, especially not Russians, who wanted to distinguish themselves, surprise someone, take some kind of duke or king prisoner for some reason - it seemed to the generals now, when every battle was both disgusting and senseless, it seemed to them that now was the time give battles and defeat someone. Kutuzov only shrugged his shoulders when, one after the other, they presented projects of maneuvers with those half-starved soldiers, badly shod, without short fur coats, who in one month, without battles, had melted to a half and with whom, with best conditions continued flight, it was necessary to pass to the border a space greater than that which was passed.
In particular, this desire to distinguish themselves and maneuver, overturn and cut off was manifested when Russian troops ran into French troops.
So it happened near Krasny, where they thought to find one of the three columns of the French and stumbled upon Napoleon himself with sixteen thousand. Despite all the means used by Kutuzov in order to get rid of this disastrous clash and to save his troops, for three days Krasnoye continued to finish off the defeated gatherings of the French by the exhausted people of the Russian army.
Toll wrote the disposition: die erste Colonne marschiert [the first column will go there then], etc. And, as always, everything did not happen according to the disposition. Prince Eugene of Virtemberg shot from the mountain past the fleeing crowds of the French and demanded reinforcements, which did not come. The French, running around the Russians at night, scattered, hid in the woods and made their way, as best they could, further.
Miloradovich, who said that he did not want to know anything about the economic affairs of the detachment, which could never be found when it was needed, "chevalier sans peur et sans reproche" ["knight without fear and reproach"], as he called himself , and a hunter before talking with the French, sent envoys, demanding surrender, and wasted time and did not what he was ordered to.
“I give you guys this column,” he said, approaching the troops and pointing the cavalrymen at the French. And cavalrymen on skinny, skinned, barely moving horses, urging them on with spurs and sabers, trotted, after strong stresses, drove up to the presented column, that is, to the crowd of frostbitten, numb and hungry French; and the donated column threw down its weapons and surrendered, which it had long wanted.
Near Krasnoye, they took twenty-six thousand prisoners, hundreds of cannons, some kind of stick, which was called the marshal's baton, and argued about who distinguished himself there, and were pleased with this, but very much regretted that they did not take Napoleon or at least some hero, Marshal, and reproached each other for this, and especially Kutuzov.
These people, carried away by their passions, were blind executors of only the saddest law of necessity; but they considered themselves heroes and imagined that what they did was the most worthy and noble deed. They accused Kutuzov and said that from the very beginning of the campaign he prevented them from defeating Napoleon, that he only thought about satisfying his passions and did not want to leave Linen Plants because he was at peace there; that he stopped movement near Krasnoye only because, having learned about Napoleon's presence, he was completely lost; that it can be assumed that he is in a conspiracy with Napoleon, that he has been bribed by him, [Wilson's notes. (Leo Tolstoy's note.)] Etc., etc.
Not only did his contemporaries, carried away by passions, say so, - posterity and history recognized Napoleon as grand, and Kutuzov: foreigners - a cunning, depraved, weak court old man; Russians - somehow indefinite - some kind of doll, useful only by its Russian name ...
In the 12th and 13th years, Kutuzov was directly accused of mistakes. The sovereign was dissatisfied with him. And in a story recently written at the highest command, it is said that Kutuzov was a cunning court liar who feared the name of Napoleon and, by his mistakes at Krasnoye and Berezina, deprived the Russian troops of glory - a complete victory over the French. [The story of Bogdanovich in 1812: a characteristic of Kutuzov and a discussion about the unsatisfactory results of the Krasnensky battles. (Leo Tolstoy's note.)]
This is not the fate of great people, not grand homme, whom the Russian mind does not recognize, but the fate of those rare, always lonely people who, comprehending the will of Providence, subordinate their personal will to it. The hatred and contempt of the crowd punish these people for the enlightenment of the higher laws.
For Russian historians - it is strange and scary to say - Napoleon is the most insignificant instrument of history - never and nowhere, even in exile, who did not show human dignity - Napoleon is an object of admiration and delight; he is grand. Kutuzov, the person who, from the beginning to the end of his activity in 1812, from Borodino to Vilna, never once by any action, not betrayed himself by a word, is an extraordinary example of selflessness and consciousness in the present of the future meaning of an event in history, - Kutuzov seems to them something vague and pathetic, and, speaking of Kutuzov and the 12th year, they always seem to be a little ashamed.
And yet it is difficult to imagine a historical person whose activity would be so invariably constantly directed towards one and the same goal. It is difficult to imagine a goal more worthy and more in line with the will of the entire people. It is even more difficult to find another example in history, where the goal set by a historical person would be as completely achieved as the goal towards which all of Kutuzov's activities were directed in 1812.
Kutuzov never spoke about the forty centuries that look from the pyramids, about the sacrifices that he brings to the fatherland, about what he intends to do or has committed: he did not say anything about himself at all, did not play any role, always seemed to be the simplest and an ordinary person and said the most simple and ordinary things. He wrote letters to his daughters and m me Stael, read novels, loved society beautiful women, joked with generals, officers and soldiers and never contradicted those people who wanted to prove something to him. When Count Rostopchin on the Yauzsky bridge galloped up to Kutuzov with personal reproaches about who was to blame for the death of Moscow, and said: "How did you promise not to leave Moscow without giving a battle?" - Kutuzov replied: "I will not leave Moscow without a battle," despite the fact that Moscow had already been abandoned. When Arakcheev, who came to him from the sovereign, said that Ermolov should be appointed chief of artillery, Kutuzov replied: “Yes, I myself have just said that,” although he said something completely different in a minute. What business was it to him, who alone then understood the whole tremendous meaning of the event, among the stupid crowd that surrounded him, what did he care whether Count Rostopchin took the disaster of the capital to himself or to him? Still less could he be interested in who was appointed chief of artillery.
Not only in these cases, but incessantly this an old man the experience of life came to the conviction that the thoughts and words that serve as their expression are not the movers of people, spoke words completely meaningless - the first that came into his head.
But this very man, who so neglected his words, never once in all his activity said a single word that would not agree with the only goal to which he was going during the whole war. Obviously, involuntarily, with a heavy confidence that they would not understand him, he repeatedly expressed his thought in a wide variety of circumstances. Starting from the Battle of Borodino, from which his discord with those around him began, he alone said that the Battle of Borodino was a victory, and repeated this both orally, and in reports, and reports until his death. He alone said that the loss of Moscow is not the loss of Russia. In response to Lauriston's proposal for peace, he replied that there can be no peace, because such is the will of the people; he alone, during the retreat of the French, said that all our maneuvers were unnecessary, that everything would turn out by itself better than we wish, that the enemy should be given a golden bridge, that neither Tarutinskoe, nor Vyazemskoe, nor Krasnenskoe battles were needed, that with what one day he must come to the border, that for ten Frenchmen he will not give up one Russian.
And he alone, this court man, as we are portrayed, a man who lies to Arakcheev in order to please the sovereign - he alone, this court man, in Vilna, thus deserving the sovereign's disfavor, says that a further war abroad is harmful and useless.
But words alone would not prove that he then understood the meaning of the event. His actions were all without the slightest deviation, all were directed towards the same goal, expressed in three actions: 1) to exert all his forces to confront the French, 2) to defeat them, and 3) to expel them from Russia, making it easier, as much as possible, the calamities of the people and the troops.
He, the procrastinator of Kutuzov, whose motto is patience and time, the enemy of decisive action, he gives the Battle of Borodino, clothe preparations for it in unparalleled solemnity. He, the same Kutuzov, who in the battle of Austerlitz, before starting it, says that it will be lost, in Borodino, despite the assurances of the generals that the battle is lost, despite the unheard-of example in history that after a battle won, the army must retreat , he alone, in opposition to everyone, until his death asserts that the Battle of Borodino is a victory. He alone during the entire retreat insists not to give battles, which are now useless, not to start a new war and not to cross the borders of Russia.
Now it is easy to understand the meaning of the event, if only not to apply to the activities of the masses the goals that were in the head of a dozen people, it is easy, since the entire event with its consequences lies before us.
But how then could this old man, alone, contrary to the opinion of everyone, have guessed, so correctly guessed then the meaning of the people's meaning of the event, that he never once betrayed it in all his activities?
The source of this extraordinary power of insight into the meaning of occurring phenomena lay in that popular feeling, which he carried in himself in all its purity and strength.
Only the recognition of this feeling in him made the people in such strange ways from an old man in disfavor to choose him against the will of the king as a representative people's war... And only this feeling put him on that highest human height from which he, the commander-in-chief, directed all his forces not to kill and exterminate people, but to save and pity them.
This simple, modest and therefore truly majestic figure could not lie down in that deceitful form of a European hero, ostensibly controlling people, which history had invented.
For a lackey, there cannot be a great person, because a lackey has his own concept of greatness.
November 5 was the first day of the so-called Krasnensky battle. Before the evening, when, after many arguments and mistakes of the generals, who went to the wrong place; after the dispatch of the adjutants with counter-orders, when it had already become clear that the enemy was fleeing everywhere and there could not be a battle and there would not be, Kutuzov left Krasnoye and went to Dobroe, where the main apartment had been transferred to the present day.
Syria or Syrian Arab Republic- a state in the Middle East, in the eastern Mediterranean, bordered by Lebanon and Israel in the southwest, Jordan in the south, Iraq in the east and Turkey in the north. It is washed by the Mediterranean Sea in the west. The area is 185.2 thousand km².
The Ansaria mountain range divides the country into the wet western part and the arid eastern part.
The fertile coastal plain is located in northwestern Syria and stretches 130 km from north to south, along the Mediterranean coast from the Turkish border to the Lebanese border. Almost all agriculture in the country is concentrated here.
Most of the Syrian territory is located on an arid plateau dotted with mountain ranges Dajabl-ar-Ruwak, Jabal-Abu-Rudjmain and Jabal-Bishri. The average height of the plateau above sea level ranges from 200 to 700 meters. To the north of the mountains is the Hamad Desert, to the south - Homs.
In the east, Syria is crossed by the Euphrates River. In 1973 in upstream a dam was built on the river, which caused the formation of a reservoir called Lake Assad.
Climate
Climate in Syria subtropical Mediterranean on the coast and dry continental in the hinterland. average temperature January - from +4 .. + 6 ° C in eastern regions up to +12 ° C on the coast, in July - from +33 ° C to +26 ° C, respectively. It blows hot in late summer in Syria Eastern wind"khamsin", sometimes developing into sandstorms.
Traveling around the country is best done in the spring, from March to May, or in the fall, from September to November, when the weather conditions are most favorable. Beach season lasts here from May to November.
Last changes: 09.05.2013Population
The population of Syria is 22 198 110 people (2009). The majority of the population is concentrated along the banks of the Euphrates and along the Mediterranean coast. The average life expectancy is 70 years.
Arabs (including about 400 thousand Palestinian refugees) make up more than 80% of the population of Syria.
The largest national minority - Kurds, make up 10% of the population. Most of the Kurds live in the north of the country, many still use the Kurdish language. There are also Kurdish communities in all major cities.
3% of the population of Syria is Assyrians, mostly Christians, also live in the north and north-east of the country.
In addition, up to 400 thousand Circassians (Adygs) and about 200 thousand Armenians live in Syria, as well as about 900 thousand Turks live on the border with Turkey in the cities of Aleppo (Aleppo), Latakia and in the capital.
Religion
90% of the population of Syria is Muslim, 10% is Christian.
Of the Muslims, 75% are Sunnis, the remaining 25% are Alawites and Ismailis, as well as Shiites, whose number has been constantly increasing since 2003 due to the flow of refugees from Iraq.
Among Christians, half are Syrian Orthodox, 18% are Catholics (mainly members of the Syrian Catholic and Melkite catholic churches). There are significant communities of the Armenian Apostolic and Russian Orthodox Churches.
About 100-200 Syrian Jews also live in Damascus and Lattakia, the remnants of a 40,000-strong community that almost completely fled to Israel, the United States and the countries of South America as a result of the pogroms of 1947, which began after the announcement of the UN plan to partition Palestine.
Language
The state and most widespread language is Arabic. In the northern regions of the country, the Kurdish language is often spoken. The most common languages also include Armenian, Adyghe (Circassian) and Turkmen. Various dialects of Aramaic can be found in some areas.
The most popular foreign languages are French and English.
Last changes: 09.05.2013Currency
Currency unit Syria- Syrian pound (SYP or S £), often called the Syrian lira. Has denominations: 1, 2, 5, 10, 25 (coins) and 1, 5, 10, 25, 50, 100, 200, 500, 1000 (banknotes).
It is almost impossible to pay with foreign currency anywhere. You can exchange it in hotels, exchange offices and banks, where the rate is usually the most favorable. There is no commission charged for exchanging cash. Private currency exchange is officially prohibited, but in practice it is widespread. Reverse exchange of pounds is almost impossible.
Banks usually work from 8:30 to 13: 00-14: 00 from Saturday to Thursday, on Thursdays banks are open only in the morning. Exchange offices work from 8:30 to 19: 00-20: 00 on the same days.
Credit cards are accepted by a fairly limited range of establishments: they can be used to purchase air tickets, pay in large stores, in some offices of car rental companies and large hotels. It is almost impossible to get cash from a credit card in Syria.
Traveler's checks are accepted only at the office of the Commercial Bank of Syria, and a commission is charged for cashing them.
Last changes: 09.05.2013Communication and communications
Phone code: 963
Internet domain: .sy
Tourist police - 222-00-00, police - 112, Ambulance - 110
Telephone area codes
Damascus - 11, Aleppo - 21, Latakia - 41, Hama - 33, Homs - 31
How to call
To call from Russia to Syria, you need to dial: 8 - dial tone - 10 - 963 - area code - subscriber's number.
To call from Syria to Russia, you need to dial: 00 - 7 - area code - subscriber number.
Fixed connection
Payphones are located in all public places and work with both cards and coins. You can call abroad from hotels (through operators) and from specialized call centers (a call from most hotels is usually 25% more expensive).
mobile connection
Mobile communications in Syria of GSM 900/1800 standard.
Internet
The Internet in Syria is subject to censorship, some sites, such as Facebook.com or Youtube.com, are not accessible.
Shopping
Shops are open from Saturday to Thursday from 9:30 to 14:00 and from 16:30 to 21:00. Many private shops operate on their own schedule. Many shopping is good in the markets, the best of which are in Damascus and Aleppo. It is, of course, recommended to bargain.
In Syria, many valuable products of local artisans are sold, made of mother-of-pearl, wood, fabric, leather and silver. Local souvenirs: spices, silver and gold jewelry, woodwork, silk scarves, national costumes, olive oil, sheep skins and sweets.
Unlike other countries, duty free shops in Syria are found everywhere, not just at the airport. Any goods purchased in "duty free" must be exported from the country and used only outside its borders. The goods in the store are usually packed, labeled with the name of the buyer and delivered to the airport before the departure of the flight, where they are handed to the buyer.
Last changes: 09.05.2013Sea and beaches
Numerous beaches stretch along the coast of Latakia. Bathing season in the local shallow, and therefore well-warmed waters, it lasts from May to November. The beaches are sandy, comfortable, well suited for families with children: there are practically no big waves here.
Last changes: 09.05.2013History
The history of Syrian civilization dates back at least to the fourth millennium BC. Archaeologists have proven that Syria was the cradle of most of the world's ancient civilizations. Already in 2400-2500 BC. NS. a huge Semitic empire centered at Eble stretched from the Red Sea to the Transcaucasus.
Throughout its history, Syria fell under the rule of the Egyptians, Canaanites, Arameans, Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians, Greeks, Armenians, Romans, Nabataeans, Byzantines, Arabs and Crusaders, before eventually falling under the rule Ottoman Empire... Syria occupies an important place in the history of Christianity - according to the Bible, Paul converted to the Christian faith in Antioch, where the first church was founded.
Islam took root in Syria in 636, when Damascus became the capital of the Arab Caliphate under the Umayyads. At this time, the Caliphate was already a powerful state, stretching from the Iberian Peninsula to Central Asia... Damascus became cultural and economic center the entire Arab world, already in the VIII century being one of the largest cities in the world. In 750, the Umayyads were overthrown by the Abbasid dynasty, after which the capital of the Caliphate moved to Baghdad.
In the middle of the 13th century, Damascus became the provincial center of the Mamluk Empire. In 1400 Syria was attacked by the Tatar-Mongols. Tamerlane defeated the Mamluk detachments, destroyed Damascus and took all its wealth to Samarkand.
In 1517, Syria fell under the rule of the Ottoman Empire for several centuries. Shortly after the defeat in World War I, the Ottoman Empire collapsed.
In 1920, the Syrian Arab Kingdom was founded with its center in Damascus. Faisal of the Hashemite dynasty, who later became king of Iraq, was declared king. But the independence of Syria did not last long. Within a few months french army occupied Syria, defeating Syrian troops on July 23 at the Battle of Meisalun Pass. In 1922, the League of Nations decided to divide the former Syrian dominion of Turkey between Great Britain and France. Great Britain received Jordan and Palestine, and France - the modern territory of Syria and Lebanon (the so-called "League of Nations mandate").
In 1936, a treaty was signed between Syria and France providing for the independence of Syria, but in 1939 France refused to ratify it. In 1940, France itself was occupied by German troops, and Syria came under the control of the Vichy regime (governor - General Denz). Nazi Germany, having provoked the insurrection of Prime Minister Geylani in British Iraq, sent its Air Force units to Syria. In June - July 1941, with the support of British troops, the Free French units (later renamed the Fighting France), led by Generals De Gaulle and Catroux, entered Syria during a bloody conflict with the troops of Denz. General De Gaulle in his memoirs directly pointed out that the events in Iraq, Syria and Lebanon were directly related to the German plans to invade the USSR (as well as Greece, Yugoslavia and Crete), as they had the task of diverting the Allied armed forces to secondary theaters of military operations ...
On September 27, 1941, France granted independence to Syria, leaving its troops on its territory until the end of World War II. On January 26, 1945, Syria declared war on Germany and Japan. In April 1946, French troops were evacuated from Syria.
Shukri al-Kuwatli, who fought for the country's independence during the Ottoman Empire, became the president of independent Syria. In 1947, a parliament began to operate in Syria. The main political forces were the pro-presidential National Socialist Party of Syria (in currently operates only in Lebanon), the Arab Socialist Renaissance Party and the then underground Communist Party of Syria.
In 1948, the Syrian army took a limited part in the Arab-Israeli war started by the alliance of Arab states.
March 15, 1956 between Syria, Egypt and Saudi Arabia a collective security treaty was signed against possible Israeli aggression.
On February 22, 1958, in the wake of the popularity of the pan-Arab movement, Syria and Egypt united into one state - the United Arab Republic with its center in Cairo. Egyptian leader Gamal Abdel Nasser became the president of the new state, but the Syrians also held many important posts. However, Nasser soon dissolved all Syrian political parties. In Syria, a large-scale nationalization of agriculture began, and then industry and the banking sector. On September 28, 1961, a coup d'etat took place in Damascus under the leadership of a group of officers, and Syria re-declared its independence. Nasser decided not to resist the separatists, so the UAR existed for only 3 and a half years.
After Syria left the confederation, the country was led by the liberal Nazim Al-Qudsi. He returned many of the nationalized enterprises to their former owners. On March 28, 1962, a coup took place in the country again under the leadership of the same group of army officers. Al-Qudsi and his prime minister were arrested. After 5 days, supporters of the previous regime overthrew the interim government, and al-Qudsi again became the president of the country.
On March 8, 1963, a military coup took place in Syria again, as a result of which the Arab Socialist Renaissance Party (PASV), which is sometimes called "Baath" (ar. "Revival"), came to power.
In 1964, a new constitution was adopted, in which the leading role of the PASV was enshrined. The country was headed by Amin Hafez, who began radical socialist reforms. In particular, the nationalization of the main branches of the economy was carried out again.
On February 23, 1966, Syria was shaken for the fifth coup in 4 years under the leadership of Salah Jedid and Hafez al-Assad. Amin Hafez was overthrown, but PASV remained in power, and the socialist path of Syria's development remained largely unchanged.
In November 1970, as a result of the "correctional movement" in the PASV, led by H. al-Assad, Saleh Jedid's group was ousted from power. Thus, Syria became the main ally Soviet Union in the Middle East. The USSR helped Syria to modernize its economy and armed forces.
In 1967, during the Six Day War, the Golan Heights were occupied by Israel. In 1973, in the Yom Kippur War, Syria tried unsuccessfully to reclaim them. By the decision of the UN Security Council at the end of the 1973 war, a buffer zone was created separating Israel and Syria. The Golan Heights are currently controlled by Israel, but Syria is demanding their return.
In 1976, at the request of the Lebanese government, Syrian troops entered the country with the aim of stopping the civil war. The war ended in 1990, when a government was established in Lebanon maintaining friendly relations with Syria. Syrian troops left Lebanon only in 2005 after the assassination of Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. Syria supported Iran in the Iran-Iraq War 1980-1988.
After the death of Hafez al-Assad, who ruled the country for almost 30 years, on June 10, 2000, his son Bashar al-Assad became president.
According to some reports, during the Israeli-Lebanese war in 2006, Syria supplied weapons to Hezbollah. This, in particular, is connected with the still strained relations between Syria and some Western countries.
Last changes: 09.05.2013Golan heights
The territory of the Golan Heights is the Syrian province of Quneitra with its center in the city of the same name. Israeli forces captured the Golan Heights in 1967 and the region was under the control of the Israel Defense Forces until 1981. In 1974, the UN Emergency Force was brought into the region. Directly along the eastern border of the province of Quneitra, a demarcation line was drawn and a demilitarized zone was created. The UN Disengagement Observer Force is based in the area.
In 1981, the Knesset of Israel passed the Golan Heights Law, which unilaterally proclaimed Israel's sovereignty over the territory. The annexation was invalidated by the UN Security Council Resolution of December 17, 1981 and condemned by the UN General Assembly in 2008.
The city of Katzrin became the center of the Israeli Golan. The majority of the non-Jewish population in the Golan is Druze, retaining Syrian citizenship (they have been granted the right to acquire Israeli citizenship). In Syria, they enjoy some privileges, in particular, they are guaranteed free higher education.
In 2005, the population of the Golan Heights was approximately 40 thousand people, including 20 thousand Druze, 19 thousand Jews and about 2 thousand Alawites. The largest settlement in the region is the Druze village of Majdal Shams (8,800 people). Initially, only UNDOF personnel were allowed free movement between Syria and Israel. But in 1988, Israeli authorities allowed Druze pilgrims to cross into Syria so that they could visit the Temple of Abel, located in the neighboring province of Dara. Also, since 1967, Druze brides who decide to marry a Syrian have been allowed to go over to the Syrian side, and they are already losing the right to return.
Syria and Israel are de jure in a state of war, since a peace treaty between these countries has not yet been signed.
In August 2007, Israel, for the first time since 1967, began to phase out its military presence in the Golan.
Last changes: 09.05.2013The name Syria comes from the ancient Greek name for the colonies of Assyria, formed from the Semitic word "Sirion". Terrain on east coast The Mediterranean Sea south of Cilicia, between Egypt and Mesopotamia, which includes Commagene, Sophena and Adiabena, Pliny the Elder describes as "the former Assyria." By the time Pliny finished his main work - "Natural History", this region was divided by the Roman Empire into several provinces: Judea (later - Palestine, modern Israel, PNA and part of Jordan), Phenicia (modern Lebanon), Mesopotamia and Polaya Syria.
Last changes: 09.05.2013Entry into Syria will be denied to Israeli citizens and travelers with any proof of visiting Israel (including stamps in passports that put tourists in their passports when crossing the land borders of Egypt (Jordan) and Israel). If you have an Israeli stamp in your passport - you need to get new passport or choose another country for travel.
Traveling around the country is best done in the spring, from March to May, or in the fall, from September to November, when the weather conditions are most favorable. The beach season lasts here from May to November.
Hospitality is one of the most important Syrian traditions. One should not refuse such an invitation so as not to offend the owner - in most cases such invitations are made with all the heart. It is considered impolite to refuse the offered coffee.
Women traveling alone may receive too much attention from Syrian men. However, this attention is usually limited to glances or feeble attempts to engage in conversation.
Syrians, like all Arabs, eat right hand... It is considered appropriate to take food from the dish with your hand or pick up the sauce from the plate with a flat cake. It is not customary to eat while standing or on the move, as well as to look in the face of a person busy with food. Bread is usually broken by hand. You should also take food, money and things with your right hand.
During the handshake, you should not look into the eyes of the interlocutor, and you should also not keep your other hand in your pocket or swing it vigorously in the air (especially with a cigarette). You can not bypass the front of the worshipers. When entering mosques and at home, you should take off your shoes.
It is prohibited to photograph government offices, palaces, military and transport objects. In Christian churches, before filming, you must ask permission (usually there are no objections). But in mosques there is no point in even asking: you cannot shoot there. Also, you should not take pictures of local women without permission. Documents (or even better - their photocopies) should always be carried with you.
In addition, while in Syria, do not forget about the hot climate and active sun: you need to use sunscreen, drink more fluids and protect your eyes with sunglasses.
Local tap water is usually chlorinated and relatively safe to drink, but bottled water is best consumed internally.
The Koran prohibits the use of alcohol, but in Syria, this issue is practically not raised. Alcoholic drinks can be purchased at any store, restaurant or bar, but they should not be drunk in front of everyone. Restrictions on the sale of alcohol are introduced during Ramadan.
Since the fall of 2009, a ban on smoking in public places has been in effect in Syria. Smokers caught with a cigarette or pipe in cafes, bars and restaurants now face a fine of 2,000 Syrian pounds ($ 46). The ban also applies to hookah smoking. Owners of establishments, on whose territory violators are caught, will also be fined, and in some cases even prosecuted. In addition, a number of restrictions have been introduced on advertising of tobacco products.
The country, although a socialist leaven, is Muslim, so you need to dress appropriately. Clothing should be modest. In Damascus and in cities along the coast, they still turn a blind eye to this, but in the conservative cities of the center of the country, and even more so in the outback, they treat inappropriate outfits with obvious hostility. And in Hama, they can throw stones at all. No tight fitting clothes! It is better for women to cover their arms and legs. Men will have to give up shorts and sleeveless T-shirts.
It is best to avoid political conversations with “locals” to avoid possible problems. Problems may arise, first of all, just among the "local" - since there are many police officers in civilian clothes around, as well as informers (informers).
Every major city in Syria has a Tourist information center, where you can get all kinds of information and free maps of the country and its parts. In Damascus, Tourist information is located opposite the Russian cultural center, on May 29 street, the main street of the city. In Aleppo, the Tourist information center can be found near the Central Bank, on the edge of Alrais platz.
Last changes: 09.05.2013How to get to Syria
Attention! Currently, almost all international air and railway communication with Syria has been terminated due to a protracted civil war in this country.
By plane
There is direct regular air service between Russia and Syria. Moscow and Damascus are connected by regular flights of Aeroflot (on Thursdays and Sundays from Sheremetyevo-2) and Syrian Airlines (on Tuesdays and Saturdays from Vnukovo). Flight time is about 3.5 hours.
Many European air carriers also fly to Syria.
Flights to Damascus from Almaty, Kiev and Minsk are operated by Turkish Airlines.
By train
Weekly trains run from Aleppo to Istanbul (Turkey), from Damascus to Baghdad (Iraq) and Tehran (Iran) via Aleppo, and also to Amman (Jordan). The fare to Istanbul and Tehran varies from $ 45 to $ 70 one way in a top-class carriage. The fare to Jordan is about $ 5.
At the same time, traveling to Amman by train can be recommended only to lovers of rail travel who have a significant amount of free time. It is about the ancient narrow-gauge line (Hijaz Railway), built by the Turks. The average train speed is 30 km / h, so the distance between the two capitals (300 km) is covered all day long with a change in the border town of Daraa (trains leave Damascus at 8 am and arrive at their destination at 22:00).
The Daraa - Amman train leaves once a week on Saturdays at 18.00. The cost of travel by train is slightly lower than by bus (train - $ 5, bus - about $ 7-8), and the time spent on the bus is half that. However, it is best to travel to cities such as Istanbul and Tehran by train.
By bus
Damascus and Aleppo have good bus connections with neighboring states.
Buses run from Aleppo to Turkish Hatay (Antakya) and Istanbul, as well as to Beirut, Cairo and Baghdad. From Damascus you can get by bus and minibus to Beirut, Jordanian Amman with Irbid and Iraqi Baghdad. The fare for cross-border transport from Damascus is: Beirut (up to 20 times a day) - $ 8-10 by shuttle taxi and $ 4-5 by bus, Amman (10-15 times a day) - $ 10 by shuttle taxi and $ 8 by bus.
In addition, there are route taxis from Damascus and Aleppo to big cities neighboring states: Tripoli (Lebanon), Irbid (Jordan), Antakya (Turkey) and many others.
Airport tax when departing from Syrian airports - 32 USD (1500 SYP). Since the summer of 2009, some airlines have included this tax in their airfare.
When leaving (land and sea borders) from Syria, a fee of 12 USD (550 SYP) will be charged.
Last changes: 03/14/2017Have you decided to organize a vacation in Syria? Looking for the best Syria hotels, hot tours, resorts and last minute deals? Interested in the weather in Syria, prices, the cost of the tour, do you need a visa to Syria and would a detailed map be useful? Would you like to see what Syria looks like in photos and videos? What are the excursions and attractions in Syria? What are the stars and reviews about hotels in Syria?
Syrian Arab Republic- a state in the Middle East, bordering Lebanon and Israel in the southwest, Jordan in the south, Iraq in the east and Turkey in the north. It is washed by the Mediterranean Sea in the west.
The Ansaria mountain range divides the country into the wet western part and the arid eastern part. The fertile coastal plain is located in northwestern Syria and stretches 130 km north-south along the Mediterranean coast from the Turkish border to the Lebanese border. Most of the Syrian territory is located on an arid plateau dotted with mountain ranges Dajabl-ar-Ruwak, Jabal-Abu-Rudjmain and Jabal-Bishri. The average height of the plateau above sea level ranges from 200 to 700 meters. To the north of the mountains is the Hamad Desert, to the south - Homs. In the east, Syria is crossed by the Euphrates.
Airports in Syria
Aleppo International Airport
Damascus International Airport
Latakia Bassel Al-Assad International Airport
1 - 5 star hotels in Syria
Syria weather
The climate is subtropical, Mediterranean, in the interior regions - continental, dry. Average temperatures in January are from + 4 ° С to + 12 ° С, in July from + 26 ° С to + 33 ° С. Precipitation 100 - 300 mm per year, in the mountains up to 1000 mm per year.
Syrian language
State language: Arabic
In the northern regions of the country, the Kurdish language is often spoken. The most common languages also include Armenian, Adyghe (Circassian) and Turkmen. Various dialects of Aramaic can be found in some areas. The most popular foreign languages are French and English.
Syrian currency
International name: SYP
The pound consists of 100 piastres (kyrsh), although piastres are no longer produced. They are in circulation: 1, 2, 5, 10, 25 (coins) and 1, 5, 10, 25, 50, 100, 200, 500, 1000 (banknotes). It is almost impossible to pay with foreign currency anywhere, the only means of payment in the country is the pound.
You can exchange currency in hotels and exchange offices of the Commercial Bank of Syria. Private currency exchange is officially prohibited, but very widespread. Reverse exchange of pounds is almost impossible.
Credit cards are accepted in a fairly limited circle of establishments - they can be used to purchase air tickets, pay in large stores, in some offices of car rental companies and large hotels. Get cash from credit card in Syria, it is almost impossible, but the scope of non-cash forms of payment is rapidly increasing. Travel checks are accepted only at the office of the Commercial Bank of Syria, while a commission is charged for cashing checks.
Visa
For citizens of the Russian Federation, all CIS countries, as well as many others, entry into Syria is a visa. A visa can be obtained at the consular department, or can be issued directly at the airport of arrival. To do this, you must fill out an entry card with personal data (photos and a voucher are not required) and pay a fee of $ 20. According to some reports, for citizens of states on whose territory there are consulates of Syria, it is mandatory to obtain a visa directly at the consulate, and not at the border.
Often, a visa application at the border is denied without explanation, sometimes there is arbitrariness of border guards who refuse to issue a visa under far-fetched pretexts or who require additional documents. Therefore, it is recommended to apply for a visa through the country's embassy.
Women under the age of 35 entering the country for tourism purposes without being accompanied by a male relative must first obtain a special entry permit from the Syrian Immigration Department.
A visa is not issued to persons who have any Israeli marks in their passports, a stamp on leaving border points with Israel (Aqaba, King Hussein Bridge in Jordan, Taba, Rafah, etc.). In some cases, Syrian customs officials are suspicious of a passport obtained in Cairo or Amman.
If you have a visa, no additional permits are required to travel around the country. No entry into areas along the Syrian-Israeli border.
Customs restrictions
Currency transit is limited to 5 thousand USD. It is prohibited to import and export local currency.
Imported without imposition of duties: up to 30 gr. perfume for personal use, up to 0.5 liters. lotion and 0.5 l. cologne, personal items, gifts worth up to 250 Syrian pounds, up to 0.57 liters. alcoholic beverages, up to 200 cigarettes or 25 cigars or 50 cigarillos or 250 gr. tobacco.
It is prohibited to import into the country: drugs, weapons and ammunition, video and printed materials that contradict the norms of Islam and threaten public order.
All importing items must be declared. You can import gold, but in the amount of 500 g. For items purchased in the country, you must present a receipt. If there is no receipt, then each product is taxed at the rate of 10-25% of the value of the product.
Mains voltage
Tips
Tipping is usually given only in expensive hotels and restaurants, usually 5-10% of the cost of service.
Kitchen
A typical Syrian meal consists of rice or flatbread, meat, vegetables, beans, sweets and fruits. The National dish- burghol (burgul), this is wheat boiled in steam, dried and milled. It is added to many dishes, including the national kibbeh, which is made from minced lamb.
Purchases
Shops usually work from Saturday to Thursday from 09.30 to 14.00 and from 16.30 to 21.00 in summer, in winter - from 09.30 to 14.00 and from 16.00 to 20.00, large supermarkets - until 20.00-22.00. Many private shops operate on their own schedule.
Opening hours of institutions
Banks usually work from 8.30 to 13.00-14.00 from Saturday to Thursday (on Thursday only open in the morning). Exchange offices work from 8.30 to 19.00-20.00 on the same days.
Photo and video shooting
It is prohibited to photograph government offices, palaces, military and transport objects. In Christian churches, you should ask permission before filming, usually filming is not prohibited. You cannot shoot in mosques. You shouldn't take pictures of local women without permission.
Traditions
You should also take food, money and things with your right hand.
The soles of the feet should not point towards anyone. During the handshake, you should not look into the eyes of the interlocutor, and you should also not keep your other hand in your pocket or swing it vigorously in the air (especially with a cigarette). You can not bypass the front of the worshipers. When entering mosques and at home, you should take off your shoes.
The Koran prohibits the use of alcohol, but in Syria, this issue is practically not raised. Alcoholic drinks should not be drunk in full view of everyone.
Clothing should be modest. Women should not wear provocative clothes. Wearing sportswear or beachwear in public is considered extremely indecent. Even on the beach it is not recommended to appear nude or "topless".
Code of the country: +963
Geographic first level domain name:.sy
Emergency telephones
Police (Damascus) - 112.
Ambulance - 110.
Red Cross - 442-1600.
Search
We can notify you about new articles,