Ignoring political stereotyping, Rehab Saad goes Levantine It was midnight when we went out for dinner in the old city of Damascus -- an area that has been inhabited for at least 4,000 years. A taxi took us to the closest point a car could reach to Haretna ("our alley"), the restaurant that had been recommended, and we went ahead on foot. There is something quaint and charming about the old city: sleepy streets branching out into impossibly curved cobbled alleyways; illumination that mimics the ornate kerosene lamps of old; and plenty of signage pointing to the restaurant. A large wooden gate gave onto a sloping corridor at the end of which, in an unexpectedly spacious courtyard, the whole city seemed to be chatting, eating, drinking and smoking nargilas. Seated around a sizable fountain that gave an impression of grandeur were all kinds of Syrians and tourists: hip and traditional, young and old, loud and reticent. The second floor proved somewhat smaller: a kind of terrace overlooking the courtyard, it boasted a predominantly young clientele; they played cards, backgammon or chess while they sipped their drinks and dragged on their nargilas. One of 40 traditional houses converted into restaurants, cafés and nightclubs -- many have trendy names: Alisar, Oxygen and Neutron -- Haretna typifies a tourist boom that has saved 300-year-old architectural gems from decades of neglect. They are among the city's principal attractions. Consisting of one to three courtyards, and often adorned with Damask roses, citrus trees, jasmines and gurgling fountains, living quarters in the traditional Damascene house are arranged in two levels around each courtyard: the upper one to be used in summer; the lower, including reception halls with arabesque and rococo panelling on ceilings and walls, in winter. Ten years ago, nightlife in Syria afforded no such pleasures, with no options other than five- star hotels or shawarma stands. Even though neither multinational fast food outlets nor shopping malls have been incorporated yet into the fabric of Damascus, today Souq Al-Hamidiya affords an entryway into a different and enchanting nocturnal realm, though the souq itself shuts down, along with the rest of the city's commercial establishments, at 9pm. Do go during the day, in the afternoon or early evening. For here as elsewhere in Syria shopping remains a deeply engaging experience because, with the exception of rugs, which come from Afghanistan, Iran, and India, imports are still rare. Damascus was the capital of the Umayid caliphate and retains many of this great dynasty's monuments. The Umayid Mosque -- built by Caliph Al-Walid Ibn Abdul-Malek in 705 AD, it is also believed to be where the head of Saint John the Baptist is buried -- lies at the centre of a range of architectural marvels. Westerners in Syria should look out for Christian history, too, retracing Saint Paul's steps through the old city, and seeking the sanctuary of first-century places of worship like the Monastery of Mar Takla in Maaloula and the Church of Our Lady of Sednaya (see sidebar). Aleppo and Palmyra are of especial interest for Roman and Byzantine relics. Its currently problematic place in international relations notwithstanding, Syria is increasingly seen as a prime tourist destination -- something that finds support in a range of official efforts to facilitate tourism, with the Syrian government participating in major travel fairs like ITB in Germany, and international chains like the Four Seasons in turn opening or expanding in Damascus (the Four Seasons Hotel is to open in July); state- owned establishments like Le Meridian and the Sheraton are likewise renovating and otherwise readying themselves for competition. Abdullah Melhem, general manager of Sheraton Damascus Hotels & Towers, a 29-year old enterprise, outlines one such project: "Our $8 million renovation plan will cover almost everything. We started a year ago with the Umayid Ballroom and the fourth and fifth floors. Currently in the pipeline are schemes for the restaurants, coffee shops, bars and disco. In the rooms, parquet will replace carpets, the beds will be made more comfortable and the showers modernised. We are also introducing wireless Internet access and a wider range of lighting options. To meet our guests needs, we are establishing a spa with gym, sauna and steam bath facilities, as well as a squash court. But plans go beyond renovation: we want to build up our properties all over Syria. The Sheraton Ma'aret Sednaya Hotel & Resort had its soft opening early this year and another hotel will be opened in Aleppo in a few months -- not to mention added properties in Damascus, Latakia and Palmyra." Official figures indicate an astounding boom in tourism: 6.2 million tourists in 2004, as opposed to 4.3 and 4.2 million in 2003 in 2002, respectively. The information is corroborated in World Tourism Organisation (WTO) reports, which point to a 45 per cent increase in tourist revenues from 2003 to 2004 (from $1.4 to $2.2 billion). Yet the industry remains largely dependent on the Arab market, with only Turkey and Iran providing significant numbers of travellers to Syria (the Iranians are mostly pilgrims heading for Syria's holy sites). Together Arabs, Turks and Iranians constitute 78 per cent of the total number of tourists, according to Saadullah Agha Al-Kalaa, Syrian tourism minister, speaking to Al-Ahram Weekly : Arabs do not require a visa to cross the Syrian borders; and the country's characteristics match their specific needs and traditions. Al-Kalaa added that Arabs are drawn by Barda River source resorts like Zabadani and Bloudane, located 50 and 57 km away from Damascus at altitudes of 1,200 and 1,400 m above sea level, respectively. Cool, dry air and picturesque lakes and springs make this a frequent summer destination for tourists from the Gulf, while visitors from Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey undertake day trips all year round. Al-Kalaa attributed the tourist boom that has been in evidence since 2001 to, among other factors, the difficulties encountered by Arabs travelling to Europe or North America following 11 September. It was not until 2004, he explained, that Syria recorded a major increase of 35 per cent in the number of both Arab and foreign tourists; and that was after the war in Iraq ended, in 2003. It was then that efforts were undertaken to facilitate specifically non-Arab tourism: "We have permitted foreign nationals to obtain a visa at the airport or any Syrian border. Those coming in groups via travel agencies are given their visa free of charge." The goal: to improve the image of Syria, and promote it for the prime tourist destination it is. Workshops and Syria tourism weeks were held with travel agencies and in Western cities, foreign journalists were invited to the country and a law "to establish the Syria Promotion Authority" was introduced; it currently awaits implementation: "To promote the country abroad, we need a dedicated authority with its own generous budget -- and offices all over the world." The anticipate influx of visitors has also resulted in a major Damascus International Airport renovation scheme, as well as plans to develop Palmyra and Qameshly airports. Special agencies will be established for operating chartered flights. Syrian Air general manager, engineer Nashaat Al-Nameer, explained the logic behind this: "As a result of the tourist boom, Syrian Air has witnessed a 33 per cent increase in number of passengers in 2004. The company will buy seven airbus carriers to accommodate further increases, since we expect our fleet of 12 carriers will prove insufficient." With 40,000 hotel beds to its name, in the next five years Syria will likewise require an extra 30,000 beds. And it was to discuss this that tourism officials held the first "tourism investment forum" in the period 23-25 April -- to encourage, in the words of Al-Kalaa, "not only intra-Arab tourism but intra-Arab investment as well". Studies for 100 sites in Damascus, the Damascus countryside, Aleppo, Latakia, Homs, Tartous, Deir Al-Zour, Idelb, Darraa, Suidaa, Al-Reqaa, Al-Hasaka, Hama and Al-Qunaitera were undertaken by an international consultancy team to attract investors. Investment laws have been modified, too: through the BOT (Build, Operate, Transfer) scheme, foreign investors are now able to own their tourism projects in Syria; they are exempted from taxes while they work on the project; and they receive a 50 per cent reduction in taxes for the first three years of operation. New trends are therefore expected besides the Damascene house conversion syndrome, which is to spread to Bosra and Al-Qunaitera in the southwest, where ecolodges will be established. Golf courses, desert safaris and medical tourism (Palmyra is rich in sulphurous water) and marinas are all in the offing.
