Syria: Bosra
140km south of Damascus lies the UNESCO World Heritage site of Bosra. This area was under control of anti-government groups during the civil war and now it’s under reconciliation, peaceful but still not without tension and all the blockposts are manned by bearded military men that are not part of the Syrian Army. But the site of the old site is quite spectacular, albeit quite ruined and in disarray. The city of Bosra dates back to the Nabatean Kingdom times in the 2nd century BC. It was then conquered by Romans and renamed into Nova Trajana Bostra, a major trading point on the route from Damascus to the Red Sea. During Byzantine times it was a large city as well, as it remained during the Islamic Era that followed – a major stopping point on the way to Mecca. Multiple civilization left their imprint here – the ruins feature old churches, some of the oldest Islamic mosques in the world, Roman columns, and broad Roman avenues. High walls and a citadel surround the ancient city.
