Syria

Places in this region

Image of Quneitra located in Umm Batinah, Syria | Destroyed Houses in Quneitra
Umm Batinah, Syria

Quneitra

Ghost Town in the Demilitarized Zone of the Golan Heights

Quneitra is the destroyed and abandoned capital city of the Quneitra Governorate. The area is under Syrian control within the UN-patrolled demilitarized zone between Syria and the Israeli-occupied... »

Ghost Towns | Edited by Tawsam and atimian

Image of Dead City of Serjilla located in Khirbat Serjilla, Syria | Foundations of one of the homes of Serjilla (Flickr/Fede Ranghino)
Khirbat Serjilla, Syria

Dead City of Serjilla

1500-year-old ghost settlement slowly faded away

There were no dramatic events causing a mass exodus from Serjilla. No catastrophe befell the small farming town, and no earth-shattering natural disaster struck. There was a smattering of invasion... »

Ghost Towns | Edited by serflac and atimian

Image of Tomb of Hafez al-Assad located in Al Qardahah, Syria | Hafez and his son Basil are entombed in the mountain town of Qardaha in northwest Syria. (Leah Caldwell/Atlas Obscura)
Al Qardahah, Syria

Tomb of Hafez al-Assad

Three members of Syria's ruling family entombed in quiet mountain town

Ever since former Syrian President Hafez al-Assad died in the summer of 2000, it seems his hometown and final resting place of Qardaha has never stopped mourning. The newly paved road leading to... »

Memento Mori, Architectural Oddities, Curious Places of Worship | Edited by LeahC, Nicholas Jackson and others

Image of October War Panorama located in Damascus, Syria | North Korean mural of former Syrian President Hafez al-Asad. (LeahC/Atlas Obscura)
Damascus, Syria

October War Panorama

3D war panorama in Damascus built with help from North Korea

The Tishreen or October War Panaroma Museum in Damascus commemorates the 1973 October War between Israel, Egypt, and Syria from a decidedly Syrian perspective. The external grounds of the museum... »

Museums and Collections, Unusual Monuments | Edited by LeahC and Nicholas Jackson

Image of Palmyra located in Abar Muqranat, Syria | Inscription of Queen Zenobia at Palmyra
Abar Muqranat, Syria

Palmyra

Mysterious lost empire of the Silk Road

Led by Queen Zenobia, who was later taken to Rome and paraded through the streets in golden chains, Palmyra was a rich city on the Silk Road, a gateway to the West for travelers returning from the... »

Lost Tribes, Incredible Ruins | Edited by heatherdoodle, Dylan and others

Image of Krak des Chevaliers located in Hamah, Syria | Krak des Chevaliers
Hamah, Syria

Krak des Chevaliers

Ruins of the Crusaders' headquarters

Krak des Chevaliers is the single most imposing symbol of the Crusades. The Krak is a massive Crusader fortress built during the First Crusade on a strategically important spot 40 kilometers... »

Micro-Nations, Incredible Ruins | Edited by stanestane, Annetta and 2 others