Syria: Through Writers` Eyes is a carefully chosen selection of literary extracts that capture the allure, culture & history of Syria. The historical wealth of Syria is triumphantly visible & diverse. It is one of the best-kept secrets of the passionate Mediterranean traveller. That it is also a remarkably hospitable country, where the way of life is still intimately engaged with its own history, only serves to increase the pleasure. For centuries, visitors have responded to the country with fascination. Here you will eavesdrop on William Dalrymple talking to hermits, hear Robin Fedden on Crusader Castles, follow T E Lawrence through Aleppo as well as reading the thoughts of Edward Gibbon, Hester Stanhope & Gertrude Bell amongst the ruins of Palmyra. Poet, travel-writer & antiquarian book-dealer Marius Kociejowski has poured his deep love, experience & absorption with Syria into this wide-ranging but exquisitely discriminating collection. ...

Since the upsurge of the Arab Spring in 2011, the Syrian civil war has claimed in excess of 200, 000 lives, with an estimated 8 million Syrians, more than a third of the country`s population, forced to flee their homes. Militant Sunni groups, such as ISIS, have taken control of large swathes of the nation. The impact of this catastrophe is now being felt on the streets of Europe & the United States. Veteran Middle East expert Charles Glass combines reportage, analysis, & history to provide an accessible overview of the origins & permutations defining the conflict. He also gives a powerful argument for why the West has failed to get to grips with the consequences of the crisis. ...

Syria in Marshall Cavendish's Culture Shock! Series; comprising a range of guides that inform visitors of the finer points & details relating to social etiquette, traditions & customs; bringing visitors to a sensitive yet substantial understanding of the country or city in question. The series targets those who are planning long stays in the destination or extended periods of residence. The guides are written by authors who have experienced the joys & pitfalls of cultural adaptation, & so are ideally placed to provide informative & relevant advice. Each title contains insights into local culture & traditions, guidance on adapting to the local environment, linguistic help & lots of general advice about local culture & idiosyncrasies to help prepare readers for their visit. Each title is structured similarly, beginning with the first impressions a visitor might expect to have. The guides aim to help readers understand the local culture through first appreciating the motivations, beliefs & attitudes of the local people. Practical advice on settling in is provided, with focused sections on accommodation, utilities, health, education & telecommunications. There is also extensive information on the destination ...

Syria at 1:750, 000 on an indexed map from Gizi Map, with excellent presentation of the country’s topography, road infrastructure & oil/gas pipelines, enlargements for the environs of Damascus & Aleppo, street plans of these two cities
- each with a more detailed plan of its Old City district, plus a plan of the archaeological site at Palmyra. Coverage

Includes:: Lebanon & the border areas of the neighbouring countries, extending south to Jerusalem & Amman. The map, with the bold altitude colouring characteristic of Gizi Maps plus numerous spot heights & graphics for swamps salt flats, deserts, etc, provides an excellent picture of the country’s topography. Road network

Includes:: local tracks & desert routes. Railway lines are included, local airports are marked, & the map also shows oil or gas wells & pipelines. Symbols highlight World Heritage sites, interesting natural sites, etc. Names of Syria’s provinces & larger cities are also shown in the Arabic alphabet. Latitude & longitude lines are drawn at 30’ intervals. The index is on the reverse. Multilingual map legend

Includes:: English & Arabic. Enlargements at 1:250, 000 present in greater detail & clarity the environs of Damascus & Aleppo. Both cities have street plans, each with an enlargement for the historic Old City area, highlighting important administrative, religious, cultural, etc, buildings, selected hotels, car parks, etc. Also provided is a plan of the archaeological site at Palmyra. The map, also available as a wall map, was published in 2013.






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Syria Handbook in the Handbooks series from Footprint; comprehensive & leading guides designed & written for independent travellers who enjoy exploring off the beaten track. Footprint guides have an established reputation, built up since 1921, for catering for more adventurous & individual travellers. An unrestrictive editorial style also gives authors the freedom to capture & explore local cultures, sights & areas that are often not covered in other guides. Widely recognised for their reliability & independent writing style, Footprint guides all have the same layout. Introductory sections introduce the reader to the destination, with chapters on planning on your trip & essentials, including practical information & guidance on subjects such as when & where to go, itineraries, sport & activities, arts, getting there & around, eating & drinks, sleeping & a dedicated section on the anticipated carbon footprint involved in travelling to the destination. Each guide is organised geographically by region or country, with individual sections having a particular focus on an extensive range of sights & places of interest. Further, there are also details of accommodation, nightlife, restaurants & any notable local activities. Information boxes throughout the text give readers an insight into local customs, stories & sights of particular interest.A ...

When Syrian President Bashar al-Assad came to power upon his father's death in 2000, many in & outside Syria held high hopes that the popular young doctor would bring long-awaited reform, that he would be a new kind of Middle East leader capable of guiding his country toward genuine democracy. David Lesch was one of those who saw this promise in Assad. A widely respected Middle East scholar & consultant, Lesch came to know the president better than anyone in the West, in part through a remarkable series of meetings with Assad between 2004 & 2009. Yet for Lesch, like millions of others, Assad was destined to disappoint. In this timely book, the author explores Assad's failed leadership, his transformation from bearer of hope to reactionary tyrant, & his regime's violent response to the uprising of his people in the wake of the Arab Spring. Lesch charts Assad's turn toward repression & the inexorable steps toward the violence of 2011 & 2012. The book recounts the causes of the Syrian uprising, the regime's tactics to remain in power, the responses of other nations to the bloodshed, & the determined efforts of regime opponents. In a thoughtful conclusion, the author suggests scenarios that could unfold in Syria's uncertain future. ...

Syria`s descent into civil war has already claimed an estimated 200, 000 lives while more than nine million people have fled their homes. This is now the greatest humanitarian & political crisis of the twenty-first century. In this timely account, John Mc Hugo charts the history of Syria from the First World War to the present & considers why Syria`s foundations as a nation have proved so fragile. He examines the country`s thwarted attempts at independence under French rule before turning to more recent events: religious & sectarian tensions that have riven Syria, the pressures of international conflicts, two generations of rule by the Assads & the rise of ISIS. As the conflict in Syria rages on, Mc Hugo provides a rare & authoritative guide to a complex nation that demands our attention. ...

Syros in the Cyclades on light, a waterproof & tear-resistant, contoured & GPS compatible map at 1:20, 000 from Anavasi for exploring the island on foot or by car. On the reverse is a street plan of Ermoupoli / Hermoupolis showing various facilities & places of interest, plus contact details for various accommodation options. Landscape of the island is vividly shown by contours at 10m with altitude colouring, hill shading & spot heights. The map indicates dirt roads in poor condition & difficult tracks, with distances marked on many local routes, plus locations of petrol stations. Country paths distinguish between wide & well defined or narrow and/or poorly defined routes. Recommended hiking trails indicate their approximate duration. Symbols show campsites & places of interest including beaches, archaeological sites, etc. All place names are in both Greek & Latin alphabets. The map has a 1km UTM grid plus latitude/longitude margin ticks & crosshairs at 1’. The whole of the reverse side is taken by a street plan of Ermoupoli / Hermoupolis. Names of larger streets are in both Greek & Latin alphabets. The plan is accompanied by contact details for hotels or appartments across the whole isl&. Map legend & the text include English. To see which other Greek islands are covered by maps from Anavasi, please click on the series link. ...

Syros at 1:20, 000 on a contoured, GPS compatible hiking map published by Terrain Cartography group together with Skai Maps, & printed on light, waterproof & tear-resistant Polyart plastic paper, with extensive tourist information. Topography is very well presented by contours, enhanced by spot heights, subtle relief shading & additional altitude colouring. Contour interval, unless indicated below to the contrary, is 20m. National parks & other protected areas are marked. All place names are shown in both Greek & Latin alphabet. The maps have a UTM grid, plus latitude & longitude margin ticks. Hiking trails are graded between main routes & narrow trails. A wide range of symbols indicate various places of interest & recreational facilities, with main sights clearly highlighted. Most titles distinguish between sandy & pebble beaches; some also indicate beaches with natural shade and/or the type of sea bed. Road network is very clearly graded according to width & the type of surface, distinguishing between good & rough dirt roads. Distances are marked on most small local roads, as well as locations of petrol stations and/or tyre repair workshops. Scenic routes are highlighted. Each map also shows which ports are served by ferry services. Many titles include a street plan of the island’s main town, with colouring clearly showing various tourist facilities. The reverse side of each title is covered by general information about the isl&, illustrated with colour photos. Many titles also include brief descriptions of recommended hiking trails.* Map legend & all the text include English.** In this title:* descriptions of 12 selected hiking trails. ...

The 1:50, 000 topographic map gives a more general picture of the ground features than a basic map. It shows settlements, houses, roads, cultivated areas, waterways, cutting areas, mires, rock exposures, & relief. One map sheet covers an area of 30 x 40 km & one centimetre corresponds to 500 metres on the ground. The 1:50, 000 topographic map is also an ideal complement to nautical charts as it provides useful information about the land areas adjacent to waterways. For example, all Finnish sea areas are covered by 1:50, 000 topographic map sheets. ...