Middle East

On this little portion of the Middle East, no larger than the size of Austria, the beauty of culture and nature permanently compete with one another. See for yourself: you are in one of the cradles of humanity and history in this land stretching back over more than 9 millennia. During your vacation in Jordan, you will peruse a life-sized history book. It only requires travelling to Jordan to experience it: from the banks of the enigmatic Dead Sea to the Jordan Valley passing via the superb city of Petra, rendered eternally famous by Spielberg in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. Biblical echoes mix with those of Greco-Roman ruins. As far as nature is concerned, you will also be captured by the beauties of Jordan: At the top of the list, the desert of Wadi Rum, called “the valley of the Moon,” is a harmony of colours where rocks, sand, granite and sandstone intertwine to create the most magnificent life-sized murals. In addition, the deep canyons of the desert or the colourful underwater floors of the Red Sea will not fail to enchant you...

Jordan

Aleppo

Syria

Damas

Palmyre

A small town just 80km to the north east of Damascus, Ma'loula is home to one of the world's oldest churches.

Ma‘lūlā

Europe

Central America

Africa

North America

South America

Asia

Oceania

I visited Syria in 2010, just a few months prior to the beginning of the Syrian conflict. After spending three full days in Damascus, I travelled to Ma'loula, famous for its ancient churches and its stunning geographical location. The town's appearance is remarkable – and stands out against its Syrian counterparts. Found at the heart of a lush valley, Ma'loula is known for its troglodyte lodges and blue stone houses – often the image conjured up by when mentioning the town – which sit against the backdrop of a massive cliff face. At the top of this cliff, you can find the Mar Sarkis monastery. This is home to a church constructed back in 325, which is – or was, prior to the beginnings of the conflict – one of the oldest churches you can visit in the world. This, together with the other monastery located beneath and said to be under the protection of St Thecla, had led to Ma'loula becoming one of the principal places of pilgrimage for Christians from the east.

Ma‘lūlā Vacations

Ma‘lūlā: How to get there?

Ma‘lūlā: See when to go ?

Ma‘lūlā: For how long?

Ma‘lūlā: What to see nearby?