Why Religious Tourism is a Thriving Industry in Syria

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Dec 16 2009

Why Religious Tourism is a Thriving Industry in Syria

Christians and Muslims have always engaged in and enjoyed every aspect of Syrian life due to the presence of special religious landmarks.

Religious tourism prospered in Syria and particularly in Damascus and outskirts due to the religious and holy sites presenting Islam and Christianity. It is mainly divided into Christian and Islamic tourism.

Christian Tourism:

Damascus is the cradle of Christianity once Saint Paul came to it to see the light of Jesus. After embracing Christianity, he traveled to Antioch and Europe then to Rome in an attempt to preach the new religion.

The ancient city is abundant with churches and cathedrals such as Bab Kisan and Ananias as well as many other patriarchates.

Tourism have grown significantly after the Pope's visit to Syria in 2002 besides other festivities, running trips and publishing booklets related to St. Paul.

Islamic Tourism:

The splendid early 8th-century Umayyad Mosque is a destination for all religious and cultural segments being symbolic for both Christians and Muslims. It was built on a site that has been holy for thousands of years since the Aramaic Era.

Containing St John the Baptist's head, it is still an important pilgrimage spot, as is al-Hussein's tomb and the grave of Salah ad-Din (Saladin).

400,000 Iranian tourists come to Damascus annually to pay a visit to the holy sites such as Sayidda Zeinab, Sayidda Ruqia and Sayidda Sakina Shrines, said Director of Damascus Tourism Department Faisal Najati.

Although tourism plays an important role in supporting national economy and improving the living conditions, it is still in the phase of development due to high prices of real estates in the capital and scarcity of lands on sale. Yet, Ministry of Tourism started events and promotion campaigns to boost tourism by increasing overall hotel capacity and improving services in the framework of supporting tourist investment and tourism movement.

R. Milhem / R. Raslan /A. N. Idelbi SANA