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The Atlas Obscura Guide To Syria

16 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in Syria

Updated October 22, 2025
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See All 16 Things To Do in Syria
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Ruins 5
Architecture 5
Sacred Spaces 3
Architectural Oddities 2
Mosques 2
Monuments 1
Ancient 1
Waterworks 1

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Recent Syria Activity

Stories About Syria

The Syrian Cassette Archives website currently hosts 91 fully digitized cassettes, including interviews with artists and distributors.

The Quest to Preserve Syria's Cassette Tape Era

Keeping sounds, stories, and cultural memory alive through years of conflict.
by Line Sidonie Talla Mafotsing, Atlas Obscura
Seeds reside deep inside.

The Rare Seeds That Escaped Syria for an Arctic Vault

Formerly stashed at Svalbard, they've since sprouted in Morocco and beyond.
by Matt Simon, Atlas Obscura
Architect Sakher Oulabi (left) and engineer Tamim Kasmo in the courtyard of Aleppo's Great Mosque.

Syrians Won't Give Up on the Great Mosque of Aleppo

In 2013, the mosque's minaret shattered into 2,000 pieces. A restoration team aims to put them back together.
by Chris Ray, Atlas Obscura

A New Crusade

How the mysterious, millennium-old, stateless Order of Malta outlived its contemporaries and established a place in the modern Middle East.
by Ariel Sophia Bardi, Atlas Obscura
Accept no substitutes: Authentic Aleppo soap bears its maker's mark, and the Arabic name for the city of its origin.

In Syria, War and Modernity Are No Match for the World's Oldest Soap

The artisans of Aleppo keep plying their ancient trade, one bar at a time.
by Nora Wallaya, Atlas Obscura
Students at work in Mafraq.

Syrian Refugees Are Learning Stonemasonry to Rebuild Their Country

The apprentices hope to restore damaged buildings and monuments after the war ends.
by Sophie Yeo, Atlas Obscura
Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
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