One of the largest mosques in the world. One of the minarets in the mosque. Gold mosaic tile adorns the mosque. A view inside the mosque. Scene from the marketplace in old town Damascus. Scene from the marketplace in old town Damascus. The main street of the marketplace. A vendor sells locally grown dates, raisins, apricots and other fruits. The Damascus skyline. Only a small part of the city can be seen in this photo since the city is so large. A castle used by the Crusaders built in 1091 that housed 4000 soldiers and knights. This narrow slot was used by the Crusaders to shoot arrows at their enemies. A view of a nearby town from the castle window. A view from the castle toward the sea. It is only 35 km from the sea in this direction. A view of the gothic arches in this part of the castle. Here is the "front door" of the castle. The Crusaders dropped hot olive oil on their enemies if they made it to the front door. The amphitheatre in the 2000 year old city of Palmyra, Syria. The public bath in Palmyra. The Congress meeting area in Palmyra. Some of the ornate columns and structures made 2000 years ago. A church in Maloula built into the side of the mountain. The Convent of Saint Takla in Maloula. A magnificent church high in the mountain in Saidnaya. Another view of the church. The view of the surrounding village from the church.