1229 SY - Crac des Chevaliers and Qal’at Salah El-Din (2006)

Crac des Chevaliers and Qal’at Salah El-Din

These two castles represent the most significant examples illustrating the exchange of influences and documenting the evolution of fortified architecture in the Near East during the time of the Crusades (11th - 13th centuries). The Crac des Chevaliers was built by the Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem from 1142 to 1271. With further construction by the Mamluks in the late 13th century, it ranks among the best-preserved examples of the Crusader castles. The Qal’at Salah El-Din (Fortress of Saladin), even though partly in ruins, represents an outstanding example of this type of fortification, both in terms of the quality of construction and the survival of historical stratigraphy. It retains features from its Byzantine beginnings in the 10th century, the Frankish transformations in the late 12th century and fortifications added by the Ayyubid dynasty (late 12th to mid-13th century).

Source UNESCO WH website http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1229

• 1229-001 Crac des Chevaliers
• 1229-002 Qal’at Salah El-Din

23 SY - Site of Palmyra (1980)

Brief Description

"An oasis in the Syrian desert, north-east of Damascus, Palmyra contains the monumental ruins of a great city that was one of the most important cultural centres of the ancient world. From the 1st to the 2nd century, the art and architecture of Palmyra, standing at the crossroads of several civilizations, married Graeco-Roman techniques with local traditions and Persian influences."

帕尔米拉古城遗址

"帕尔米拉堪称叙利亚沙漠中的一片绿洲，它位于大马士革的东北方，是古代最重要的文化中心之一，城内现仍保存有当时的许多纪念性建筑。公元1世纪至2世纪，帕尔米拉处于几种文明的交汇处，所以其艺术和建筑能够将古希腊罗马的技艺与本地的传统及波斯的影响巧妙地融合在一起。"

Source UNESCO WH website http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/23

Courtesy of Childish from postcrossing forum

22 SY - Ancient City of Bosra (1980)

Brief Description

"Bosra, once the capital of the Roman province of Arabia, was an important stopover on the ancient caravan route to Mecca. A magnificent 2nd-century Roman theatre, early Christian ruins and several mosques are found within its great walls."

布斯拉古城

"布斯拉古城曾是古罗马阿拉伯省的首府，是通往麦加的沙漠商队路线上一个重要的中途站。在布斯拉城墙中保存着一座公元2世纪的富丽堂皇的古罗马剧场、早期基督教的遗迹和几座清真寺。"

Source UNESCO WH website http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/22

Courtesy of Childish from postcrossing forum

21 SY - Ancient City of Aleppo (1986)

Brief Description

"Located at the crossroads of several trade routes from the 2nd millennium B.C., Aleppo was ruled successively by the Hittites, Assyrians, Arabs, Mongols, Mamelukes and Ottomans. The 13th-century citadel, 12th-century Great Mosque and various 17th-century madrasas, palaces, caravanserais and hammams all form part of the city's cohesive, unique urban fabric, now threatened by overpopulation."

阿勒颇古城

"阿勒颇从公元前2000年起就处于几条商道的交汇处，相继由希泰人、亚述人、阿拉伯人、蒙古人、马穆鲁克人和土耳其人统治过。古城 内13世纪的城堡、12世纪的大清真寺和17世纪的穆斯林学校、宫殿、沙漠旅店及浴室，构成了城市独特的建筑结构。阿勒颇现今面临人口过盛的困境。"

Source UNESCO WH website http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/21

Courtesy of Childish from postcrossing forum

20 SY - Ancient City of Damascus (1979)

Brief Description

"Founded in the 3rd millennium B.C., Damascus is one of the oldest cities in the Middle East. In the Middle Ages, it was the centre of a flourishing craft industry, specializing in swords and lace. The city has some 125 monuments from different periods of its history – one of the most spectacular is the 8th-century Great Mosque of the Umayyads, built on the site of an Assyrian sanctuary."

大马士革古城

"大马士革古城建于公元前3000年，是中东地区最古老的城市之一。中世纪时期，大马士革是繁荣的手工业中心，专门于刀剑和 饰带的制作。在它源于不同历史时期的125个纪念性建筑物中，以公元8世纪即倭马亚王朝哈里发时期的大清真寺最为壮观，大清真寺建在亚述国的一块圣地上。"

Source UNESCO WH website http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/20

Courtesy of Doris from postcrossing