Syria is home to some of the world's richest historical and archaeological remains - stretching from the Bronze Age through Byzantine times to the Ottoman period. However, until now they have been little known and rarely visited, even in an age of mass tourism. Only a handful of sites are familiar from travel literature: the Roman desert caravan city of Palmyra, the mighty Crusader castle of Krak des Chevaliers and the great Ummayad Mosque of Damascus. However, with Syria now more accessible to outsiders, a handbook is sorely needed to guide visitors through the layers of history, linking the sites to such figures as Alexander and Saladin, and decoding the varied cultural influences which shaped the many monuments. Published in hardback in 1993, Monuments of Syria was acclaimed as the definitive historical guide to the country, and its publication now in paperback will be welcomed by all those planning to visit Syria or with an interest in its history, art or architecture. The book is organized as a gazetteer of all Syria's historical sites, with complementary sections on the history of the region, the architectural influences to which Syria has been exposed, and comprehensive chronologies and glossaries.
