Situated to the north of Syria’s semi-desert, to the south of Euphrates, Rasafeh lies about 160 kilometres to the south-east of Aleppo. It is about 30 kilometres southwards down the Aleppo Raqqa road. The Rasafeh palace is a living testament to the passion that the third Omayyad Caliph, Hisham ibn Abdul Malik, had for the arts and architecture.

The souks are a testament to the originality of the people. Stretching for over ten kilometres and comprising of winding alleys, these covered souks are surprisingly spacious. Most of the souks are named after the various items featured there and you're bound to find a gold souk, copper souk, cotton souk and so on.

Generally, the souks have a fountain at the centre; very often, gardens with roses and jasmines in full bloom are also found. Considered to be a ‘living museum', many of these souks are a fantastic depiction of 15th century medieval life.

Not very far from the city of Aleppo are a series of ruins from the Byzantine and late Roman era. Together, they have been dubbed as The Dead Cities. The most famed of these is the Dead City of Qalaat Semaan, to the northwest of Aleppo. It has been named after the 5th century monk, St. Simeon Stylites, who chained himself to a rock and managed to stay alive for almost 38 years.

Ain Dara and Cyrrhus are other Dead Cities in the northwest. Qalb Lozeh and Harim are found in the west. The Dead Cities of Maarat al-Numan and Idlib Ebla consist of Bara (al-Kafr), Maarat al-Numan, Ruweiha and Serjilla, and are found to the southwest of Aleppo.

The most famous among the Dead Cities are perhaps Ebla and Idleb. Idleb is worth visiting for its unique museum and hotel. Not far from Idleb is Ebla, harking back to 2400 BC. Here, fifteen thousand clay tablets were unearthed during the 1970s, displaying the first alphabets as well as the symbols of international trade. The discovery sparked off a new enthusiasm in the history of civilization and the site continues to attract tourists in droves.