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Guidelines for Visitors
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Health Syria is a clean country, but some people take longer to adjust to the local environment than others. With the proper precautions and a reasonable dose of common sense, one can avoid inconvenience and discomfort. Once in Syria and especially in the summer season, avoid salads, unwashed fruit, ice cream and any foods you feel may have been prepared under unsanitary conditions. While tap water is considered safe, those with sensitive constitutions should drink only bottled water in the beginning. If you have a medical condition that requires special medication, be sure to bring an adequate supply. Just to be on the safe side, keep such medications in your hand luggage. Before traveling to Syria, it is advisable to obtain inoculations against the following diseases: hepatitis A, hepatitis B, cholera, and typhoid. A gamma globulin shot is also recommended. A health certificate against cholera or smallpox is usually not required, but should preferably be carried. . What to wear: the weather Summer lasts roughly from mid-May to mid-September. Daytime temperatures range between 27 and 30°C (may reach 40°C in July/August), but the evenings are usually breezy and pleasant. For the summer, visitors are advised to bring light cotton clothing; sunglasses and a bathing suit are also recommended. By late summer a light sweater may be necessary in the evening. Autumn (mid-September to late November) in Syria is cool and fresh. Daytime temperatures range between 15 and 30°C, and by mid-autumn frosts and rains begin. Because this period can be both hot and cold, one would do well to be prepared for both extremes. Some light cotton clothing should be brought, but also wool sweaters, a jacket and a raincoat. Winter (December to early March) tends to be cold and wet, with raw winds blowing stiffly and dark clouds obscuring the sun for extended periods. Temperatures often drop below freezing point at night and rise to about 10-20°C during the day. One should not come without an overcoat, an umbrella, gloves, long-sleeve shirts and warm sweaters. Spring (March to late May) is without a doubt the most beautiful time of year in Syria. Like the autumn, however, the weather can be variable: one should thus hope for the best but be prepared for the worst. A raincoat, a jacket, and an assortment of warm and light clothes ensure that come what may, one is ready to defy the uncertainties of the weather. National Holidays, Work Week and Hours ICARDA's working week is from Sunday through Thursday. Office hours are 7:30a.m. - 3:00p.m. During the month of Ramadan, hours are 7:30a.m. - 2:30p.m. Official Government holidays are:
The Muslim Holidays of Eid El Fitr, Eid El Adha, the Prophet's Birthday and the Islamic New Year are also Government holidays, but because they are determined by the lunar calendar, their dates change every year. |
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