A tourist trip will be arranged for all conference participants on Thursday 22 July, 2004. A specialist in local history will accompany the group. Highlights of the trip are described below:

Mini buses for all participants will depart at 8 am and first visit the Citadel in downtown Aleppo. It has a rich history beginning with the Hittites and Assyrians. In the 4th century A.D. the emperor Julian came there to offer a sacrifice to Zeus. At the end of the 12th century it was controlled by the Ayyubids, and their successors who transformed it into a fortress. It was destroyed in the Mongol invasion of 1260 but rebuilt as a fortress and royal residence in 1292. In 1428 the Mamelukes converted it to a governor's residence and barracks. It was shaken by an earthquake in 1822, from which it continues to be restored today.

The group will then head northwest to view agricultural land outside the city, where vast acreages of olive trees grow. The next stop will be at a carpet factory in Afrin, where oriental carpets are made by hand. A demonstration of the techniques will be given and carpets will be available for sale.

The group will go to Ain Dara, an archeological site located on a rural hill 12 km from Afrin. This site was first occupied in the 2nd millennium B.C. According to archeologists, this has been the site of many civilizations. A temple from the 1st millennium was discovered, which includes a 2-story building on a raised platform, with wall decorations of humans and animals. There are two huge footprints on the threshold of a large doorway, which indicate the way to enter the temple. Large carved stone lions decorate the site.

At a café beside a cool, clean spring, there will be a stop for tea break in Basouta.

After the break, the group will travel along a forested mountain road to Qalaat Seman (St. Simeon). In the year 412 A.D., a monk called Simeon settled here to live a monastic life, working the desolate rock-strewn fields. To get even further from people, he moved to a small cell on the top of an 18-m tall column, where he lived for 37 years. Pilgrims flocked to this site to be healed by Simeon. After his death in 459, a basilica was built, using the column as the center of the building. Because believers for centuries chipped off pieces of the column, now all that remains is a large rock on a pedestal.

A lunch of typical Syrian food will be offered at a picturesque café situated nearby Qalaat Seman, providing a panoramic view of the valley below.

Enroute back to Aleppo, the group will stop at the longest stretch of Roman road in existence. This was the main highway from Antioch to Chalcis. It is believed to have been built at the beginning of the 2nd century.