Greetings from the Membership Office!

Thank you for expressing interest in ON THE PATH OF THE UMAYYADS: Syria & Spain, to depart in April 2008.

We are thrilled to bring you a brand new, cross cultural tour of this ancient empire that has had drastic and lasting effects across the Middle East. We will be traveling through Syria to examine the birth of the early Caliphate and its adoption and adaptation of the remains of the Roman Empire. We will then journey as a group to Spain, to explore the splendor of and art within what is today, a country that has itself adopted and adapted much of the ancient Umayyad sites and symbols.

Enclosed is the tentative itinerary for our trip; please note that we are still waiting on confirmation for visiting a few sites, and, as on all trips, schedules can, and will change to accommodate opportunities, schedule changes, and other unpredictable factors. We are in constant communication with our travel agents in both countries to make sure we put together the most exciting, exclusive, and comfortable tour for you.

Dr. Clemens Reichel will be leading our exploration of the Umayyads through both countries, and we will be accompanied by local guides throughout our travel program, as well as a logistics manager from the travel operator, Far Horizons, which is owned and operated by an archaeologist!

If you have questions about logistics, or the administrative side of the trip, you can contact me anytime at 773- 834-9777 or by email: [email protected] OR You may contact our travel agency, Far Horizons. Any of the representatives there will likely be able to answer questions and take registration information. If you have a more specific question, you can ask to speak to Mary Dell Lucas or Kristin Phelps regarding our trip and travel plans.

Please note that we have decided to use Iberia Airlines as our group air carrier, with round trip airfare from Chicago. We are in the final stages of securing the air contract, and have included the approximate airfare cost so you may have a better idea of the costs of the program. We chose Iberia Air due to not only their low cost group travel, but also the ‘kindness’ of their departure and arrival times. Please note that while group air travel helps to costs down, we will have participants joining our group from all over the world, and individual air arrangements can be made. Please contact Far Horizons to make travel arrangements through their agency. You may make your own air arrangements, however you assume responsibility of those tickets and their cost regardless of changes to the trip schedule.

While we understand individuals may wish to organize their own air travel, we will be requiring everyone in the group to travel together on the group flight from Damascus to Madrid.

Please don’t hesitate to contact me with any questions, comments, concerns you may have! I look forward to hearing from you!

Sincerely,

Sarah Sapperstein Membership Coordinator

ON THE PATH OF THE UMAYYADS: From Syria to Spain Escorted by Dr. Clemens Reichel, Oriental Institute April 18-May 5, 2008

SUGGESTED ITINERARY (B): Breakfast included (L): Lunch included (D): Dinner included

Day 1: Depart the USA on Iberia flight, non-stop flight departing Chicago 5:50pm.

Day 2: Arrive into Madrid at 7:45 am. Transfer to Syrian Arab Airlines flight departing at 11am. Arrive Damascus at 4:50pm. Transfer to the 5-star Damascus Cham Palace Hotel and overnight for three nights. DAMASCUS CHAM PALACE

Day 3: Damascus, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is one of the oldest continuously occupied cities in the world. Begin today on the old city's where we will visit the National Museum, containing a world-class archaeological and historical collection. The museum's façade was once the entrance to Qasr al-Hayr al-Gharbi, a palace and hunting lodge complex built in the eastern desert by the Umayyad caliph al-Walid in 728. Nearby is the tomb of Saladin, the great Kurdish leader during the Crusades. By the time he died in Damascus in 1193, he had liberated almost all of Palestine from the armies of England, France, Burgundy, Flanders, , Austria and, in effect, from the world power of the Pope, as well as establishing his own family in Cairo. Finally, we will visit Souq al-Hamidiyeh, the that is the lifeblood of the city, and the spice market, cloth merchants' stores, and the shops of the metal workers. We will end our day exploring (and shopping!) in the souq. There will be time this afternoon to rest after our long flight before meeting for our festive welcome dinner. (B/L/D) DAMASCUS CHAM PALACE

Day 4: Our full-day tour of Syria's capital begins with the Old City, surrounded by a Roman Wall. First, we will visit the Chapels of Ananias and St. Paul, built at the site where Paul was lowered from the city wall in a basket. From here we enter the Old City through the Bab Sharqi, the Roman Gate of the Sun. We will visit Azem Palace, built in the mid-18th century as a private residence for the Governor of Damascus. A great example of a Damascene house, its simple exterior contrasts with a beautiful interior filled with marble, cascading fountains and fragrant flowers. The Umayyad sums up in one place the diverse and complex history of Syria. This magnificent monument contains the remains of the Roman Temple to Jupiter, a Byzantine arcade, a beautiful Umayyad mosaic in the courtyard, and the spacious prayer hall where the shrine of St. John the Baptist is located, said to house his head. (B/L/D) DAMASCUS CHAM PALACE

Day 5: This morning's drive takes us to the most magnificent example of medieval in Syria. In the 12th century, this great fortress known as Krak des Chevaliers was owned and manned by knights of the military-monastic Order of Hospitalers. It controlled the trade route between the Mediterranean and Damascus. Then it's on to the extensive remains of Palmyra, sometimes called the Queen of the Desert and known since antiquity as Tadmor. Located midway between the Mediterranean and the Euphrates, this oasis was an essential watering place for the many camel caravans that formerly traversed the route in the time of the Roman Empire. Visit the massive Temple of Bel, dedicated to the god who controlled the movement of the stars, the colonnaded street running to the Funerary Temple, the recently restored theatre, and the 2nd-century agora. In the Valley of the Tombs, examine underground catacombs, house tombs, and towers designed as the burial apartments for an entire family. And, finally, we will have a wonderful photographic opportunity as we watch the spectacular sunset create a rosy hue on the remains of this breathtaking city. Overnight for the next two nights in the 5-star Palmyra Cham Palace. (B/L/D) PALMYRA CHAM PALACE

Day 6: Today, we will visit the former oasis desert of Qasr al-Heir al-Sharqi. Though today a seemingly enigmatic and forlorn ruin, this “Walled Castle to the East” once thrived with orchards and olive groves. The agricultural offerings were so bountiful in fact that a thick wall was erected to prevent nomadic herds from entering the gardens. Like many sites in the region, Qasr al-Heir al-Sharqi has been the locus for multiple occupations by many groups, all of whom have left their mark on this site. Dinner will be on our own tonight. (B/L) PALMYRA CHAM PALACE

Day 7: Originally a church built to commemorate the Roman officer, St. Sergius, Rasafeh Palace was the residence of Hisham ibn Abdul Malik, the third Umayyad Caliph. Today, the towering city walls hold back the encroaching desert sands. Inside the walls, view the old water cisterns which were the life- blood of the city, and the Church of the Holy Cross with its lavishly decorated nave. Continue to Hama dating back to the Neolithic period and considered the most picturesque city in Syria. The greatest attraction of the city is the huge norias, or water wheels, originally used to raise water from the river into aqueducts. The wheels and blocks on which they're mounted are wooden, and the friction between the two produces a moaning noise which pervades the air of central Hama. Overnight 5-star Hama Cham Palace. (B/L/D) HAMA CHAM PALACE

Day 8: This morning, walk in the footsteps of Antony and Cleopatra along the mile-long main street lined with massive columns concealing the facades of ancient shops in the Roman city of Apamea. The city was founded in the 3rd century BC by Seleucus I and was named for his Persian wife. Visit the small museum with fine mosaics found at this site. Continue to Aleppo and overnight for two nights at the 5-star Aleppo Chahba Cham Palace Hotel. (B/L/D) CHAHBA CHAM PALACE

Day 9: Aleppo lies on a land route between Europe and the East and once was one of the major commercial cities of the Orient. Today's all day city tour takes us to several impressive sites. Crowning a precipitous hill in the heart of the old city, the ancient Tell dates back to the Neolithic period and still contains remains of an early Islamic city. Traces of the city walls, built on Hellenistic foundations, are still standing. The western gate, Bab Antakya, still holds ancient pride of place as the gateway to the bazaar. Nearby Bab al-Qinnisrine, still looks much as it did when it was the departure point of the old route to Damascus and the pilgrimage to . Massive gates open off the streets of the old city into the khans, or inns. Among Aleppo's most beautiful khans is Khan al-Wazir with its striking black-and- white marble façade; it was built as a in the 17th century. The Great Mosque was founded by the Umayyad dynasty in the 8th century. The oldest part of the mosque complex is the . Completed around 1090, it is an architectural masterpiece whose trim of lacy stone echoes the ribbon- like molding on the Byzantine ruins in the countryside. An important collection of artifacts can be seen in the Aleppo Museum. Commerce has always been Aleppo’s claim to fame, and we will end our day in the old city’s souq where covered shops cover 8 square kilometers - the oldest enclosed shopping center in the world! Tonight's special dinner party will be held at Beit Wakil, a restored 16th century Aleppo palace (website: http://www.beitwakil.com/index3.html). (B/L/D) CHAHBA CHAM PALACE

Day 10: Drive north from Aleppo to the Church of St. Simon Stelovitus, where the saint lived atop a column for 42 years. Pilgrims came to consult him in life and after his death they continued to visit the splendid church that was built around the column. The complex is a masterpiece of Byzantine ecclesiastical architecture, and today remains a Christian pilgrimage site. A four-hour drive returns us to Damascus this afternoon, where we will visit the Christian Quarter. We will visit Bab Touma, named after Thomas, the last Byzantine defender of Damascus. This gate was known in Roman times as the Gate of Venus. Overnight for two nights at the Damascus Cham Palace. Dinner is on our own. (B/L) DAMASCUS CHAM PALACE

Day 11: Our leisurely all-day tour takes us through the beautiful countryside of southern Syria to see the Roman city of Bosra, the southern capital of Roman Syria. Here, view one of the best-preserved Roman theaters, converted to a fortress in Umayyad times. The castle completely encircled the original theatre, and a was dug with a single bridge for entry. The impressive amphitheater seats 9,000 people. Return to Damascus in the afternoon. (B/L/D) DAMASCUS CHAM PALACE

Day 12: Depart early this morning on Syrian Arab Airlines at 4:00 am. Arrive in Madrid at 9:00 am. Transfer from the airport to Toledo by bus. Lunch will be at a local restaurant. Visit Toledo this afternoon. Toledo was El Greco’s muse and he set many of his religiously themed paintings in its vicinity. From its Roman roots to its present day status as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Toledo has much to offer. Visit the Alcantara Bridge, a tribute to Roman civil engineering. Toledo beyond its Roman influences was a converging point for many religious groups. Visit the only remaining mosque in Toledo, Mezquita del Cristo de la Luz, the Christian church of Santo Tome and the oldest remaining synagogue in Toledo, Sinagoga del Transito. Transfer by bus from Toledo to Cordoba. Dinner is on our own. Overnight for the next two nights at the Hotel NH Califa in Cordoba. (B/L) HOTEL NH CALIPHA

Day 13: Cordoba will forever bear the imprint left by the Roman, Moorish and Christian rulers. The Umayyad capital from 929 to 1031, it rose to become the most sophisticated city in Europe, and along with Constantinople and Baghdad was one of the three cultural centers of the medieval world. The original Roman walls were maintained by the Moors and later Christian rulers, and extensive portions of these fortifications still stand today. Alcázar de los Reyes Cristianos was a Moorish palace taken over after the Christian re-conquest. It was the summer home of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella and the site of their meeting with Christopher Columbus before his famous voyage. We will travel outside Cordoba to view the remains of Munyat al-Rummaniya, which provide the best surviving physical evidence for the extensive zone of luxurious properties that developed in the countryside around Cordoba between the 8th and 11th centuries. After Abd al-Rahman III proclaimed himself Caliph in 929, establishing the independent Umayyad Caliphate in the west, he decided to show his subjects and the world his power by building a palace-city five miles from Cordoba. Visit his Medina Azahara, built for his favorite wife az-Zahra. It is the largest known city built from scratch in Western Europe, and became the forgotten Versailles of the middle ages. Then, continue on to La Mezquita or the Great Mosque, the city's most famous surviving monument and a UNESCO World Heritage Monument. Begun in 786 on the site of a Roman temple and Visigothic church, it is the third largest mosque ever built. Following lunch, we will return to Cordoba to see more of the old city. A maze of narrow streets leads to the oldest district in Cordoba, the Judería or Jewish quarter; it stands on the area formerly occupied by the Moorish medina and contains the most characteristic monuments in the city. The city was said to have had fifty in the tenth century. Few of these mosques have survived although the convent of Santa Clara and the church of San Juan are both converted mosques. Santa Clara has fine marble columns and the remains of a minaret while San Juan has a minaret which retains its original paired window. We will view the exterior of the San Juan minaret. Dinner is on our own. (B/L) HOTEL NH CALIPHA

Day 14: Following breakfast this morning, we will depart from Cordoba. On our drive to Granada, we will see remains of the in Spain scattered around the landscape. In Alcalá la Real, Qalat Beni Sa'id is now known as Fortaleza de la Mota. The castle sits on a hill and dominates the town. In Piňos Puente a 10th century fortified bridge still stands. One of the many late medieval watch towers that guarded the frontiers of the kingdom now guards the highway as we pass. Dinner will be on our own tonight. Overnight for three nights at the Monasterio de los Basilios in Granada. (Please note that today is a national holiday and Spain and some sites may be closed.) (B/L) HOTEL MONASTERIO DE LOS BASILIOS

Day 15: Following breakfast this morning, we will continue our exploration of Granada. In the 13th century, the last Muslim dynasty of Spain made Granada its capital and we will spend the day seeing several impressive sites. The Albaicín is the old Arabic quarter located on the hill opposite the . Alcaicería was once a great bazaar where silk was made and sold. The Madraza once housed a school devoted to the study of the Koran and currently is used by the University of Granada. Originally a corn exchange in the Muslim period, the Corral del Carbón was used as a theatre after the city was re-conquered by Christians. Dinner will be on our own. (B/L) HOTEL MONASTERIO DE LOS BASILIOS

Day 16: This morning, we will visit one of the most prolific sites in Granada. The Alhambra, built on a hill with commanding views of the city and the plain beyond, became the dynasty's royal city and the residence of the kings and their court. Within this UNESCO World Heritage Site is Generalife Gardens, constructed at the end of the 13th century. The Koran continually repeats the idea that heaven is a garden with running water, and the Alhambra was an attempt to create heaven on earth. Gather this evening for our gala final banquet in one of the city's characteristic restaurants. (B/L/D) HOTEL MONASTERIO DE LOS BASILIOS

Day 17: This morning we will continue our exploration of Granada. We will visit the site of a former mosque of Granada which has now been replaced by the Cathedral of the Annunciation, Sagrario and the Merchant’s Exchange. The impressive Cathedral took over 150 years to complete and incorporated the talents of several well-known local architects. Following lunch, enjoy a few free hours exploring the modern city of Granada. Transfer to the airport late this afternoon to fly from Granada to Madrid. Dinner is on your own tonight. Overnight at the Hotel Opera. (B/L) HOTEL OPERA.

Day 18: Following breakfast, transfer to the airport for our non-stop Iberia flight back to the USA. Flight departs at 12:00 noon and arrives in Chicago at 3:25 pm. (B)

DATE: April 18-May 5, 2008

LAND COST: $7495.00 (per person, double occupancy) Includes group accommodations in four- and five-star hotels in Syria and three-star hotels in Spain based on double occupancy; Syrian visa, meals as noted in the itinerary (16 breakfasts, 15 lunches, 8 dinners); airport transfers from/to the group flights; entry fees to sites named in itinerary; services of local English-speaking guides; gratuities to guides and drivers; basic gratuities at hotels and restaurants; luggage handling.

LAND COST DOES NOT INCLUDE: International flights (Chicago O’Hare-Damascus, Syria- Madrid, Spain-Chicago); meals other than those listed in the itinerary; food, alcoholic or other beverages not on set menus; mailing of brochures; passport fees; airport fees and departure taxes; telephone, email, and fax charges; laundry, personal tips, or other items of a personal nature

AIR COST: $2100.00 per person in economy (subject to change)

Flight schedule (as of 24 July 2007):

18-April-08 Chicago-Madrid 5:50pm/7:45 am +1 day 19-April-08 Madrid-Damascus 11:00am/4:50 pm 29-April-08 Damascus-Madrid 4:30am/9:30 am 4-May-08 Granada-Madrid 5:50pm/6:45pm 5-May-08 Madrid-Chicago 12:00pm/3:25pm

SINGLE SUPPLEMENT: $995.00. Should a roommate be requested and one not be available, the single supplement must be charged.

REGISTRATION: A deposit of $500.00 is required along with your registration form. Final payment is due 90 days before departure. Cancellations received in writing at least 90 days before departure will result in an administrative fee of $250.00.

CANCELLATIONS AND REFUNDS: Cancellations received in writing at least 90 days before departure will receive a refund less a $250.00 administrative fee. Cancellations received less than 90 days before the departure date will not receive a refund. If for any reason you are unable to complete the trip, Far Horizons will not reimburse any fees. Upon registering for the trip the purchase of travel protection with trip cancellation is strongly advised.