Draft proposal – International Swiss Architect Pierre De Meuron visit

Day one: Wednesday Sep 29 / arrival – ‐ Receiving (and issuing visas) at Damascus airport ‐ Checking in the hotel ( I recommend the Art House or the Four Seasons). ‐ Short rest ‐ Meeting at the hotel ‐ Short car tour in the city ‐ Dinner at mount Qasyoun

Day two: Thursday Sep 30 / Damascus ‐ National museum and Taqiyya Sulaimaniyya ‐ Old city ‐ Dinner at Narenj Rest. In the old city

Day three Friday Oct 1 / and southern region ‐ From Damascus to Bosra (through and ) ‐ Bosra tour including lunch ‐ Brom Bosra back to Damascus (through ) ‐ Dinner at Art House in Damascus

Day four: Saturday Oct 2 / (accompanied by professional designated guide) ‐ From Damascus to Palmyra ‐ Palmyra tour ‐ Dinner and stay in Palmyra (recommended at AL‐Cham hotel)

Day five: Sunday Oct 3 / middle region ‐ From Palmyra to Hamah through (visit Hamah museum) ‐ From Hamah to (through Ebla) ‐ Dinner and stay in Aleppo (recommended at Al Mansouri in the old city or in the Sheraton)

Day six: Monday Oct 4 / Aleppo – north region ‐ Old city and citadel of Aleppo ‐ St. Simon (and parts of the ) ‐ Back to Aleppo

Day seven: Tuesday Oct 5 ‐ Back to Damascus (via plane) ‐ Free day in Damascus region (available for the intended potential meeting)

Day eight: Wednesday Oct 6 ‐ Available for the meeting ‐ Departure

Note: an alternative way from Homs to Aleppo is not to go directly north through Hamah but to go north west through the coastal region visiting some important medieval castles, and Phoenician sites as well as spectacular scenery, all the way to Lattakia through Tartous and then from Lattakia to Aleppo through Hellenistic Aphamea and classical (Byzantine) dead cites. This might require more time and be more demanding, yet would be more interesting.