May 1st, 2013 at 2:30PM: Just two days after a commercial airliner with 159 passengers detoured to avoid the danger of flying over a combat zone, Russia has officially banned flights over Syria, Reuters is reporting.
According to the news outlet, some Russian airlines had ignored a warning issue in February, and continued to pass over war-torn Syria. One of those planes was a chartered flight operated by NordWind ...Click on a label to read posts from that part of the world.
syria posts
Two Days After Scare, Russia Bans Flights Over Syria
May 1st, 2013 at 2:30PM: Just two days after a commercial airliner with 159 passengers detoured to avoid the danger of flying over a combat zone, Russia has officially banned flights over Syria, Reuters is reporting.
According to the news outlet, some Russian airlines had ignored a warning issue in February, and continued to pass over war-torn Syria. One of those planes was a chartered flight operated by NordWind ...Celebrating May Day: Images Of Workers Around The World
May 1st, 2013 at 12:00PM:
Today is May Day, when the world celebrates the struggles and sacrifices of the common worker. Like this cheese seller in Tupiza, Bolivia, photographed by Gadling's resident cheese expert Laurel Miller. After some hard hours making her product, this woman comes to the market hoping to sell it all before the day is through. She uses a plastic bag on a stick to keep the flies away.
A range of ...Not Constantinople: 9 Misconceptions About Istanbul, Turkey
Mar 7th, 2013 at 11:00AM:
The country of Turkey has been getting a lot of bad press this year, due to the tragic disappearance and murder of American Sarai Sierra in Istanbul, and the suicide bombing at the U.S. Consulate in Turkish capital city Ankara, which was quickly linked to a Marxist group protesting the Turkish position on the war in Syria (a Turkish security guard was killed, no Americans were harmed). Both ...World's Worst Places: Top 10 Places In The World You Do Not Want To Visit In 2013
Dec 24th, 2012 at 10:00AM: I'm the kind of person who can conjure up an excuse to visit just about any place. I grew up in Buffalo, America's most unfairly maligned city, and so I identify with underdog destinations – places with bad weather, crime, ugly people, rude people, you name it and I probably still want to go there.
But there are some places on this planet that even I do not want to visit. Places where you ...Video Games With A Refugee
Nov 16th, 2012 at 10:00AM:
"Are you American?"
The little boy with the big brown eyes was sitting at the couch next to mine in the lobby of my hotel in Najaf, Iraq. He was dressed in jeans, a button-down shirt and sneakers. He peered at me over the edge of his iPad. I looked up from my email.
"No, I'm Canadian. You Iraqi?"
"I'm Lebanese but I live in Syria. We move back to Lebanon now."
"Your English is ...
Memories Of Aleppo, Syria
Oct 14th, 2012 at 10:00AM:
I pulled into Aleppo, Syria, on January 10, 1994, and had a hard time caring that I was in one of the most historic cities of the Arab world. I was in the grip of a bad flu courtesy of a combination of a desert hike and an air-conditioned bus ride. I barely looked at the sleek minarets, medieval citadel and bustling markets. All I wanted was a bed, medicine and solitude.
Grumpy and harassed, ...Syrian Civil War Fueled By Illegal Antiquities Trade
Sep 14th, 2012 at 12:00PM:
We've reported before here on Gadling how the unrest in Syria has led to the damage of much of that nation's archaeological heritage. Now Time magazine reports that the Syrian Civil War has led to a huge trade in illegal antiquities that may be lengthening the war.
Smugglers and antiquities dealers in Lebanon told the magazine that both the Free Syrian Army and the Syrian government are ...Passengers Asked To Chip In For Fuel On Diverted Plane
Aug 18th, 2012 at 2:00PM: As if fuel surcharges, baggage fees and having to pay for food on expensive flights wasn't bad enough, on Wednesday, passengers on board an Air France flight that got diverted from Beirut to Damascus were asked to help "chip in" to refuel the plane.
The reason for the diversion was tensions in Beirut. Unfortunately, the airline suspended flights to Damascus in March due to safety reasons.
...How Could An Ancient City Survive In The Desert?
Jun 22nd, 2012 at 1:00PM:
The drive through the Syrian desert to the ancient city of Palmyra makes you wonder how anyone lived out here 2000 years ago. For hours you speed east from Damascus along a dusty desert road, the only sights being a few dull concrete buildings, Bedouin with their herds and a thick black telephone line snaking along the ground next to the highway.
Once you get to Palmyra, you find a lush ...Destruction, Looting Of Syria's Ancient Heritage Continues, Report Says
Jun 6th, 2012 at 10:00AM:
The upheaval in Syria has been going on for more than a year now, and in that time thousands of people have been killed, including many civilians and children. Syria's many ancient sites are also getting damaged. Previously, we've talked about how the Syrian army has shelled the ancient city of Palmyra and the Crusader castle Crac des Chevaliers. Both of these are UNESCO World Heritage Sites, of ...A Traveler In The Foreign Service: Meet An Intrepid Diplomat
Apr 4th, 2012 at 10:00AM: In our ongoing attempt to demystify the Foreign Service, we're going to occasionally introduce you to diplomats living in various parts of the world. Amy Tachco is a 36-year-old Foreign Service Officer (FSO) originally from Southern California and Central Ohio who joined the Foreign Service just over ten years ago.
Amy and I joined the Foreign Service at the same time and were part of the same ...Ancient city of Palmyra under threat from Syrian army
Mar 11th, 2012 at 11:00AM:
The UNESCO World Heritage Site of Palmyra may become the latest victim of the ongoing violence in Syria, according to a Global Heritage Fund report.
Palmyra, an ancient oasis city in the desert northeast of Damascus, remained untouched by the conflict until last month, when the Syrian army moved in. According to several reports by refugees since then, units from the army have taken up ...Syria memories: grieving for a dictator
Dec 22nd, 2011 at 4:00PM:
The death of North Korea's Kim Jong-il has led to some very strange television--the Dear Leader lying in state, throngs of North Koreans weeping uncontrollably, even rumors of miracles such as grieving birds.
The images coming out of North Korea led to a discussion with some of my Facebook friends over whether or not the outpouring of grief was genuine or staged. I lean towards staged, since ...Introducing Far Europe and Beyond
Oct 17th, 2011 at 11:30AM:
Far Europe and Beyond, a Gadling series in partnership with bmi (British Midland International) launches today.
Europe's eastern borders cannot be defined simply. The western, northern, and southern perimeters are easy: The Atlantic, the Arctic, and the Mediterranean provide those boundaries, respectively. It's the eastern border that is more difficult to pinpoint. There are two basic ...Ancient city of Mari in Syria under threat
Sep 15th, 2011 at 11:00AM: Last month we reported that the Biblical city of Nineveh is falling apart due to the ongoing war in Iraq. Now it turns out another ancient Mesopotamian city is in danger of being lost.
Mari, in Syria, was one of the great cities of Mesopotamia. It was a trading center on the Euphrates River and was founded some 7,000 years ago. Archaeologists have discovered the giant palace of a Sumerian ...Traveler Q & A: Pavia Rosati
Aug 2nd, 2011 at 9:30AM: Pavia Rosati is the founder of Fathom, a recently debuted travel website. Fathom is smart and beautifully designed. It's full of exciting short briefs about various destinations across the globe.
Rosati, as you'll see from her answers below, is an experienced editor and an avid traveler. Her enthusiasm for Fathom's subject matter is palpable and infectious. We love Fathom and can't wait to see ...Archaeologists in Syria discover Byzantine mosaic
May 15th, 2011 at 3:00PM: Just when you thought all news coming out of Syria was bad, an archaeology team has discovered a Byzantine mosaic in a medieval church.
The mosaic was discovered last week at the Deir Sounbol Church on al-Zawieh Mountain. Syrian investigators say the mosaic measures 4x5 meters (13x16 ft.). While portions are damaged or missing, floral and geometric shapes are clearly visible and there are ...Q & A with travel and food writer Zora O'Neill
Dec 14th, 2010 at 11:30AM: Zora O'Neill is a travel and food writer, an editor, and the co-founder (with Tamara Reynolds) of an underground Astoria supper club so successful that it eventually spawned Forking Fantastic!, a cookbook and entertaining guide.
Zora has authored guidebooks for Lonely Planet, Moon, and Rough Guides. Her expertise runs from Egypt to Amsterdam to her home state of New Mexico and on to the ...Travel Q&A with author & cook Tamara Reynolds
Jul 14th, 2010 at 2:30PM: Tamara Reynolds is a the co-founder (with Zora O'Neill) of The Sunday Night Dinner, an Astoria, Queens-based supper club. The Sunday Night Dinner, which continues to thrive, was well ahead of what has become a supper club trend. Out of the Sunday Night Dinner came a fabulous cookbook, Forking Fantastic, which Reynolds co-authored with O'Neill. Travel is key to Reynolds' imagination as a cook. She ...Syria's Sexy Side
Dec 31st, 2008 at 2:00PM: Bras with flashing lights, transparent g-strings, underwear that is made from little more than fake butterflies and plastic flower petals. No, it is not the dressing room of a Las Vegas gentleman's club, it's a shop in a Damascus souk. BBC correspondent Martin Asser recently uncovered some unexpected retail spaces in the Syrian capital. It turns out that, despite the penchant for ...
