Syria: good to know
The general-information half of trip planning: how expensive Syria feels, what is considered polite, what is not, and the everyday practicalities - alongside our 61 written places.
Hospitality is a competitive sport - expect tea, questions and invitations from strangers within minutes.
✓ Considered polite
- Accept tea or coffee when offered - it flows constantly and sharing it is the point
- Learn the refusal dance - politely decline the first offer or two, then accept; hosts insist and mean it
- Dress modestly - shoulders and knees covered, with cover-ups provided for women at major mosques
- Haggle in the souqs with good humour - it is expected and often ends in tea
✗ Better avoided
- Use the left hand for eating or passing things
- Refuse an invitation to eat without a warm excuse - food is how welcome is shown
- Point your shoe soles at anyone when sitting on floor cushions
- Rush a shopkeeper - conversation comes before commerce
Worth knowing
- Bring cash - foreign bank cards are rarely usable, and dollars or euros exchange readily
- Friday is the main day off - souqs and shops close at least through midday prayers, while Christian quarters pause on Sunday
- Alcohol is sold in some neighbourhoods, notably the Christian quarters of Damascus and Aleppo
- Dinner runs late - families often eat from 21:00 onwards in summer
Plugs and voltage: Wikipedia, «Mains electricity by country» (after the IEC World Plugs list), read 15 October 2026.
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Keep planning
Customs are living things - regions differ, cities relax, generations shift. Take these notes as a friendly head start, watch what locals do, and when in doubt a smile and a greeting in the local language cover almost everything.