- You absolutely must visit Syria! - insisted Damir. - I’ve traveled quite a bit, but there is no land better than Syria on our planet...
I met Damir Akmanov a couple of years ago. An interesting person, a patron, the Kyrgyz Tretyakov. An art connoisseur, entrepreneur, he has his own business in Syria. But most importantly, he is a good guy.
Damir's stories and assurances did their job, and the "Syria virus" settled in my soul. We discussed the program in general terms with Damir. "Don't worry, my guys will do everything in the best way," assured Akmanov.
We bought tickets for the route Bishkek — Istanbul - Gaziantep. Gaziantep is a Turkish city bordering Syria. The Syrian border is 50 km away. There, we will be met and taken to Aleppo. Everything else will follow the program...
It was February. Winter was competing with spring for power. As instructed by Damir, we flew with "Turkish Airlines" to Istanbul - Gaziantep. Five hours to Istanbul and an hour and a half to Gaziantep.
A small city surrounded by desert yellow plateaus with well-kept olive groves. We were met by two Arabs, and in a taxi, we rushed south towards the Turkish-Syrian border.
At the border, there were no problems: a stamp in the passport, and happy travels! But the Syrian border was more meticulous. Here, drivers with our passports long "shuttled" from one building to another. Finally, it came to scanning the fingerprint of the right thumb. A search, and finally, Syrian land!
The first surprise - we were met by Damir Akmanov! It felt like a mirage. Just the day before yesterday in Bishkek, I discussed the details of our trip with him. There was not a word about him personally meeting us at the border. And here is a pleasant surprise. Yes, the world is becoming "smaller," and the distance of several thousand kilometers is no longer a problem.
Upon entering Aleppo, we were greeted by a bright festive sunset. Aleppo is not a small city at all: three million residents. It also has a venerable age. Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs, Crusaders, Ottomans, English, French... have all left their mark here. A city of human history.
Our hotel "Baron" is located in the central part of the old city; it is an ancient building resembling a castle. Not the best hotel in Aleppo. According to the memorial plaque, it was built in 1909 by an Armenian baron. The time and spirit of that era have been quietly living in the spacious massive rooms for over a hundred years, hiding from the eyes of restorers. The main attraction of the hotel is the memory that the famous writer Agatha Christie lived here for a long time while working on the novel "Murder on the Orient Express." Another famous person who stayed at the "Baron" was Valentina Tereshkova, the first woman cosmonaut.
