Damascus Packing List Tips by maykal

Clothing/Shoes/Weather Gear: Women should bring a headscarf to enter mosques.
If you go in winter, take some very warm clothes as it get's surprisingly cold. My friends in England all laughed when I said it was freezing, but although it probably isn't as cold as England is, in Syria you feel it more because most buildings (hotels and especially houses) are inadequately heated, so it is impossible to get warm!

Toiletries & Medical Supplies: You can get all kinds of toiletries and medical supplies (except good cough tablets) in Damascus.

Photo Equipment: Films bought in good shops usually work fine, but outside Damascus and Aleppo, films should be treated dubiously! I got most of my films developed in Syria, and had no complaints. Any Kodak shop is good, as is the Photo Misr not far from the Cham Palace Hotel in the New City. You can normally get same-day service.
Passport photos can be taken in most of these shops (sometimes called studios, although that's a wee bit optimistic), although don't expect wonders - mine were taken using an antique camera (the photographer had to cover his head with a dark cloth!), but at least they were cheap. You will need countless passport photos for obtaining and extending visas (they always ask for one more than you've got, so be prepared!)



Leave a Comment