The Monuments of Syria: A Guide

To call The Monuments of Syria: A Guide an exhaustive account of that country’s historical sites would be doing the author, Ross Burns, a disservice. It would also be a monumental understatement. The fruits of more than 20 years of research, the book is now in its third edition, and is more detailed and more authoritative than ever.

This is the only guide available in English that concentrates on the historical monuments and sites of Syria. For that reason, Burns could have got away with a lesser work. Instead, he has toiled studiously to produce a book of interest to anyone travelling the country and wanting more than what run-of-the-mill mass market guidebooks offer. As Burns himself points out, there are no hotel recommendations in the book, no advice on where to eat or sleep or on what to pack. It is assumed that the intelligent traveller will source that information elsewhere. As it says on the cover, this is a guide to the monuments of Syria, no more, no less. It just happens to be more or less perfect.

Details, Details, Details!

The opening pages of the guide are a sign of things to come: pages detailing dozens of maps and plans used in the book; a page of photo references; a double-page spread with a common sense map of the country that is both easy to read and detailed enough to provide a quick reference guide to sites; and a page of abbreviations, symbols, ratings and explanations for various other bits and bobs used in the text.

After all that, and an intelligent preface to the new edition, we make it to the official page one – some 16 pages into the book.

The guide is broken down into four main sections: a historical overview (or “sketch”) of Syria; a chapter summarising architectural development in the country; the “Gazetteer” or list of sites; and a series of suggested itineraries and complementary maps.

Both the early chapters provide important historical information that is relevant – vital, even – to the understanding and appreciation of the sites, but it is the Gazetteer that forms the true heart of the book. Listed alphabetically from Ain Dara through to Zarzita are more than 100 sites. Larger cities like Aleppo and Damascus are listed as headline sites, and then broken down further to reference every mosque, ruin or Roman wall in the area. This means the initial “more than 100 sites” figure soon multiplies, bringing into play the need for an extensive indexing system (see below).

The X-Factor Sites

Each site is given a rating, from three stars (“essential”) to one star for “worth a detour if time allows”, while others miss out altogether, receiving a “limited or specialised interest” tag. The historical background of each site is explained, relevant dates are referenced and any variations on the site name are duly noted. Basic visitor information is provided, along with – where possible – maps or diagrams of the site. Each listing ends with reference notes for journals and books that have provided guidance. The work that has gone into drawing all this detail together is really quite astounding.

The back end of the book is no less detailed than the front end. Six pages are handed over to a “Glossary of Architectural and Other Terms”, and takes in everything from triclinos (“Greek equivalent of triclinium”) to triclinium (the dining room of a Roman house - originally with three divans - in case you were wondering).

A chronology of events follows, detailing everything of note that happened from the Early Bronze Age through until modern times (post-1918). Events are categorised according to their age or period.

Next up are the books and journals Burns used when researching, as well as a list of articles recommended for further reading. So extensive is this 15-page bibliography that it requires one page of explanation before it even starts.

An Index for Every Occasion

There is also an exhaustive 19-page index that makes searching for something within the book a dream. Short of offering a built-in remote control, this is as good as it gets. A second index follows, and acts as a quick reference guide to the sites, with each one listed alongside its period, map/plan number and rating; UNESCO sites are presented in bold for even faster quick referencing (can Ross Burns make your life any easier?) Given the diligence with which the traditional index has been referenced, this additional one is arguably surplus to requirements, but it is typical of Burns’ attention to detail that he’s considered it a must-have. And anyway, it does offer those short of time an easy way to identify the author’s best-rated sites in about two big, fat, lazy seconds.

Ross Burns trained in archaeology before moving into diplomacy. He spent time in Damascus as Australia’s Ambassador to Syria and Lebanon, a role that doubtless gave him the opportunity – and the contacts – to indulge in his passion for all things ancient, and to broaden his understanding of the country and its history. 

His book, The Monuments of Syria: A Guide, is right up there with the very best specialist guidebooks on the market. It’s not for the casual observer or the traveller on a whistle-stop tour of the country, but for people who take their history seriously and want to know exactly what they’re looking at and why. People, I suppose, just like Ross Burns.