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mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400} </style> <![endif]--> <link rel=themeData href="home_files/themedata.thmx"> <link rel=colorSchemeMapping href="home_files/colorschememapping.xml"> <meta name=description content="The Golan Ending Occupation, Establishing Pease"> <meta name=description content="syrian embassy london, golan, jolan, syria, israel, occupation, middle east, peace, undof, un, chabaa farms, un resolution 242, un resolution 338, negotiations, golan hight's, golan plateau, 1976 war, yom kippour, conference, soas, media center"> <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:shapelayout v:ext="edit"> <o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1"/> </o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--> </head> <body bgcolor=white lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple style='tab-interval:36.0pt' leftmargin=3 topmargin=3 marginwidth=3 marginheight=3> <div class=Section1 style="width: 948; 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padding:0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm' height="44"> <p class=MsoNormal align=center style='margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:center; mso-element:frame;mso-element-frame-hspace:2.25pt;mso-element-wrap:around; mso-element-anchor-vertical:paragraph;mso-element-anchor-horizontal:column; mso-element-left:right;mso-element-top:middle;mso-height-rule:exactly'><span style='font-family:Tahoma'><b><a href="profile.html"><font color="#008000"> SYRIA PROFILE CLICK HERE</font></a></b><br> </span><a href="GOLAN.pdf" target="_blank"><strong><span style='font-family: Tahoma'>The Golan</span></strong><span style='font-family:Tahoma'><br> <span class=style51>Ending Occupation, Establishing Peace</span></span></a></p> <p class=MsoNormal align=center style='margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:center; mso-element:frame;mso-element-frame-hspace:2.25pt;mso-element-wrap:around; mso-element-anchor-vertical:paragraph;mso-element-anchor-horizontal:column; mso-element-left:right;mso-element-top:middle;mso-height-rule:exactly'><b> <span lang="en-gb"><a href="campusvisit.html">Syrian Ambassador Visits UCLan Campus</a> </span></b></p> </td> </tr> </table> <p class=MsoNormal><strong><i><span style='font-size:18.0pt'>Welcome</span></i></strong><b>&nbsp;<o:p></o:p></b></p> <p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;margin-right:6.0pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;margin-left:2.25pt;text-align:justify'><b><span lang=EN-GB style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;color:black;mso-font-kerning: 14.0pt;mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'>Syria is the cradle of World civilisation, and the accomplishments of her ancient peoples are renowned throughout the world.</span><o:p></o:p></b></p> <p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><span lang=EN-GB style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'>It was here that agriculture began ten thousand years ago, that &nbsp;settlement commenced and civilisation emerged. Houses, not caves, became man's dwellings, and he embarked on a journey of self-discovery. He observed heaven and sang the earliest hymns. He tried his hand at drawing and sculpture. Evidence of these ancient arts is found all over <st1:country-region u1:st="on"><st1:place u1:st="on">Syria</st1:place></st1:country-region>, at Mereibet, Jeyround, Yabroud, and on the riverbanks.</span></b><b><span lang=EN-GB style='mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'><o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;margin-right:6.0pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;margin-left:2.25pt;text-align:justify'><b>&nbsp;<o:p></o:p></b></p> <p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><st1:country-region u1:st="on"><st1:place u1:st="on"><span class=style41><span lang=EN-GB style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma; mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'>Syria</span></span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span class=style31><b><span lang=EN-GB style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma; mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'> also presented the world with major discoveries. It was here that copper was made pliable and bronze was invented. The Bronze civilisation came into being at Tel Halaf.</span></b></span><b><span lang=EN-GB style='mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'><o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;margin-right:6.0pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;margin-left:2.25pt;text-align:justify'><b>&nbsp;<o:p></o:p></b></p> <p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><span lang=EN-GB style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'>At Mari (Tel Hariri), by the <st1:place u1:st="on">Euphrates</st1:place> and elsewhere, there was an abundance of palaces, temples and murals reflecting cultural and commercial activity.</span></b><b><span lang=EN-GB style='mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'><o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><span lang=EN-GB style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'>The <st1:place u1:st="on"><st1:PlaceType u1:st="on">kingdom</st1:PlaceType> of <st1:PlaceName u1:st="on">Ugarit</st1:PlaceName></st1:place> (Ras Shamra) offered mankind the first alphabet in history. At <st1:City u1:st="on"><st1:place u1:st="on">Ebla</st1:place></st1:City> (Tel Mardikh), a royal palace was discovered containing one of the largest and most comprehensive documentary archives of the ancient world. These specialised in industrial, diplomatic, commercial and administrative matters, in addition to relations of peace and war with other countries. &nbsp;&nbsp;</span></b><b><span lang=EN-GB style='mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'><o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span class=style31><b><span lang=EN-GB style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma; mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'>The Amorites, the Canaanites and Phoenicians inhabited the coastal regions, while the Arameans populated the inland areas , and the Nabateans inhabited the south.</span></b></span><b><span lang=EN-GB style='mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'><o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><span lang=EN-GB style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'>Successive waves of migrations from the <st1:PlaceName u1:st="on">Arab</st1:PlaceName></span></b><b><span lang=EN-GB style='font-family:Tahoma;mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'> </span></b><b><span lang=EN-GB style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'> <st1:PlaceType u1:st="on">Peninsula</st1:PlaceType> gave an Arab identity to <st1:place u1:st="on"><st1:country-region u1:st="on">Syria</st1:country-region></st1:place>, and the country withstood invasions by Hittites, Persians, Greeks and Romans. The Islamic conquest of 636 A. D. confirmed this Arab identity and gave the land its lasting character.</span></b><b><span lang=EN-GB style='mso-ansi-language: EN-GB'><o:p></o:p></span><o:p><img border="0" src="Quickstart/ImageLib/new_07.gif" align="right" width="245" height="233"></o:p></b></p> <p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><span lang=EN-GB style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'>The immense strategic importance of Syria is due to her unique position as a meeting point between of three continents (Asia, Africa, and Europe), and as a crossroad between the Caspian Sea, the Indian Ocean, the Black Sea, and the Nile River. Through <st1:country-region u1:st="on">Syria</st1:country-region> passed the silk route which led from <st1:country-region u1:st="on">China</st1:country-region> to Doura Europe&#39;s (Salhiyeh), from <st1:City u1:st="on">Palmyra</st1:City> and <st1:City u1:st="on">Homes</st1:City> to the Syrian ports on the <st1:place u1:st="on">Mediterranean</st1:place>, where for thousands of years Syrian seafarers had ridden the wave in their great fleets with gleaming white sails.</span></b><b><o:p></o:p></b></p> <p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span class=style31><b><span lang=EN-GB style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma; mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'>This geographical position lent distinction to the country, not only as a trade and caravan route, but also a melting pot of diverse ideas, beliefs, talents, and culture</span></b></span><span class=style31><b><span lang=EN-GB style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma; mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'>s.</span></b></span><span lang=EN-GB style='mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;margin-right:6.0pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;margin-left:2.25pt;text-align:justify'><b>&nbsp;<o:p></o:p></b></p> <p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><span lang=EN-GB style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'>A journey through <st1:country-region u1:st="on"><st1:place u1:st="on">Syria</st1:place></st1:country-region> is a journey through time. When you enter the old soaks you realise that history is some time alive and tangible, something you can see and touch. You go down the 'Street called Straight' (Midhat Pasha) which stretches from Bab Kissan to Bab Al-Jabieh, and you feel that you are walking beside Saul of Tarsus when he saw the light of faith, the bright flash on 'the Road to Damascus'.</span></b><b><span lang=EN-GB style='mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'><o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;margin-right:6.0pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;margin-left:2.25pt;text-align:justify'><b>&nbsp;</b></p> <p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;margin-right:6.0pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;margin-left:2.25pt;text-align:justify'><b>&nbsp;<o:p></o:p></b></p> <p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><span lang=EN-GB style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'>The silk weavers whom you see in <st1:City u1:st="on">Damascus</st1:City>, <st1:City u1:st="on">Hama</st1:City> and <st1:City u1:st="on">Aleppo</st1:City> still work at their wooden handlooms just like their ancestors did in <st1:City u1:st="on"><st1:place u1:st="on">Ebla</st1:place></st1:City> four thousand years ago. Glass blowers at their brick furnaces recall their predecessors who invented coloured glass three thousand years ago. Folk artists still draw pictures of epic heroes almost identical to those engraved on stone by Doura Europe's artists in the year 3000 B. C.</span></b><b><span lang=EN-GB style='mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'><o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><span lang=EN-GB style='font-family:Tahoma;mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'>&nbsp;<st1:country-region u1:st="on"><st1:place u1:st="on"></span></b><b><span lang=EN-GB style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'>Syria</st1:place></st1:country-region> is often described as the largest small country in the world because of its wealth of ancient cultures. Humanity is indebted to this land for much of it thought and learning. Indeed it was aptly said that every learned person has two homelands: his own, and <st1:country-region u1:st="on"><st1:place u1:st="on">Syria</st1:place></st1:country-region>.</span></b><b><span lang=EN-GB style='mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'><o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class=MsoNormal>. </p> </div> </body> </html>