Ever since I came
back from the Camping Trip in Palmyra which was my first Couchsurfingexperience, I have decided to involve more in CS. I have created a few
sub-groups like "Damascus & Emergency Couch Requests" and worked on my profile more and tried to
add useful information to the group of each city, Syria group and also to my profile to help
travelers who are planning to visit the country in general.
Damascus - The Capital, the oldest city alive.
Aleppo - A large souk and ancient citadel with great views.
Hama - Waterwheels on the Orontes River.
Homs - An ancient city, Crac des Chevaliers, Amazing Green Mountains in Spring.
Latakia - A major port city, Saladin's Castle, Fronloq Forests and Al Samra Beah.
Tartus - a historical port city and historical small island called Arwad.
We have started a chain
of Weekly and Bi-Weekly "CS Damascus Meetings". During my
participation in CS Syria I have created/attended more than 20 meetings, met awesome
people (locals and travelers), shared so many stories with them as much as
we shared delicious traditional food at Ziad's, tea & shisha in the old
city, fruit juice at Abo Abdo, Damascene sweets at Nabil & Ice cream at
Bakdash the Damascene way.
As for the trips, we
have participated in few regional camps in Jordan & Lebanon, with the
help of many of my CS friends we have created many trips in Syria as well.
 |
| Couchsurfing Activities 2009-2010 |
- CS Jordan Middle East Camp 1st May 2009
- CS Movie Night 13th May 2009 - Watched Baraka - Syria (Organizer)
- CS Trip to Deir Mar Musa 5th July 2009 - Syria (Organizer)
- CS Traditional Night Out 16th July 2009 - Syria (Co-Organizer)
- CS Green Day in the desert 18th July 2009 - Syria (Co-Organizer)
- CS Lebanon Middle East Camp 31st July 2009
- CS Syria Middle East Camp 9th October 2009 (Co-Organizer)
- CS Green Day in the desert Astronomy and Camping 28th May 2010 (Co-Organizer)
- CS Syria Middle East Camp (Camel's Riding Across the Syrian Desert) 22 November 2010 (Co-Organizer)
- CS Lebanon Biking Trip To The South October 2010
Apart from the events listed above, I had the pleasure to meet so many CS travelers and accompany many of them in trips around the country or on a day tour around the oldest continuously inhabited city Damascus.
 |
| A photo from a high building showing the hurt of the old city of Damascus - Omayyad Mosque |
I am listing some of the references I have got in the past: (earliest to recent)
Use the scroll on the right to navigate for more references
From Ala Suleiman
Amman, Jordan
Oct 26, 2008
From Yamen Awad
Nouakchott, Mauritania
Oct 27, 2008 
From WILDERNESSOFSWEETS
Vancouver, Canada
Jul 19, 2009
From Nick Chang
Silver Spring, United States
Sep 19, 2010 
Amman, Jordan
Oct 26, 2008
Positive
we met in Palmyra Camping, and he was a nice, smart, well educated, and a photography professional guy.
Then we met many other times, and simply, whenever I visit Syria I always want to meet Emad, coz he really became a good friend of me & I am proud of that.
Then we met many other times, and simply, whenever I visit Syria I always want to meet Emad, coz he really became a good friend of me & I am proud of that.
Positive
Emad really deserves to be the ambassador of Damascus. I have first met him during Palmyra CS camping in 2008 but did not really have the chance to talk well to him as the time we had was very short. We kept our communication ongoing through facebook where I was continuously amazed and impressed by his photography skills! He was one of the main organisers of the second Palmyra CS meeting which went really well due to his tremendous efforts of promoting and time scheduling. I look forward to see him again either in Palmyra or in Damascus. Thank you for a wonderful photo on the camel and please consider yourself as having a brother in Palmyra!
Positive
Emad is an Amazing guy, great friend, well-Educated, well-Organized, trustworthy, and great events planer, so proud he's holding the CS flag in Damascus.
From Yamen Awad
Nouakchott, Mauritania
Oct 27, 2008
Positive
My good impression I had had on Emad was approved when we met in a camping trip in Palmyra; his friendly, gentil friendship spirit was flowing out through his personality. He is a great gain to the CS community in Damascus.
Positive
Emad is a great travel companion and an expert IT person ,a very good photographer and i consult him in many things not just networking and computers he has a gentleman attitude and can be relied on, most of his friends are my best friends as well :-)
Positive
Emad was great...he show us all the best part in Damascus with his friends as weel.
He has introduced me to the fabolous Syrian dishes..especially the spicy one..
He is also a good photographer, really a nice guy to meet, I hope to meet him again somewhere around Europe.
He has introduced me to the fabolous Syrian dishes..especially the spicy one..
He is also a good photographer, really a nice guy to meet, I hope to meet him again somewhere around Europe.
Positive
Emad and I worked together for a year before he invited me and my friend Lindi on the Palmyra trip in October of this year. Emad was fun to travel with and I am so happy that he invited me to try CS.
Positive
Emad has a wealth of knowledge about Damascus and its culture and history and is willing to share it with everyone. He has a great sense of humour and ability to make newcomers feel welcome. Good luck with your australian visa!
Positive
Emad gave as a tour of Damascus on the 2nd day in Syria. A passionate conversationalist with his own viewpoint and I think a kind and sensitive person. Thanx for everything and I wish you success in the future projects of your life time.
Positive
Emad is the fearless leader of the Damascene Couchsurfing community. He also bought me a falafel! What a guy!
Positive
Shared a great time on the Jordan cs camping trip - then met up again in Damascus where Emad showed me and my mum around with great passion for his city and patience for my mum's little weary legs! A lovely lovely guy.
Positive
Emad is a great guy... very friendly and very passionate about photography as evidenced in his amazing photos. He really knows his cameras as he helped me figure out how to use mine. Thanks Emad!!! I'm finally taking pictures w/out white spots in em ;-)
I hope we cross paths again.
I hope we cross paths again.
Positive
He is such a wonderful person from Damascus. So active, so passionate about everything and so helpful. He called me when I moved around Syria and helped when I was lost at the highway from Homs to Tartus. He is a great person to meet and know. Makes Damascus and Syria a greater place to stay !! Love to meet him soon in Iran!!
Positive
Emad is the only person we know who doesn't get lost in the Old City of Damascus! Probably because he knows so much about the city. He guided us 2 days through the streets, tonight we'll join his CS-movie-night in Damascus. A wonderful person to know, entertaining and he is a must-meet-again-somewhere-guy!
Positive
Emad sent me a friendly welcoming email and pointed me in the direction of capoeira in Damascus which was very sweet! then we met for a lovely morning walking and talking around the old city, visiting some sights and stopping for snacks and tea, a perfect experience! I recommend you meet him!
Vancouver, Canada
Jul 19, 2009
Positive
Meeting Emad was one of the highlights of our time in Syria. He spent the whole day showing us around Damascus and we met many other locals at a CS meeting in the evening. Emad is a funny guy who is easy to chat to. He loves food just as much as we do and knows the best place in town for shwarma and fresh juices! come to Canada if Australia doesn't work out!
Positive
Emad is an amazin guy! In 2 days he showed us ALL Damascus and we had a lot of fun! He a specialist in good places to eat but the best thing about him is that he doesnt like football but likes shopping :) Hope to meet you again! Thnx for the great days!
Positive
You made our trip to Damascus complete! I hope you get a nice job soon, but i was glad you're unemployed right now, because otherwise we would have missed the two great days with you!:)
Thanks for the good care and showing us arround!
Thanks for the good care and showing us arround!
Positive
what can i say about emad ,,, honestly there r no words to describe how helpful he was when i was in syria , he helped me even more than i imagine and was alwayes there when we need . add to that his will to offer help and he showed us the best place to eat syrian food . frankly speaking i dont know what can i do to pay him back , BIG THANKS man and hope to meet u again and again and again
Positive
I met Emad while surfing with his friend Haithem. He is an extremely interesting conversationalist and can answer all sorts of questions about Islam and the Middle East. His alter ego "Black Spider" is also an excellent photographer:)
Positive
When Emad was young he spent his childhood running around the streets of damascus. thats the reason why he navigates the old city like a river flowing to its desired destination! HAHAHA. I met Emad only in the evening, where he met me at my hotel and we walked through the old city together. I had walked the city (or so i thought) in the day but with Emad around everything got a whole lot easier and you discover new things! Anyway Emad, I wish you well with your IT aspirations and may you let your mom know that you found a blue eyed german blonde one day! HAHAHAHAHA. Salam..
Positive
Emad is a wonderful person: he loves to share his enthusiasm about his city and his knowledge about his culture and religion. He has helped me with so many things in the first week of my stay already and I really enjoy every single meeting with him!
From Nick Chang
Silver Spring, United States
Sep 19, 2010
Positive
We are very fortuante to have Emad to show us around his amazing ancient city. We learned so much about it thanks to him. His friends are super nice, too. The last night's mountain view of the city is very impressive. Emad embodies the best example what the couchsurfing is about. I hope we'll meet again one day.
Positive
Very helpful and full of knowledge. Committed, genuine fella. Hope we meet again.
Positive
Thanks to Emad I was able to spent night on the desert which was on my "things to do in life" list. But not only he's a great organizer also funny relaxed and very welcoming person. Hope to bump into him somewhere in the world!
Positive
I met Emad in Palmyra, he was part of the organizing team. I have to say thanks to him and the rest of the guys for such a wonderful experience and the amazing pictures that he took :)
Positive
Emad is motivated guy with high spirit and this is why i really appreciate him being an active member in CS. I beleive Damascus is lucky to have such nice person. Keep it going man!
Positive
Emad spent a whole afternoon with me showing me around old Damascus and taking me to his favorite eateries in town. Emad, thank you very much for taking me on this trip to the past as you called it yourself and teaching me so much about your country and culture. It was a great introduction to Syria ans Damascus. Lena
Positive
My husband and I had a great time exploring Damascus with Emad and a couple of his friends. We loved his openness and willingness to answer our questions about the culture and what we saw happening around us. Plus, he knew some wonderful restaurants and a juice stand that is out of this world. :) I hope to see you again before too long!! Thanks for everything!
Starting 2011 CS Syria team members were brainstorming the activities we will be organizing in spring/summer of 2011. Then the Arab Spring has erupted, a chain-reaction starting in Tunisia passing by Egypt, Yamen, Libya and finally reached Syria in 15 March 2011.
Nothing is the same anymore, our lives as we know it has changed and our priorities has been shifted.
In the future Couchsurfing posts I will be writing about the adventures I had one by one.
Happy Surfing
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