Pilgerstätten in der syrischen Peripherie

Hidden deep in the most remote corners of Syria there are a number of extraordinary sites of particular significance. These Syrian places of pilgrimage are visited by members of a wide variety of religious communities and still today exert a huge attraction on the local population. Always located at places with extraordinary natural formations, these shrines are associated with ancient myths and legends, and are regarded amongst the pilgrims as the ”property“ of various Islamic and Christian saints. The present book presents 20 of these Syrian places of pilgrimage and the myths and legends associated with them. Numerous illustrations in colour present an impression of the caves, crevices, mountain peaks, strange trees or holy springs at which the shrines are located. In the second part of the book, the author addresses the question of why it is precisely these places that are regarded as holy, and he examines the importance that they have in modern everyday life of the Syrians.