Syria is a country in the Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east and Jordan to the south. The country is a melting pot of different ethnicities and religions. The capital is Damascus, and the largest city is Aleppo. Syria was an important part of the ancient world, where many important cultures emerged. Today, many of Syria's cultural treasures have been destroyed or damaged by civil war. Some of the most famous sites are the Omayyad Mosque in Damascus, the Roman ruins of Palmyra and the Crusader castle Krak des Chevaliers.
