Safed

Safed (Hebrew: צְפַת, Tzfat; Arabic: صفد‎, Ṣafad, Ashkenazi: Tzfas; Biblical: Ṣ'fath, ISO 259-3: ) is a city in the Northern District of Israel. Located at an elevation of 900 metres (2,953 ft), Safed is the highest city in the Galilee and in Israel. Due to its high elevation, Safed experiences warm summers and cold, often snowy, winters. Since the 16th century, Safed has been considered one of Judaism's Four Holy Cities, along with Jerusalem, Hebron and Tiberias; since that time, the city has remained a center of Kabbalah, also known as Jewish mysticism.

Quneitra - Jonesborough

Bædeker: (1898)  El-Kunêtra, a neatly and regularly built village, situated 3040 ft. above the sea-level, whence an ancient Roman road leads to Baniyas. The village is the seat of the government of Jôlân (a Kâimmakâm under the Mutesarrif of the Haurân); 1300 inhabitants, mostly Circassians. International Telegraph. Little is left of the ancient village. This is the best place on the route for spending the night. Travellers are cautioned against sleeping in the open air, as heavy dews fall here.

Al Kiswah

Al Kiswah is about one half mile from Tal Kawkab, the location of the Abbey of St. Paul the Messenger. Ian Strathcarron identifies this location as the site of Saul's conversion to Christianity.

Sirghaya

Sam and companions camped here the night of September 13, 1867. They traveled to Damascus in the morning. Mark Twain Project: Quaker City Itinerary


From Bædeker:  54 M. Sarghdyd {Zerghaya; comp. p. 368), on the watershed.
This is the highest point (4610 ft.) attained by the line in the AntiLibanus and commands a fine mountain-view. The railway descends towards the S.W. to (20 min.) —


...at the village of Surghâya, in a verdant but confined situation.

Dahr El Baydar

The site of a station on the Beirut-Damascus railway line.

The train was a product of the industrial revolution and was first created to transport goods, which was its main purpose in Lebanon when the railway was first built. During the Ottoman empire, it was necessary to connect Damascus to the coast. Beirut, with its brand new port, benefited from the project, which was carried out by the French. The British wanted to build a railway between Jaffa and Damascus to bypass the Beirut line, but the project was never carried out.

Church of Nativity

Bædeker (1898) Route 10 page 121

The large *Church of St. Mary, erected over the traditional birth place of Christ, lies in the E. part of the town, above the Wâdi el-Hrobbeh, and is the joint property of the Greeks, Latins, and Armenians.

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