FAQ’ s - Frequently Asked Questions…
About us
Who is behind the ARABESKE
language institute??
Who is a part of the ARABESKE team?
Arrival
When should I arrive?
How do I get to Damascus?
Will I be picked up at the airport?
When, at the latest, must I inform ARABESKE
that I would like to be picked up from the airport?
How and when will I get to my guest
family after arrival in Damascus?
May I begin my stay at my guest family
before the courses start?
Visa
Where do I get
a visa?
How long does it take to get a visa?
Lessons
May I take part in an ARABESKE
language course with no prior knowledge
of Arabic?
How will I be placed according to my language skills in the appropriate class?
I study Islamic Studies and
would like to better my grammar skills for a language test.
Which textbooks are used?
Where is the language institute
located?
Accommodations
May I stay with my boy/girlfriend
in the same guest family?
Are provisions included in the price
of the course?
When will I find out the address of my guest family?
Should I bring a gift for my guest
family?
Discounts
I’ve already been to Syria and,
for this reason, would not like to take part in the Syria-tour. Will I receive
a discount?
I have friends/family in Syria. How
much do I have to pay if I don’t need accommodations?
Is there a student discount?
Safety
Is it dangerous
to travel to Syria because of the Middle-East conflict?
What do I need to be aware of as a woman in
Syria?
Money
How much spending
money will I need?
What kind of currency should I take along?
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About us
Who is behind the language institute ARABESKE?
The language institute ARABESKE
is made up of a group of young Syrian Arabic teachers, which has been lead
since 1997 by the German-Studies major and tour guide Ahmad Zahra. The transmission
of the Arabic language and the culture of Syria to young Europeans (and beyond)
is the aim of the institute.
Who is a part of the ARABESKE-team?
The language institute ARABESKE
is made up of previous course participants who have offered to represent ARABESKE
in Europe, voluntarily, in their free-time.
!Because there are no full-time associates with set working hours in Europe,
we ask you in advance to forgive any possible delays for replies to your questions!
Arrival
When should I arrive?
Generally, the first day of the course begin is the day of arrival. From this
point on, the rooms at the guest families are ready. You will need to arrange
your own transfer and accommodations if you plan on arriving earlier than
the first day of the course begin.
How do I get to Damascus?
The easiest way is to book our reasonably priced group
flight through our partner travel agency (Rail&Fly available for an
additional fee). The cost of transfer to and from the guest family is already
included in the price of the group flight.
Otherwise, every travel agency should offer charter flights to the Syrian capital. Make sure to ask for student discounts as well as price comparisons!
!Out of respect for the guest families, we ask that you spend the first night in a hotel if you arrive after midnight. A listing of hotels in various categories can be found in any good travel guide!
Will I be picked up at the airport?
Of course you’ll be picked up from the airport and brought directly
to your guest family on arrival day (first day of the courses). For this,
we’ll charge you € 25 to cover the transfer costs. If you decide
to take the group flight
as recommended by ARABESKE,
transfer from and to the airport is included in the price.
With ARABESKE “individual”,
the cost of transfer is included in the course fees.
!Be careful when choosing flights to Jordan that seem initially less expensive; you’ll need a Jordanian visa and have to pay at least 15 Euros each way between Amman and Damascus!
When, at the latest, must I inform ARABESKE
that I would like to be picked up from the airport?,
You will have to notify ARABESKE
per e-mail at least 72 hours in advance if you are interested in the 25-Euro
transfer service. Here you should give the flight number and arrival time.
How and when will I get to my guest family
after arrival in Damascus?
On the evening of arrival day (the exact time will be given in the travel
documents), all of the course participants who didn’t book transfer
will meet at Bab Tuma Square (known by every taxi-driver). There you will
be picked up by your guest family.
May I begin my stay
at my guest family before the courses start?
Please understand that the rooms at the guest families are rented only for
the duration of the courses and are only available during these dates.
Please do not try to arrange to move into your room on your own accord- this
will be done in the accompaniment of an ARABESKE staff member after meeting
in the early evening of arrival day- because changes to the arrangements are
still possible even on arrival day.
!Please note that we will also not be able to store luggage on arrival day!
Visa
How do I get a visa?
The following consulates will inform you of the current conditions, costs
and process of obtaining a visa.
Germany:
Botschaft der Arabischen Republik Syrien
Rauchstraße 25
10787 Berlin
Tel.: 030-259330
Switzerland:
Botschaft der Arabischen Republik Syrien
Rue de Lausanne 72
CH-1212 Genf
Tel.: 022-7325658
Austria:
Botschaft der Arabischen Republik Syrien
Daffingerstr. 4
1030 Wien
Tel. 01 533 46 33
!Entry into Syria is not possible without a visa! It is not possible to obtain a visa or change a single entry visa into a variable entry visa at the airport/border. Get your visa ahead of time!
How long does it take to get a visa?
Usually 3 weeks, sometimes even faster.
LESSONS
May I take part in an ARABESKE
language course with no prior knowledge of Arabic?
Yes! There is a special course for beginners without previous knowledge.
How will I be placed according to my language skills
in the appropriate class?
A placement test is given on the first day of courses with the intention of
dividing the participants into appropriate groups.
Moving into a different group is possible at any time after consultation with
the instructor.
I study Islamic studies
and would like to better my grammar skills for a language test.
In this case, ARABESKE is not appropriate for you. In contrast
to most courses offered at the university level, our language courses focus
heavily on actual communication.
Which textbooks are used?
In order to meet the different levels of all course members,
our instructors set up the course plans independently according to the needs
of the actual group at hand. All course materials will be available to you
at no charge.
Where is the language institute
located?
Because ARABESKE
rents appropriate rooms (all in the city center) according to the size of
each class, “the” address of the school cannot be named in advance.
ACCOMMODATIONS
May I stay with my boy/girlfriend
in the same guest family?
In most cases, yes. But, because this is not possible with
every guest family, please inform us of this wish at least 6 weeks before
courses begin.
Are provisions included in
the price of the course?
No. It is possible though, in some families, to make arrangements
to take part in family meals for an additional, individually agreed upon,
fee.
When will I find out the address
of my guest family?
For organizational reasons, we will inform you through
the travel documents of the address of your guest family 1 to 2 weeks before
the courses begin at the earliest.
Should I bring a gift for
my guest family?
Seeing that there is almost nothing that can’t be
found to buy in Syria, that is, gifts that a guest family might be given repeatedly,
we recommend you to bring a large package of pralines or brand-name chocolate
for the whole family.
DISCOUNTS
I’ve already been to Syria
and, for this reason, would not like to take part in the Syria-tour. Will
I receive a discount?
ARABESKE
“classic” can only be offered at such a reasonable price because
it is assumed that the participants will take part in group activities. If
you would like to skip the Syria-tour, you have the option (if still available)
to take part in the “basic” language courses during this time.
I have friends/family
in Syria. How much do I have to pay if I don’t need accommodations?
Because we can’t, for logistical reasons, arrange a group price with
each of the guest families, we can offer you a general discount of €
100 from the normal price of the ARABESKE
“classic” course. There is no such discount available for not
taking part in the Syria-tour or the dialect lessons.
Is there a student discount?
Our courses are especially geared in price and content
towards the needs of students. For this reason, we do not offer student discounts.
SAFETY
Is it dangerous to travel to Syria
because of the Middle-East conflict?
Here is what Horst Kopp and Nasim Barham said to this in “Geografische
Rundschau” 2/2002:
“The Levant-region is an area especially hit by political disturbances
and tension. But it is also part of the “Islamic World” in the
reality of the main inquiry and is therefore burdened by an undertone of negative
images. Terrorist attacks in Egypt, hostage situations in Yemen and the Taliban-friendly
politics in Afghanistan add to this image even though peace and security exists
in the Levant-region. In the summer of 2001, the foreign tourism in Israel
and Palestine almost completely collapsed due to the major conflicts in connection
with the “Second Intifada” and the defacto end of the peace process.
And once again the neighbors are affected: Even though it has remained quiet
politically in Jordan, Lebanon and Syria, the entire region is labeled instable-
and these countries experience a major decline in the number of tourists because
of it.”
What do I need to be aware of as
a woman in Syria?
The women and girls of Syria are clearly underrepresented
in public and have less freedom of movement than men. A foreign woman, especially
when she is not accompanied by a man or on a group of other women, will call
attention to herself in the form of intrigue or astonishment. If you dress
“sensibly” (long pants or skirt, no open-shoulder or deeply cut
tops) and don’t react surprised to potential compliments, you shouldn’t
feel uneasy or uncomfortable. Just like towards any other tourist, Syrian
women are polite, helpful and friendly. If you want to be especially sure,
you can wear a “wedding” ring and have pictures of your (imaginary)
husband or children.
For the most part, traveling in Syria is very comfortable and safe for women
(for example, safer than in countries of southern Europe or Latin-America).
Traveling in Arabian countries even has advantages for women; as a foreign
woman you can take part in the normal public life and the women’s community,
which is not possible for foreign men.
!The variety of women’s hygiene products is very limited- tampons are almost unheard of. For this reason, please take these along with you from Europe!
MONEY
How much spending money will
I need?
The individual needs of course participants vary greatly,
but € 300 for 4 weeks is generally sufficient.
What kind of currency should I take
along?
Cash is usually the most practical, Euros are now almost as readily accepted
as Dollars. Traveler’s Checks may also be exchanged, but this can be
very time consuming and is not possible everywhere. At least in Damascus,
there have been EC-ATM’s since 2004! But, because they don’t always
work and often charge large fees, we still recommend that you take cash. Credit
cards are only accepted in expensive souvenir shops or luxury hotels and restaurants.