Golan Heights (Syria)
The Syrian-controlled part of the Golan Heights is in Hauran in Syria.
 |
WARNING: There is fighting between Syrian government and opposition forces in the Syrian-controlled Golan. Most of the Israel-Syria border is now controlled by rebel groups including Al-Nusra (affiliated with Al Qaida) and the Yarmouk Martyrs Brigade (affiliated with ISIS). As of early April, 2015, no UNDOF peacekeeping troops are left in Syria. The situation is fluid; some mortars have been fired either accidentally or intentionally at Israeli-run areas, there have been a few Israeli fatalities, and the Israeli Air Force in turn is believed to have killed some high-ranking Hezbollah officials and an Iranian general who were reportedly trying to set up missile batteries in order to attack Israel from the Syrian-controlled Golan. So if you plan to visit the Golan, check on current conditions and exercise caution. |
| (Information last updated Mar 2017) |
- Not to be confused with the Israeli-controlled part of the Golan Heights.
Understand
The de facto Israel-Syria border runs through the Golan Heights along an area known as the Purple Line. This line was until recently patrolled by a United Nations peacekeeping force, but the peacekeepers were attacked by the Syrian opposition and all of them have been withdrawn from Syria, removing a stabilizing element from the border. No one is allowed to cross the border without special permission, and the border crossing is under the control of Israel and the Al Qaeda-affiliated Nusra Front.
Get in
Get around
See
- 🌍 Quneitra (Al Qunaitra). Quneitra was the capital of the Golan Heights (Quneitra governorate) until 1967. Now it is a ghost town, abandoned by the Syrians during the 1967 war and left in the no-man's-land ever since. It was thoroughly wrecked in both the 1967 and 1973 wars. Afterward the town was kept in its ruined state as monument to the war (or as propaganda depending on your perspective). It used to be possible to visit with permission from the Ministry of Interior in Damascus (open 08:00-14:00, Su-Th, authorisation required your passport and took around 30 min). But as of 2017, it is in a zone controlled by rebels, and like the rest of Syria, is off-limits to ordinary visitors.
Do
Buy
Eat
Drink
Sleep
Connect
Stay safe
A large part of the Golan Heights area is either heavily mined, or is suspected as being mined - this is because old mines may drift during heavy rains, which are frequent in winter. You should never walk or drive in open fields, off main roads or dirt roads (unless there are very clear signs which indicate that this area is safe, such as trail signs). While most mine fields are designated by warning signs (as the one shown in the picture), do not go into off-road barb-wired fields, even if they are not marked with signs (in short, never cross any fence unless there are clear signs and/or suitable gateways in the fence). Never touch unidentified metal or plastic debris in the open even if it looks harmless.