01-Feb-2004 -- During our extended `Īdu-l-Aḍḥā holidays of January/February 2004 to Syria, we combined the on-road tour of the archaeologically and culturally rich country with visits to six Confluences (33N 36E, 34N 37E, 36N 39E, 36N 38E, 36N 37E and 35N 37E).
Having successfully completed the visit to Confluence 36N 39E, we drove around the Lake Asad via al-Thawra to get to Qal`at Jābir, which is an impressive 12th century fortress built during the time of the famous Nūr al-Dīn.
We then caught the Highway 4, which was now hugging the Euphrates valley, heading west for about 50 km until we passed the village of Maskana. Our next Confluence was only about 3 km past the village to the left. We were lucky to find a dirt track leading towards the Confluence from the main road. The Confluence was once again in the middle of an agricultural field, surrounded by trees at the borders and which had been recently ploughed. Since it was an `Īd day, there was no one around, so we gingerly walked the few meters to the Confluence.
Our next confluence visit was to be to 36N 37E, which was near Aleppo, where we were planning to spend a couple of days.