Syria
I have found power in the mysteries of thought.
—Euripides (ca. 480–406 B.C.), Greek playwright
The once glorious Greco-Roman city of Apamea now lies in rubble—except for remnants of the main boulevard and the Cardo Maximus (Grand Colonnade) that ran alongside it—a grand procession of four hundred granite fluted columns connected by lavishly carved granite lintels. Located at a critical Middle Eastern intersection overlooking the verdant Ghab Valley, Apamea was a major center of trade, politics, and religious thought—including Monophysitism (the doctrine that Christ had only one nature, Divine)—from 300 B.C. to A.D. 1157. At its peak, it was home to half a million people and enjoyed a constant flow of visitors (including Cleopatra).
If walking along an ancient road where myriad religious thoughts were examined and sometimes threatened might help you to understand or to strengthen your faith, come to Apamea. Book a tour (several are available in-country; English guidebooks are available), or hire a guide and car in Hama, 35 miles to the south. Women are advised to travel with a male companion or by group tour. Bring bottled water. Dress appropriately for the culture (Muslim), for the climate (hot, dry), and for walking (lots of it).
As you walk this sprawling intersection of sacred beliefs, examine your own, staying open to whatever Divine truths are whispered on the wind.
Human occupation at this site dates to the Stone Age and extends to the Middle Ages. During the Christian period, Saint Paul (Saul before his conversion on the road to Damascus) passed through Apamea (then Phrygia).