Syria, Damascus/1

I was lucky enough to be able to visit Syria in November 2010, before all the troubles started.

It was a very nice trip, a wonderful experience. A trip rich in culture and history.

I met many local people and I found them hospitable, welcoming and very kind.

It is an experience that I will treasure for the rest of my life.

A country which can give the traveller a host of emotions: the colours of the sky at dusk; the scent of the clear and dry air when you travel across the land; the extreme feelings of the desert; the starry nights; the perfumes of early mornings; the historical monuments; the lost cities; the strong sense of religion which pervades every place; the souks and the markets: soaps and silks, vegetables and carpets, fruits and knives. All mixed up in a kaleidoscope of colours, smells, fragrances, music and sounds.

And despite the vast amount of humanity around you I never felt threatened or in any danger as sometimes it happens in this kind of situations.

Even the beggars or the street sellers of cheap trinkets were polite, dignified and never aggressive.

I was actually planning to visit it again when the country begun to collapse.

I took many photos, some of which I now would like to share with you in the hope that I can convey some of the feelings I experienced during my stay in that enchanting country.


I will start with photos taken in Damascus and I will change them every fortnight  with photos taken in other cities or places around that great country.

DAMASCUS/1

Saint Paul Vision Patriarchal Abbey

Greek Catholic Sanctuary dedicated to St. Paul

Cowhides on sale in a street of Damascus