Syria – Damascus

Damascus is the heart of Syria. It is a city of almost two million. I spent a considerable amount of time here. Like many big cities in developing countries, a good bit of it is noisy, crowded, and polluted. I’m not a big fan of large cities in the poorer parts of the world, but like many cities you can uncover quite a bit of gems. Damascus is one of the oldest inhabited cities in the world and there is a tremendous amount of history. These photos were back in May and June of 2011, before the war. Images below are clickable.

Historic Damascus

Ummayad Mosque

Markets:

At the Hotel. A Dutch, French, and two Brits. We didn’t know each other before and became friends.

Same hotel. I came back to Damascus in June after a four week stint in Lebanon. Below are a group of Chinese backpackers:

Just outside the hotel, a fairly liberal youth scene. Many are college students:

Pro-Assad Rally in June

Christian Quarters

Children’s Clothing Shop

Old Detroit iron