nathanaels (![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} nathanaels) wrote,@ 2007-09-14 01:00:00 |
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Damascus
My first impression of Damascus is that it is big. A sprawling metropolis spread outward into the dry plains as we approached the city in the night. They say that Damascus is the most beautiful at night, and they were right. The streets are the same in Damascus as elsewhere, but there are many more cars on them. The buildings are the same as elsewhere, but there are many more people in them. It is not one of the giant cities of the earth, but with over six million inhabitants, it is very large for this part of the world.
Nora’s apartment is in a quiet neighbourhood just north and east of the Old City near Bab Thuma, and there are several snack shops and food sellers within walking distance. We returned from the road and settled in, and for the next ten days, Damascus is where I stayed. Besides seeing a few things in Damascus, my primary goal was to improve my Arabic and to write.
The souq of Damascus has more products and more bustle than the one in Aleppo, but it lacks the sense of tradition as well. The nightlife is much more alive here and, at times, the city itself feels like a city for young professionals. I managed to check out both Ananias’ chapel and the chapel of my namesake, St. Paul, the “so-called” straight street, as well as the Umayyad Mosque and the mausoleum of Saladin. The museum here is about like the one in Aleppo: some beautiful and amazing artefacts but set out in a disappointing display. My favourite activity was the night we listen to traditional hakawati story telling as told by Abu Shadii, the last traditional oral storyteller in Syria. I learned to play Syrian pool, and have generally done my best to keep my health up and avoid getting sick, after spending another two days feeling ill. The dining in Damascus is fabulous, and many restaurants, especially those in renovated traditional homes, provide beautiful and intimate settings for dinner. A short trip to Syria would still be worthwhile if one did nothing but dine.
Damascus is a major crossroads in the Middle East and one of the most “happening” places in which I have stayed. I think that I prefer the slightly less urban, slightly less modern Aleppo, but only because the chaos here still does not make sense to me. I might change my mind if I had to live in Syria for six months, so perhaps after I spend more time here I will change my mind.
My first impression of Damascus is that it is big. A sprawling metropolis spread outward into the dry plains as we approached the city in the night. They say that Damascus is the most beautiful at night, and they were right. The streets are the same in Damascus as elsewhere, but there are many more cars on them. The buildings are the same as elsewhere, but there are many more people in them. It is not one of the giant cities of the earth, but with over six million inhabitants, it is very large for this part of the world.
Nora’s apartment is in a quiet neighbourhood just north and east of the Old City near Bab Thuma, and there are several snack shops and food sellers within walking distance. We returned from the road and settled in, and for the next ten days, Damascus is where I stayed. Besides seeing a few things in Damascus, my primary goal was to improve my Arabic and to write.
The souq of Damascus has more products and more bustle than the one in Aleppo, but it lacks the sense of tradition as well. The nightlife is much more alive here and, at times, the city itself feels like a city for young professionals. I managed to check out both Ananias’ chapel and the chapel of my namesake, St. Paul, the “so-called” straight street, as well as the Umayyad Mosque and the mausoleum of Saladin. The museum here is about like the one in Aleppo: some beautiful and amazing artefacts but set out in a disappointing display. My favourite activity was the night we listen to traditional hakawati story telling as told by Abu Shadii, the last traditional oral storyteller in Syria. I learned to play Syrian pool, and have generally done my best to keep my health up and avoid getting sick, after spending another two days feeling ill. The dining in Damascus is fabulous, and many restaurants, especially those in renovated traditional homes, provide beautiful and intimate settings for dinner. A short trip to Syria would still be worthwhile if one did nothing but dine.
Damascus is a major crossroads in the Middle East and one of the most “happening” places in which I have stayed. I think that I prefer the slightly less urban, slightly less modern Aleppo, but only because the chaos here still does not make sense to me. I might change my mind if I had to live in Syria for six months, so perhaps after I spend more time here I will change my mind.
