City of Mosques

When you over watch Damascus from Qassiun Mount, you surly can notice the massive number of mosques there, you can watch the graceful minarets with its green lights and domes for more than 572 mosques.Here in the picture Al Qalie mosque is one of many Mumluk mosques, built in the 15's century "8century of hijrah", historians consider its minaret one of the most beautiful minaret in the Mumluk era and in Damascus. No one knows why they did call it Al Qal3i mosque. The mosque is located in Midhat Pasha old market.

Summer & Spring

Zabadani in Summer
Zabadabni in Spring

The plain of Zabadani, 45 kilometers away from Damascus, a fertile land with thousands of fruit trees bearing delicious apples, cherries, plums, peaches, and pears.
Attracted by its fresh air and beautiful scenery, Damascenes always rush to this resort on hot summer days.

Letter to Jasmine

Last night, my memory told me
to draw a lamb
I drew a city called Damascus
I did not draw it as
a city emerging from the mirrors of the past, or
Boxes of homesickness
But I did draw the desire of my future with her

"Nostalgia Letters to Jasmine" is the latest collection of poems by the Syrian novelist and poetess, Ghada al Samman, in which she expresses her inner feelings of homesickness and yearning to be once again in Damascus, the city of Jasmine and clover flowers.

Yum...Yum...(1)

Dish of the Month

Hold a second this is not any kind of illegal BOMB, or hand grenade, well I don't think there is a specific translation for it… Kibbeh is a kind of very delicious food that is made of meat and grit from the outside, meat, onion, pine and almonds from the inside…I’ll be lying if I told u more than that, because I don’t know how it is exactly made, but what I can figure is that it isn’t easy to cook and to shape these balls!
There are also many other types of Kibbeh and every city also has its specified type.

To be continued...

Al-Azem Palace

Al-Azem Palace, is a fine example which indicates that ancient Syrians considered one's home, one's paradise. The desire to create a personal paradise inspired them to build beautiful homes embellished with drawings, decorations, water fountains, large yards, trees and flowers. These lovely homes are made visually more attractive by entering from narrow lanes into open, sunny, green court yards.

It was Built in 1749 by Asa'ad Pasha Al-Azem south of the Umayyad Mosque as a residence for Al-Wali (The Governor), then converted into a Museum of Folk Traditions.

The craf of manual glass-making

Cock-a-doodle-doo

Doves, canaries, skylarks, nightingales, sparrows, parrots, hens, roosters, ducks and many other types of birds are just waiting to be picked in Al Tibin market.

Four Seasons Hotel

Nothing too impressive.

Apamea

Apamea is located on the right bank of the Orontes river about 55 km to the north west of Hama. It overlooks the Ghab valley and was built by Seleucus Nicator, the first king of the Seleucids in Syria in 300 BC. The city flourished to an extent that its population numbered half a million. In the Christian era, Apamea became a center of philosophy and thought. Most of the uncovered ruins in it date back to the Roman and Byzantine ages. When I was there, I couldn't stop thinking, how was this ruins inhabited once in the past! But I could hear their footfalls, voices, and anthems...

Maktab Anbar

One of the most wonderful places in Damascus is Maktab Anbar (Anbar office) it was constructed at the Ottoman period (1867) and it is also known by the name of Education palace.

Mazout...Mazout

WOW, is it half a car or what!? Maybe it is a car with the capacity of one horse! Wait a minute I know it very well, this is a (Tunbor), it took me few minutes just to recall its name, however, I think it is one of our local heritage! How could I forget its name?! I felt myself like I’m watching it for the first time in my life! Yeah, Strange it is! Do I like it or not!? I really don’t know, but I think it is still useful otherwise, I wouldn’t see it today!

Tranquility, Calmness, Harmony

Tartus is Syria's second most important coast after Latakia. A small harbour city of 150,000 inhabitants. It was founded by the Phoenician colony on Arwad and remained an important settlement through the Hellenistic and Roman times. There, you can take a boat and go to the island of Arwad which is the only island in Syria, a small one, with a mass of houses, fortresses and narrow lanes. On its shore I built a little sand castle... the waves washed it out...…

Piece of wisdom

Al Jahez said, 'Truth and faithfulness are twins; Patience and Lenience are twins; they ensure the perfection of religion and the soundness of the world. Their opposites are the cause of every schism and the origin of every corruption'

Hammam El Souk

If you are stressed or looking for something new! A nice hot bath will help you to relax! I suggest you to go to (hmmam el souk), although I could not get into the one in the photo above, because it was only for men! But I felt that it was a pretty one. I did not see more than the picture shows, but I still can imagine its beautiful flower ornamental walls, a fountain in the middle and shelves piled high with towels...…

Al Mnajaid

Al Mnajaid…. An old profession that still exists till today, mattresses and blankets were usually made of wool. When I saw it today I felt nostalgia to my old cover, 4years ago I’ve replaced it with a new modern one, I told my parents at that time, that the old one is too heavy and it prevents me to move freely in bed, but today I was surprised as I’ve discovered how much I do miss it!

Old Syrian coins

From left to right vertically:
2 Piastres and half 1940.
2 Piastres and half 1948.
5 Piastres 1948.
10 Piastres 1948.
25 Piastres 1947.
50Piastres 1947.
1 Syrian Pound 1950.

The last collection was coined at the time of the United Arab Republic(Syria and Egypt) that lasted between 1958-1961.

Fig Tree

An old fig tree that stands in Buqein; a famous resort near Zabadani known by its mineral- spring gushing out of the hillside, It is customary for visitors to stop here and sample this fresh water.