Syria 2008 (a few images)

[jonmanjiro]

Here's a few shots I could link quickly. I will have to search my hard drive to find the shots I mentioned earlier.

Straight Street in Old Damascus

Souq Al-Hamidiyah in Old Damascus

Restaurant in Old Damascus

Police escort waiting outside a church for a high flyer doing his Christmas greeting rounds in Bab Touma, Old Damascus

Me with some Syrian university students

Omayyad Mosque in Old Damascus

Grocer's shop in Souq Al-Hamidiyeh, Old Damascus

Brothers in Old Damascus

Bread shop in Straight Street, Old Damascus

Antique Shop in Old Damascus

Chapel of Saint Ananias in Bab Touma, Old Damascus

Al-Nawfara Coffee Shop in Old Damascus

 

[mszargar]

Thanks for starting this thread and sharing your beautiful photos, Raid. Although it makes it twice sad to watch the news... Both Damascus and Beirut are beautiful Mediterranean cities. It is crazy what is going on there right now...

 

[raid]

Thanks for posting your beautiful color images from Syria, Jon.

 

[BarnabyN]

Thank you for sharing.

 

[raid]

The words in pink say "We love you", if you use Syrian dialect of the Arabic language.
If you used Iraqi dialect, it would say "We don't love you". Isn't it ironic, considering how people from the same country are jointly blowing it up (with the help of others).

 

[raid]

Christians in Syria are devoted and they have their own villages where they lived in peace. Some of the oldest churches on earth exist in Syria. As a minority, they aligned themselves with those in power. This is often the case. I sensed a respect for Christians when I visited Damascus. Assad's poster (above) was on the wall of a home of Christians.

 

[bigeye]

Christians in Syria are devoted and they have their own villages where they lived in peace. Some of the oldest churches on earth exist in Syria. As a minority, they aligned themselves with those on power. This is often the case. I sensed a respect for Christians when I visited Damascus. Assad's poster (above) was on the wall of a home of Christians.

Since Alexander, Melkites have been the "King's men."

- Charlie

 

[Krosya]

As always, Raid, - love your travel pictures. I wish I had a chance to visit places like this, but at least I get to see them through your eyes/pictures. You know what that means - post MOREEEEE

 

[raid]

Thank you Krosya. I will post some more.

We walked through the Christian neighborhoods close to Bab Touma:

 

[gb hill]

I am not upset, Alexandru, but I don't want a moderator to delete this thread.

A moderator deleting this thread because we can't speak our thoughts on what is going on today would be like the editor at Magnum Photo saying to a PJ we can't show these photo's to the world, that we must ignore what is taking place in Syria. For one I'm a bit confused at what is taking place in Syria. I blame our western media.

BTW Raid these photo's are some of your best work.

 

[raid]

Thanks.
Here is another image of someone's home in the Christian neighborhood. His name is Anton Laboos.

 

[raid]

The ancient island of Arwad (link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arwad)
I took a boat from Latakia to Arwad.

Boat building:

Graffiti:

 

[raid]

Children can get sacrificed in the name of religion during political wars.

 

[raid]

This man is originally from Lybia. He studied for a while at some college in Canada, and then he worked in Iraq. He escaped from Iraq to work in Syria. All he has left is his daughter. His job was selling Kebab. Who knows where is now with his cute daughter.

 

[raid]

I used a Graflex XLSW on a table tripod here inside the mosque. It supposedly houses the head of John the Baptist and the grave of Salladin.

 

[raid]

In times of war, there is no respect for history and the ancient remains that are scattered in Syria.

 

[Clint Troy]

I'm sorry but I don't quite get this thread. I probably wish the pictures would speak more by themselves.

 

[back alley]

A moderator deleting this thread because we can't speak our thoughts on what is going on today would be like the editor at Magnum Photo saying to a PJ we can't show these photo's to the world, that we must ignore what is taking place in Syria. For one I'm a bit confused at what is taking place in Syria. I blame our western media.

BTW Raid these photo's are some of your best work.

it's not the images it's the words...rff is a non political forum...it is a photo forum...images can be controversial and that's ok...but politics can cause a great conflagration and that is not what we do here.

the thread as is is fine...

 

[raid]

This is what I also meant to say. It is the words that can get inflamed.

 

[raid]

I'm sorry but I don't quite get this thread. I probably wish the pictures would speak more by themselves.

Hi Clint,
I was thinking of my trip to Syria in 2008, and I was thinking about the events there these days. Places I have seen then may not look the same way anymore. If this thread bothers you somehow, don't feel you have to see it.