Matt came here for breakfast then we walked up to the Citadel; passing a pitiful pet shop stall en-route. It was distressing seeing the conditions the animals were kept in. 12 hours later Tim would be speculating what he would do if he won a million pounds - "Buy all the animals and set them free". The souk was better than I remembered the souks of Tunisia - there was little being pestered by vendors and my sense of smell has dulled over the years -but I had the same feeling I get walking round the Swan centre at Eastleigh..."why would I ever want to buy THAT?".
The mosque of Umayaad was an unexpected experience in many ways. I was captivated by the beautiful serenity of the giant, white courtyard where the reflections seemed to root the sky down in the depths of the earth. But I was left cold and unmoved by the giant emptiness of the sanctuary area where the complete absence of a focal point made it feel as holy as an aircraft hanger. After the mosque we walked on through the Souk until intercepted by Farood who brought us into his shop and spoke to us in excellent English (acquired "in the University of Hamidaya Souk"). He was a great storyteller and ended up taking us round to his "Aladdin's Cave" down the Street where he had a room completely kitted in Islamic fashion from the ceiling panels to the wall hangings - part of the family business.
The afternoon was spent wandering round to find a restaurant and then exploring the delightful alleys of the old town. We were struck by the easy friendliness of the people. In Mexico I felt continually bombarded by street sellers and beggars; I felt I was an object of commercial opportunity rather than a human being. Here it is different. We are still approached by the street sellers but fewer approach and still fewer pester. We have had a number of greetings by complete strangers, merely for the sake of communication. We have also had shopkeepers ignore us while we browsed; something that made shopping a more pleasurable activity.
The mosque of Umayaad was an unexpected experience in many ways. I was captivated by the beautiful serenity of the giant, white courtyard where the reflections seemed to root the sky down in the depths of the earth. But I was left cold and unmoved by the giant emptiness of the sanctuary area where the complete absence of a focal point made it feel as holy as an aircraft hanger. After the mosque we walked on through the Souk until intercepted by Farood who brought us into his shop and spoke to us in excellent English (acquired "in the University of Hamidaya Souk"). He was a great storyteller and ended up taking us round to his "Aladdin's Cave" down the Street where he had a room completely kitted in Islamic fashion from the ceiling panels to the wall hangings - part of the family business.
The afternoon was spent wandering round to find a restaurant and then exploring the delightful alleys of the old town. We were struck by the easy friendliness of the people. In Mexico I felt continually bombarded by street sellers and beggars; I felt I was an object of commercial opportunity rather than a human being. Here it is different. We are still approached by the street sellers but fewer approach and still fewer pester. We have had a number of greetings by complete strangers, merely for the sake of communication. We have also had shopkeepers ignore us while we browsed; something that made shopping a more pleasurable activity.Image - the Umayaad Mosque - man reading newspaper, reflecting on the polished marble courtyard (top); building regulations in Old Damascus are a little lax (bottom).
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