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Published: November 6th 2009
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When we arrived in Damascus, the tour ended for part of the group. So we all had a little party around the truck to say good-bye.
I spent most of my time in cities while in Syria. Damascus is said to be the oldest city in the world. It is very large and the people there are very friendly. I spent most of my time wondering around Old Damascus. I saw one of the largest mosques that I have ever seen. The inside courtyard was very detailed with lots of mosaic work. Simone and I went inside the mosque and for the first time I saw how Muslims pray. I was so moved by this experience because first of all the men and women are completely divided and the secondly they pray completely in silence. Very cool experience.
In Old Town, we visited some Damascene homes, which are very detailed and large. According to a sign these are important because Damascene houses symbolized transformation from the cares of the exterior world to the quest for spiritual tranquility, security, and harmony within the home. The home thus became a symbolic reflection of Islamic concepts of both the Heavenly Paradise as
well as the perceived ability of each Muslim to strive for an earthly paradise through daily prayers, right actions toward others and the spiritual quest for Allah.
I really wish that I had had more time in Damascus but because I chose to go to Lebanon I was limited to one day to explore.
From Damascus we went to Palmyra, which is the largest ruin that I have ever seen. I was given a free a camel ride partially through the ruins and I even got a chance to run with it. So fun, but I don’t think that I ever need to ride another camel.
From Palmyra we went to Aleppo, which is another very old city. Simone and I were given a tour through this city by the cutest little old man named Wadjih. Aleppo would never have been the same if it wasn’t for Wadjih. He took us through the Christian quarters and got us into some really nice hotels, he wanted us to see the old architecture, which was absolutely stunning. He kept stopping us to make sure that we were not only seeing the beauty around us but also feeling the beauty.
I would love to tell you about the city because it was great, but what I would love to share more with you is Wadjih. I am not sure what he did for his career through life, but he has seen a lot of the world, he has even been to Spokane, Washington. He has been an inspiration for me to stop, if only for a moment to listen to what is happening around me right now. He shared a story with us, about how he was in hotel in the States and he started to experience chest pains. He started speaking to god and asking for it to please not be in the States, that he wanted to be at home for that, and of course the pain subsided and he headed home. I booked my ticket back to Seattle two days later. I don’t think I am going to die but I miss the important things in life.
He was not only inspirational he was also flirty in his own way. He kept referring to himself as our substitute guide, because he was helping his friend out that could not take us around. He asked Simone
and me to send him some pictures so that he could make sure to rub it in his friend’s face that he had missed out on us two beauties.
My favorite story that he shared with us was one about his grandmother. We were sitting in a café right across from a very large and impressive citadel in Aleppo, and he was telling us stories how strong he thinks women really are. As he was telling the story, the look in his eye was very distant; he told the story with clarity and emotion. I am really moved by it, and I want to share the story but I couldn’t remember the exact story and so I sent him an email and asked him to retell it for me, he didn’t expand all the way but this is the email he sent back to me.
“A story is what the story teller relates and as it is told it expands and shrinks. What my grandmother said, or what I think she said is that naked truth is frightening and this is why most of everything is seen in fragments of perception. "Mustafa bey, you know why we love
the moon? Because we do not see it in full!"”
I hope that you enjoyed Aleppo, Syria and Wadjih as much as I did.
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anonymous
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Love the photos! Miss you.