Product Description

Damascus, reputed to be the world's oldest continually inhabited city, has enjoyed a history of immense grandeur, enormous political and mercantile power, and great cultural and artistic achievement. In addition to some of Islam's most magnificent architecture, such as the Umayyad Mosque, the city boasts a heritage of fairy-tale palaces and sumptuous private houses. Sadly, many of them are in urgent need of restoration. Brigid Keenan and Tim Beddow have set out to record these priceless architectural gems and to reveal them to the world at large. They were given unprecedented access to the inner, "hidden" city, which has resulted in a book that will be of immense importance to all concerned with the heritage of architecture in the Islamic world. The text first sets the historical scene, describing the growth and fortunes of Damascus through the ages. It continues with an account of its architecture and way of life, and concludes with descriptions of individual houses and of the people who built and lived in them. The superb photographs include façades, courtyards, alleyways, and fountains, and the breathtaking interiors that often lie behind the unassuming walls of the old town, with exquisite details in stone, wood, paint, marble, plaster, glass, and mother-of-pearl. The whole forms a convincing and elegiac plea for the preservation of the heart of this historic ancient capital. 214 illustrations, 171 in color.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #895685 in Books
• Published on: 2001-09
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 224 pages

From Library Journal
Damascus, considered by some scholars to be the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world, was at times a renowned and wealthy capital and at times an occupied city. Each era brought changes in architecture, resulting in a city filled with magnificent palaces and luxurious homes. In 1979, UNESCO designated the Old City of Damascus a World Heritage site. However, the beauty is fading rapidly, and many buildings are in dire need of restoration. Keenan, a freelance journalist and longtime resident of Damascus, combined forces with photographer Beddow to provide this visual record of the ancient town and plead for the preservation of the heart of the city. They explore both public buildings and rarely seen private houses. Beddow's photographs are an eloquent homage to the varying architectural styles of old Damascus, and Keenan's accompanying text explores the history of Damascus as a city as well as the individual histories of its mosques, palaces, and private homes. Recommended for both academic and public libraries with either Middle Eastern or architecture collections.
-Mary Morgan Smith, Northland P.L., Pittsburgh
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review
Beddow's photographs are an eloquent homage to the varying architectural styles of old Damascus. -- Library Journal

About the Author
Brigid Keenan has held senior editorial positions at the Sunday Times, Nova magazine, and the Observer. Among her previous books is the highly acclaimed Travels in Kashmir. Tim Beddow specializes in interior and travel photography with a particular interest in architecture and design. His latest book is Safari Style.

Customer Reviews

A beautiful must-have book for anyone who loves Damascus
This book is a must for anyone who loves Damascus and is concerned about its deterioration. It's a must for any Damascene expatriate's living room coffee table book collection for sure. The photographs are absolutely stunning and the text is interesting and engaging. One flaw, however is that I would have liked to see the photographs and the text regarding specific houses cross-referenced, (perhaps in the appendix of houses' names in the back of the book) as photographs and texts about specific houses are scattered throughout the book and you have to find all the references yourself--very annoying. Other than that, it is a wonderful book for showing off a unique aspect of our beloved city. Some of these houses are being used as sets for Syrian soap operas-- look closely and you might recognize some!

poignant beauty
This book documents a lifestyle that we can only know through writings and recollections, mostly by English expatriates and scholars. The houses themselves are gradually falling into decay, which is shameful, but which appears to be the fate of so many great architectural treasures of the past. I was charmed by the magnificence that one can sense (through the photographs), however dimmed by present squalor, and resolved that if I could, somehow, I would try to recreate the feeling; I know that's quite silly but even so it would be marvelous to have a fountain right by one's door and great trees growing inside one's living quarters. I loved the black, red, and white horizontal stripes and the mother-of-pearl-inlaid furniture, the inlaid Arab designs, the 20' ceilings and the beautiful arches. I also loved the recollections of Isabel and Richard Burton, and Jane Digby, these people were triumphantly confident and strode through life with none of the fright and nerves that we contemporary readers seem to have...and rightly so. I loved this book, and hopefully it will assist in the preservation of the great houses of Old Syria.

Will delight students of Islamic culture
Brigid Keenan's informative and highly recommended text comprising Damascus: Hidden Treasures Of The Old City, is enhanced throughout with 214 illustrations and photographs (171 in color) by Tim Beddow. This superb introduction to the architectural grandeur of Damascus incudes descriptions of individual houses and the people who built and lived in them. The amazing photographs reveal the facades, courtyards, alleyways , fountains and amazing interiors behind unassuming walls will delight students of Islamic culture, architecture, history, and lifestyles.