Damascus: Hidden Treasures of the Old City [Paperback]

Brigid Keenan (Author), Tim Beddow (Photographer)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 2001

Damascus, reputed to be the oldest continually inhabited city on earth, has enjoyed eras of immense power, and great cultural and artistic achievement. Alongside some of the most magnificent architecture in the Islamic world, such as the Umayyad Mosque, the city can also boast a heritage of fairytale palaces and sumptuous private houses now threatened by neglect. This book sets out to record these architectural gems and to raise the awareness of the outside world to the plight of the Old City of Damascus before it is too late. The authors were given unprecedented access to the "hidden" city in order to complete the task. The text describes Damascus through the ages, gives an account of daily life and concludes with descriptions of the houses and the people who built and lived in them.

Editorial Reviews

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. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

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

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Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Thames & Hudson (September 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0500282994
• ISBN-13: 978-0500282991
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 9.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,751,717 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars poignant beauty, June 26, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Damascus: Hidden Treasures of the Old City (Paperback)

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.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Will delight students of Islamic culture, October 14, 2001

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Damascus: Hidden Treasures of the Old City (Paperback)

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.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful Book of an Enchanting City, Pursuing a Noble Cause, January 30, 2007

By 

Eagle Eye - See all my reviews

This review is from: Damascus: Hidden Treasures of the Old City (Paperback)

Photos here are exquisite, great text in pursuit of a noble cause--saving the crumbling architectural treasures in Old Damascus. Would be tragic if these are forever lost--the feeling of standing in a mosaic courtyard with trees, a fountain in the middle, where just outside the bustle of the world moves by in the suq...this book brings back memories of the place, if you've ever been there. The one comfort is that if these houses do crumble beyond repair, at least they are preserved in some way in this beautiful book.

Combine Syria's architectural treasures with the warmth of its people, its great food, and you see why it leaves such an impression with visitors.