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Damascus
 
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Damascus [Paperback]

Brigid Keenan (Author), Tim Beddow (Illustrator)
5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)

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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.

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Beddow's photographs are an eloquent homage to the varying architectural styles of old Damascus. -- Library Journal
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5.0 out of 5 stars (2 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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5.0 out of 5 stars poignant beauty, Jun 26 2002
By A Customer
This review is from: Damascus (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.
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5.0 out of 5 stars Will delight students of Islamic culture, Oct 15 2001
This review is from: Damascus (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.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com: 5.0 out of 5 stars (6 customer reviews)

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars poignant beauty, Jun 26 2002
By A Customer - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Damascus (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, Oct 14 2001
By Midwest Book Review - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Damascus (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, Jan 30 2007
By Eagle Eye - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Damascus (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.
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