Tuesday, February 28, 2006

The secret of Damascus


Is it the people of Damascus, with their fading smile that fights with the daily difficulties of life in Syria?

Is it the old section of Damascus, with its warm alleys and the smell of the hundreds of years that live among its walls?

Is it the modern part of Damascus, with its random allocations, and the smell of the pollution in the sky?

Is it the human noise in Damascus, with its mixture of all voices, a crying kid, an angry driver, a loud woman, a laughing boy and a shouting old man?

Is it the honks of the vehicles in Damascus, a running car, a stopping bus and an awaiting cab?

Is it the simplicity and the complexity of the life in Damascus, where the two exist under the same roof?

Is it the hangout places in Damascus, with people laughing, eating, playing cards or just simply, staring at each other?

Is it Kassion, the mountain that has been protecting Damascus for ever, with its occasional snow, permanent trees, and dark hideouts that shelter the lovers at night?

I have lived with, in, through all of that, and have been to all and though all of that as well.

The secret in there and the only special thing is Damascus itself. You may find the noise and the people, the old and the modern parts in many places around the world. You will find lots of bigger and higher mountains than Kassion. But they will never feel as they do in Damascus, you will never sense their spirit as you will in Damascus, you will never miss being away from them as you do when you are away from Damascus.

You will only understand what Damascus is, after you have lived there, and then left.

5 comments:

Mirzade said...

u know wat ... i dont live there ... but each time i leave damascus " syria" i feel as if a part of me .. of my soul.. is left behind... the good part .. yeah i have one and i accually discoverd it there...
aimer damas...
c'est aimer la vie
May

The Syrian Brit said...

Ihsan,
Your true love for Damascus grows bigger the longer you have been away from it, and with every time you return to it... It is not like the yearning of a lover to see his loved one, because that gets satisfied when they meet.. Your true love for Damascus grows bigger and becomes wilder with every time you visit it.. whether it is the winding narrow alleys or its wide modern streets.. whether it is the old Souks or the elegant new shopping malls..
Once you caught the bug of Damascus, you will never be cured.. In fact, you probably would not WANT to be cured..
To me, THAT is the secret of Damascus..
Thank you for a delightful post.

GraY FoX said...

what makes Damascus so beautiful is that it is warm and cozy in every single corner of it ... and still you can smell the aroma of fresh air..
hope you get back to damascus if you are that attached to it ...

hamwy said...

ma7ada by6la3lo ma3a sham i like it 2

Mirzade said...

heyyyyyy were are you ?!!?!!?
hope to hear from you soon..
May