When I entered Syria for the first time the government had just fallen. It was the middle of December and everywhere you looked there was uncertainty and a good deal of celebration. Could this be the sign of better times ahead? Or would things deteriorate even further?
It was a pretty unique time to visit the country in general, but I think especially as an American citizen. I thought I'd take a walk with you in Damascus, and tell you a bit about what that was like.
Between the upheaval at the time, and the fact I am married to a Syrian citizen, my entry only involved a brief glance at our marriage certificate and some conversation with Hive account@yaziris. I was then allowed through without receiving a passport stamp, and was on my way north to the capital to meet my honey's family. On the way I saw roads littered with tanks and abandoned vehicles.
Once in the capital though, things were pretty much as they have been for years now. People were a bit quieter than normal from what Yaz said, but otherwise life went on. What is the fall of a government really, when you've lived through nearly a decade and a half of war?
Meals still needed to be made, clothing hung, and children let outside to play. So, when we had settled in, that is what I saw when my husband took me out to wander around. This first picture here shows a souq (shopping area) with Mount Qasioun in the background.
Women socialized as they browsed goods, kids either tailed behind in hopes of a treat, or otherwise were left to their own devices. Some lone kids scoped me out, sensing that I was not from there, and approached me to see if they could get some money. This really wasn't as common as one would think with how economically difficult things are there. Perhaps it is pride and a better structured social hierarchy, or perhaps walking next to my husband stopped more from trying.
Yaz's resting face sort of looks like he might murder someone at times, but it's more about respect. You don't bother women in Syria, it was one of the things I liked the best about the country.
As one would assume of a country that has been under some sort of economic sanctions for roughly 50 years, the cars in Damascus were pretty outdated.
I saw quite a few that I thought were interesting, like this one here. In the USA this would probably be in a garage somewhere with a 60-something dad going out to work on it every Saturday.
There were a lot of cars in Damascus that I could see being someone's treasured project in another time. Maybe they will be yet!
This is one of many military/ government areas that you will find in the capital. Until recently it was illegal to photograph these. I remember video chatting with Yaz while he walked maybe two years ago, and he had to turn his camera away from one such spot to avoid issues.
These shadowy heads are what remains of two portraits, Bashar and Hafez Assad's heads once looked down from here. Throughout the country their likenesses were destroyed after the government fell. Here they were shot/ripped until nothing but a blank space was left. Symbolic.
It's strange to take a picture of something like that when the people who live there couldn't for so many years. I guess it was just weird to me though, cause as I snapped the picture someone walked by smiling. I guess to him it was just nice to see how times had changed.
Although sanctions are beginning to be eased now, gas was, and still is, an issue. If you need it, you'd probably buy it off the side of the road like you see here. There are gas stations too, but not in any traditional sense that a Westrener would consider normal.
I spotted a single pineapple keeping the bottles company, and for some reason it made me happy. What a weird place to find a single fruit, especially with all the fruit stalls not far off. Was it someone's snack for later? Was it for sale? Was it a bomb disguised as a pineapple meant to throw at anyone who might try to steal the gas? Who knows.
As silly as it may sound, I also found the street signs interesting. Do they have different speeds for different types of cars where you live? To me it was a totally new thing.
A lot of people smirked at me, probably wondering why I was photographing such things. Which brings me to something I am often asked. Were people hostile to you in Syria?!
No, not at all. In fact, quite the opposite.
Unlike Jordan, people didn't line up to be fake nice and see what they could get out of me. They also weren't standoffish or rude at all. I could certainly feel that it was noted that I am a foreigner, but that was it.
Not that it is really up for debate, as my husband's home country will ever be close to my heart, but I would gladly visit Syria anytime. I think it is a beautiful country with beautiful people in it. And as my own leader says, what a strong and attractive interim president they have! Heh.
Here's hoping that things continue to improve as they have been, and I get the chance to visit under different circumstances soon. Syria was once a vibrant and lovely place for anyone of any nationality to visit, and I believe if things keep going the way they are it will be that way again soon.
Want to know something about my visit to the capital? Feel free to ask me in the comments! :)
All photos are my own, taken with a Canon EOS Rebel T100
