Tag: Syria
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FROM SYRIA TO HALLS HEAD
Great friendships know no geographic boundaries. So, when Padma and I moved to one of the most remote locations on Earth, we fully expected to be able to get together on occasion with our friends. Padma and I formed many great friendships more than 30 years ago while we lived in Syria. We kept in
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THE LION OF DAMASCUS AND HIS PRIDE
Like any father, Hafez al-Assad would be rolling over in his grave if he knew his son, Bashar, was being portrayed by the Trump Administration via Press Secretary Sean Spicer as worse than Hitler. Hafez (picture above in this 1993 photo I took near Qamishli) never envisioned that his youngest son, Bashar, would succeed him.
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JASMINE MEMORIES
Human beings have a remarkable ability to remember aromas. All of our senses can be connected with memories but perhaps none evoke nostalgia as much as smell. The olfactory bulb has easy access to a part of the brain known as the amygdala, which plays a role in evoking emotional memories. Yesterday I got a
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ISIS THUGS IN PALMYRA
The ancient desert oasis settlement of Palmyra in the central steppe of Syria has had a special place in my heart. But today, IS thugs are knocking on its doorsteps and if they are true to form, they will destroy the UNESCO World Heritage site. I first travelled to Syria in 1990 for an interview
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TURNING THE CAMERA AROUND
As I approach the end of my Syrian retrospective, it’s time to turn the camera around. With all of the previous photos I’ve stuck my camera in the faces of Syrians and urged them to look this way or that. Now the tables have turned and I become the photographed while they become the photographers.
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EXPLORING RUINS OF SYRIA
Every schoolchild has heard of the Sphinx, the Parthenon and the Coliseum but who has heard of Palmyra, Ebla, Ain Dara or even Crak de Chevalier? Syria has never gained the international recognition it deserves for its archaeological wonders and as a result has never benefited from the mighty tourist dollar which has allowed Egypt,
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A NIGHT WITH THE BEDOUIN
In May of 1992, I joined my ICARDA colleagues, including my mate Ben Wedman on a journey to visit a Bedouin group in the eastern Steppe of Syria. The Bedouin are known for their hospitality to strangers and our visit was no exception. In this photo Ben joins our Bedouin hosts for breakfast and has
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AL FURAT
The mighty Euphrates River – better known as Al Furat to the locals – starts as a trickle in the highlands of eastern Turkey and flows for 700 kilometres through northeastern Syria before joining the Tigris River in southern Iraq. The basins of both rivers form the cradle of civilisation – Mesopotamia. The banks of
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THE ALAWITE
Hafez al-Assad, the father of Syria’s current president, employed a cult of personality during his 30-year term as President to create a larger-than-life figure. His personal hero was Saladin who defeated the Crusaders in the 12th century and unified the Islamic Middle East. Al Assad was a member of the minority Alawite sect and a
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