Category Middle East
Sunday Photos – Citizens of Syria
Yesterday I was honoured to give a talk about my 2009 journey from Istanbul to Damascus at the wonderful Globetrotters Club in London. The journey took me from Istanbul to Ankara, Adana, Antakya, Aleppo, Raqqa Province, Latakia, Hama, Homs, Palmyra and finally Damascus, a distance of over 1,000 miles in 12 wonderful days. I finished […]
Sunday Photo – The Brazen Serpent, Mount Nebo, Jordan
The Epiphany Today is the day of the Epiphany, celebrating the day that Jesus Christ was baptised by John the Baptist in the River Jordan. It also happens to be the ‘name day’ of my wonderful Greek wife Ourania. For many Epiphany also marks the last day of Christmas , the twelfth night and the […]
Carry On, Follow That Camel!
Camels of the Middle East, Africa & Central Asia The unusual title for my blog post is actually the title of one of my favourite films in the long running series of comedic ‘Carry On’ films that became a much loved staple of UK cinema in the ’50s, ’60s & ’70s. This one had our […]
Building Babylon
Every now and again something surprising occurs during your commute to work that makes the monotonous journey that little bit more pleasant. One such occurrence was the recent photographic display of Iraqi architecture past, present and future. I would love to see it for real one day………. Take a look for yourselves.
A-Z April Challenge – Yad Vashem
There is something haunting about visiting somewhere connected to the Holocaust. I am yet to visit an ex concentration camp and the closest that I have come are museums in Warsaw and Terezin in Czechia and the disturbing Anne Frank House in Amsterdam, as well as the subject of my post. Yad Vashem based in […]
A-Z April Challenge – Norias of Hama, Syria
In May 2009 I was lucky enough to visit Syria. This is how it was before the tragic conflict. Hama is famous for its norias, huge wooden water wheels used to lift water from the River Orontes to irrigate the crops. It is claimed that they date back to 1100 BC and although no longer […]
A-Z April Challenge – Jerash
I visited Jordan in 2005 and whilst Petra was as you may expect the undoubted highlight, the Roman ruins of Jerash was not far behind. I am yet to visit the likes of Persepolis, Carthage and Leptis Magna, but having been to Volubilis, Butrint, Pompeii, Baalbek, Beit Sheehan and others, I would put Jerash (Gerasa) […]
Syria Before The Conflict Part 7, The People
Now I have come to the end of my 2009 tour of Syria it is time to consider the people who I came across. I have purposely concentrated on the Syria that I saw on the trip – fantastic history, fabulous architecture and wonderful people. As I now often reflect on what has happened these […]
Syria Before The Conflict Part Six, Damascus
The capital was to be our last port of call on our magical Syrian tour. The bus from Palmyra was packed, so we took the only available seats right at the back on the left hand side. Before long a soldier was leaning on Hamish’s shoulder fast asleep! We stopped half way for a foodstop. […]
