The pictures of this series on Syria go partially back to 1992 and the descriptions which come along have consciously been written in that time perspective. In those times, Syria was not really an easy country to travel in, but who cared when the reward was the fabulous chance to ingest the magic of Palmyra and Apamea, the Citadel of Aleppo and the Ummayad Mosque of Damascus. And, Syria was perfectly safe to travel in.

​Well, things have kind of changed, in a close to irreversible way. The destruction of the early 21st century of archaeological world treasures and of historical cities like Damascus and Aleppo are tragic by themselves; yet, they are only a reminder of the even less reversible human suffering that the blind, fanatic and all-out conflict has brought over this country.

It is extremely disturbing and heartbreaking that many of the architectural and cultural gems we are about to see in these pictures, have in the meantime simply been wiped off the surface of the planet, or have been severely damaged. But, above all, this digital visit of ours to Syria is meant to be a tribute to all those innocent people who have not just lost the material footprint of their history and culture, but the dearest of all, their very lives. And, while we are at it, may we finally take the lesson ...

 

* Partially Scanned Slides, 1992