tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87761052024-03-14T05:17:54.285+03:00The Damascene BlogAyman Haykalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08028637476975151894noreply@blogger.comBlogger109125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8776105.post-1128573593745035912005-10-06T06:39:00.000+02:002005-10-06T06:41:12.563+02:00Moving Notice<div align="center"><span style="font-size:180%;"></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:180%;">The Damascene Blog has moved to</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:180%;color:#ffffff;">.</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:180%;"></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:180%;"><a href="http://www.damasceneblog.com">www.damasceneblog.com</a></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:180%;"></span></div><span style="font-size:180%;"></span>Ayman Haykalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08028637476975151894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8776105.post-1127167017343306762005-09-20T00:47:00.000+03:002005-09-27T02:18:12.456+03:00Copyrights... again!<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3993/545/1600/alarabiya2.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3993/545/400/alarabiya.jpg" border="0" /></a> OK this has not become a copyright-watch blog... My studies have been keeping me away from blogging recently, but this morning I was browsing the web for home news and I discovered that the popular pan-Arab news wbesite Alarabiya.net republished <a href="http://www.damascus-online.com/Photos/sham/DSCN2745.jpg">a picture</a> from Damascus-Online.com in a <a href="http://www.alarabiya.net/Articles/2005/09/19/16936.htm">news piece</a> about Syria and did not give any credit for it! I was with <a href="http://syrianhiking.blogspot.com/">Amr</a> when we took this picture of Youssef Al-Azmeh Square from atop the Muhafaza Building a couple of years ago (Remember Amr?) It's good they did not crop the part that has my stamp on the lower right corner, though you will need a microscope to read it!<br /><br /><span style="color:#ff0000;">Update</span> (20/9): I wrote to Alarabiya. They apologized and removed the picture from the article.<br /><br /><span style="color:#ff0000;">Update</span> (26/9): They used the same picture again in another <a href="http://www.alarabiya.net/Articles/2005/09/26/17163.htm">news article</a>. What's wrong with these guys?!Ayman Haykalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08028637476975151894noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8776105.post-1125353913449904482005-08-30T01:11:00.000+03:002005-09-07T04:22:47.916+03:00Love...<div align="center"><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3993/545/1600/DSCN6327b.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3993/545/400/DSCN6327b.jpg" border="0" /></a> </div><blockquote><p align="center">"Love knows not its own depth until the hour of separation"</p></blockquote><div align="center"><em>(Engraved on the stairway leading to the Monastery of Mar Moussa)</em></div><div align="center"><em></em></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"><em></em></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"><em></em></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"><span style="color:#ffffff;">.</span></div><div align="center">Thanks to my fellow Syrian bloggers for a great evening yesterday. </div><div align="center"><span style="color:#ffffff;">.</span></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"><span style="color:#ff0000;">Update</span>: I just knew that this is a quote from Gibran Khalil Gibran's "The Prophet". I pasted above the <a href="http://www.sibal.com/sandeep/texts/prophet.html">original text</a> instead of my translation.</div>Ayman Haykalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08028637476975151894noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8776105.post-1125071732133473042005-08-26T18:22:00.000+03:002005-08-26T19:00:02.630+03:00Copyrights!<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3993/545/1600/copyrights22.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3993/545/400/copyrights21.jpg" border="0" /></a>Without acquiring authorization or giving credit, the English version of Layalina Magazine has copied and pasted <a href="http://damascene.blogspot.com/2005/01/what-night.html">a post</a> from the Damascene Blog in its latest edition. The Magazine also republished the picture in that same post and did not bother to mention the source anywhere in the article that carried the signature of the Magazine's managing editor.Ayman Haykalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08028637476975151894noreply@blogger.com28tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8776105.post-1124573481820992162005-08-21T00:19:00.000+03:002005-08-21T00:35:33.143+03:00Empty Tomb<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3993/545/1600/DSCN58211.JPG"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3993/545/400/DSCN5821.jpg" border="0" /></a>The empty tomb of Algerian national hero Abul Qadir Al-Jazairi (1808-1883), leader of the famous rebellion against the French invasion of Algeria in the mid-19th century. After losing several battles against Abdul Qadir, the French had to bring more enforcements into the country and practiced a scorched-earth policy to terrorize the population. Abdul Qadir was forced to surrender in 1847 and was later exiled to France. He remained there until 1852 when he moved to Bursa, Turkey, and then to Damascus in 1855.<br /><br />In Damascus, he devoted himself to teaching and writing, and quickly gained popularity and respect among Syrians. In 1860, when sectarian violence broke out in Damascus, he provided refuge for more than 15,000 Christians who escaped the fighting, and helped to bring back peace and calm. He died in 1883 and was buried in the Mosque of Ibn Arabi in Damascus.<br /><br />The remains of Abdul Qadir were brought back to Algeria on July 5, 1966, four years after Algerian independence and 136 years after the French invasion of Algeria.Ayman Haykalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08028637476975151894noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8776105.post-1123763118887480242005-08-11T15:25:00.000+03:002005-08-11T15:32:58.633+03:00The Gorge<p align="center"><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/img/64/2193/1024/DSCN6243.jpg"><img class="phostImg" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/img/64/2193/400/DSCN6243.jpg" border="0" /></a></p><br />Maaloula is a small mountainous village located 50 km to the north-east of Damascus. It is famous for being one of the very few places in the world where people still speak Aramaic, the language of Jesus Christ. One of the highlights of Maaloula is the <em>Fajj</em> (gorge), a split that cuts through the mountains of Maaloula forming a beautiful narrow corridor. It is believed that the fajj is related to the story of St. Thecla (Arabic <em>Taqla</em>), the first girl martyr in Christianity. After converting to Christianity, Thecla was prosecuted by her family and by the Roman authorities. She was being chased by Roman soldiers when she faced a huge mountain, a dead end with no chances for escape. She prayed to God to save her and her prayer was miraculously answered when the rocks were split, forming a narrow passage: The <em>fajj</em>. This is where the village probably derives its name from; the word Maaloula in Aramaic means 'entrance'.Ayman Haykalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08028637476975151894noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8776105.post-1123672143263239092005-08-10T14:04:00.000+03:002005-08-11T02:54:16.020+03:00Blogging Survey<p>I got this from a friend:</p><p>I'm currently doing some research for my Masters about blogging in Lebanon, Syria and Jordan at the University of Westminster. I've just designed a questionnaire and would be grateful if you could fill it on (its for anyone of the above origins or living in these countries). It only takes about 8 minutes. </p><p>All your responses and any comments will be treated with the utmost confidentiality. The results of this research should be very exciting and, by the end of august, I will be sharing them with everyone. If you have questions at any time about the survey or the procedures, you may contact, myself, Maha Taki on +44(0)7916161035 or email me at the email mahataki(at)gmail.com.</p><p><a href="http://www.surveyconsole.com/console/TakeSurvey?id=112367" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Click Here to take the survey </a></p>Ayman Haykalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08028637476975151894noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8776105.post-1123060129535809232005-08-03T12:08:00.000+03:002005-08-07T01:42:01.960+03:00Alley of Waterwheels<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/img/64/2193/1024/DSCN5856.jpg"><img class="phostImg" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/img/64/2193/400/DSCN5856.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />The oldest and only surviving waterwheel in Damascus is in As-Salhieh district on the slopes of Mount Qassiyoun. This water-raising device dates back to the Ayubid era and was designed by <a href="http://www.alshindagah.com/marapr2005/jaziri.html">Badi' Al-Zaman Al Jazari</a><http:>, the leading mechanical engineer of his times, who in 1206 wrote the famous "Book of Knowledge of Ingenious Mechanical Devices."<br /><br />The waterwheel used to carry water from Yazid River to a 12-meter-high canal ending in the nearby Al-Bimaristan Al-Qaymari Hospital. It remained in use until the early 1970s. Many other waterwheels existed in the area, which is still known as <em>Ziqaq Al-Nawa'ir</em> (Alley of Waterwheels).<br /><br /><em>Update</em>: My friend GottfriedStutz left some very informative <a href="http://damascene.blogspot.com/2005/08/alley-of-waterwheels.html#comments">comments</a> about Al-Jazari.Ayman Haykalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08028637476975151894noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8776105.post-1122822759188765752005-07-31T18:12:00.000+03:002005-07-31T18:18:07.200+03:00Take Off!<div align="center"><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/img/64/2193/1024/DSCN6124b1.jpg"><img class="phostImg" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/img/64/2193/400/DSCN6124b1.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><em>Oh Damascus, the summer is back again.<br />And my wings are, too.<br />My yearning to you cries out: "Take off!"<br />And the wind calls upon me.<br />The voices of my friends,<br />Her eyes,<br />And the promise of a possible tomorrow...<br />Everything I love<br />Has stolen sleep from my eyes<br />Then went to sleep.</em><br /><br />From a <a href="http://www.damascus-online.com/48/Music/ram/3ada_alsayf.ram">song</a> by Fairouz to the <a href="http://www.damascus-online.com/Arabic/music/national_songs/ya%20sham_3ad_alsayf.htm">lyrics</a> of Said Akel.</div>Ayman Haykalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08028637476975151894noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8776105.post-1122159071276348182005-07-24T01:51:00.000+03:002005-07-24T02:03:31.310+03:00Suicidal Battle<p align="center"><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/img/64/2193/1024/DSCN5621.jpg"><img class="phostImg" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/img/64/2193/400/DSCN5621.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></p><p align="left">Translation:</p><blockquote><em>Maysaloun Street: In memory of the Battle of Maysaloun, a suicidal battle fought on July 24th, 1920 to defend Damascus against French forces. Defense Minister Youssef Al-Azmah was martyred during the fighting.</em></blockquote>Although he knew that his poorly-equipped army will be overwhelmed by the French, Youssef Al-Azmah, Defense Minister of then newly independent Syria, did not want Damascus to be an easy get for General Gouraud, so he led 4000 men to fight the French army at Maysaloun, 25 km to the west of Damascus. The battle lasted for a few hours, the Syrian army was defeated and Al-Azmah was killed. For Syrians, he became a symbol of courage, sacrifice and dignity.Ayman Haykalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08028637476975151894noreply@blogger.com31tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8776105.post-1121861450235299632005-07-20T15:10:00.000+03:002005-07-20T15:16:33.163+03:00Golden Flowing<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/img/64/2193/1024/DSCN5754.jpg"><img class="phostImg" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/img/64/2193/400/DSCN5754.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />River Barada in Downtown Damascus.<br /><br />Barada used to be known as the "artery of Damascus." It irrigated the oasis of Damascus, which largely consisted of the beautiful orchards of Al-Ghouta. In old times, the river was famed for its purity and crystal-clear water. The Greeks called it <em>Chrysorrhoas</em>: the golden flowing. There is even a biblical reference to this reputation: In the old Testament, when Naaman the Syrian was asked to wash in the Jordan, a muddy river, he complained saying:<br /><br /><blockquote>"Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the rivers of Israel?"</blockquote>Abana is today's Barada, while Pharpar is probably either Al-Aa'waj river which also flows down Mount Hermon to Damascus, or Taura, a branch of Barada.<br /><br />During the second half of the 20th century, Damascus quickly expanded. It's now home for almost 4 million people. The quick expansion of the city, the increasing consumption of water and the destruction of Ghouta by concrete residential blocks, resulted in the eventual death of Barada. The river that used to flood central Damascus every year is now almost completely dry in Summer. It flows at its highest level for a short time after the end of the rain- and snowfall season. This picture was taken in March.Ayman Haykalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08028637476975151894noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8776105.post-1121858187703413002005-07-20T14:13:00.000+03:002005-07-20T14:16:27.713+03:00Back to life!I'd like to thank you all for your kind comments and wishes. I did well in the exam al-hamdullillah. I will start blogging again very soon :)Ayman Haykalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08028637476975151894noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8776105.post-1118096298576604032005-06-07T01:17:00.000+03:002005-06-07T01:18:18.583+03:00Less FrequentlyI am getting more busy preparing for my exam. I will be posting less frequently.Ayman Haykalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08028637476975151894noreply@blogger.com37tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8776105.post-1117148769193697322005-05-27T02:06:00.000+03:002005-05-27T22:17:54.626+03:00Religion of Love<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/img/64/2193/1024/DSCN5811.jpg"><img class="phostImg" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/img/64/2193/400/DSCN5811.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />A religious lesson at the Mosque of Ibn Al-Arabi in Salhieh, Damascus.<br /><br />Muhyiddin Ibn Arabi (1165-1240) is one of the most famous Muslim philosophers. He was born in southern Spain and lived during the golden era of openness and tolerance in Arab-ruled Andalusia. He spent years traveling around the Arab world before finally settling in Damascus, where he completed his greatest book <em>Al-Futuhat Al-Makkiyyah</em> (Meccan Revelations), which is an encyclopedia of Sufism (Islamic mysticism) and Sufi teachings. He was buried in Damascus; and the Mosque, pictured above, was built in his honor by Ottoman Sultan Selim I in 1516.<br /><br />Throughout his life, Ibn Arabi preached tolerance among all faiths. In one of his most famous poems, he considers his heart "a center of love":<br /><br /><em><blockquote><p><em>O Marvel! a garden amidst the flames.<br />My heart has become capable of every form:<br />It is a pasture for gazelles and a convent for Christian monks,<br />and a temple for idols and the pilgrim's Kaa'ba,<br />and the tables of the Torah and the book of the Quran.<br />I follow the religion of Love:<br />Whatever way Love's camels take,<br /></em><em>that's my religion and my faith.</em></p></blockquote></em>Ayman Haykalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08028637476975151894noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8776105.post-1116975342295169212005-05-25T01:55:00.000+03:002005-05-25T01:58:44.023+03:00Founding Father<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/img/64/2193/1024/DSCN5732.jpg"><img class="phostImg" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/img/64/2193/400/DSCN5732.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Rida Said Street leading to the Headquarters of Damascus University.<br /><br />Rida Said (1876-1945) is one of the founders of Damascus University. He studied medicine in Turkey and served in the Turkish Army during the Balkan War. He was the mayor of Damascus in the hardship days of World War I, during which most schools and colleges in Damascus were closed. After the War, he lobbied for the revival of educational institutes in Damascus, and in 1919 he became the President of the newly established Syrian University, the first state-run university in the Arab World. He kept the position until 1936.<br /><br />The pink building in the background, to the left of the University Headquarters, is that of the old National Hospital (dating back to 1899). A few years ago, it was renovated and turned into a conference center that also carries the name of Rida Said.Ayman Haykalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08028637476975151894noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8776105.post-1116599896581168502005-05-20T17:38:00.000+03:002005-05-24T22:38:04.946+03:00Spring Again?<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/img/64/2193/1024/DSCN5516c.jpg"><img class="phostImg" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/img/64/2193/400/DSCN5516c.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><p>Shortly after President Bashar Al-Assad assumed power in the year 2000, Syria witnessed a period of relative freedom of expression, during which political forums where opened for an extensive public debate, and a newborn civil society movement started to push for reform and change. What had been known then as the "Damascus Spring" came to an end in early 2002, when the government closed down most forums and arrested many activists.<br /><br />Now the country is living a similar atmosphere. Everybody is talking about the changes that are expected to take place after the upcoming Regional Congress of the ruling Baath Party in June. In newspapers, on satellite TV channels and on the web, Syrians are participating in a debate about the future of their country. Although the increasing freedom of expression is most clearly noted on the internet, you can also feel it on the street; people who seemed to have no interest in politics now boldly express their views on change and reform.<br /><br />In Damascus, for the first time in years, there is hope in the air: <strike>It will be spring again! </strike><br /><br />Update (24.5.2005): No. <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4575987.stm">Not yet</a>.</p><p><em><span style="font-size:85%;">Picture: Barada River at Al-Jisr Al-Abyad</span></em></p>Ayman Haykalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08028637476975151894noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8776105.post-1116276415008843052005-05-16T23:46:00.000+03:002005-05-17T13:59:18.353+03:00Green Meadows<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/img/64/2193/1024/DSCN5750.jpg"><img class="phostImg" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/img/64/2193/400/DSCN5750.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />The old buildings of Damascus International Fair were raised to the ground after the opening of the new Fair Grounds off the Airport Highway. Fortunately, earlier rumors that the old Fair grounds will be invested by the influential businessman R. M. turned out to be false. It seems that the Governorate of Damascus has finally decided to turn the area into a public park, with cafes, restaurants, shops and other tourist facilities. The area will also regain its old historical name: <em>Al-Marj Al-Akhdar</em> (Green Meadows).<br /><br />Al-Marj Al-Akhdar was a huge green space located outside walled Damascus. It was where the King of Germany camped with a huge Crusader army and besieged Damascus for four days before a failed attempt to capture the city in 1148. It was where Sultan Baybers built Al-Ablaq Palace in 1260. Damascenes used to go there for picnics; and for a period of time, they used to send their ill and dying animanls to spend their last days in a beautiful green environment. In the mid-1950s, the area became the Damascus International Fair Grounds. The Fair was annualy held there till 2003.<br /><br />Now how long will it take to bring Al-Marj Al-Akhdar back to life again? The nearby 3-year-old mess in Omayyad Square makes everybody pessimistic!Ayman Haykalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08028637476975151894noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8776105.post-1115999578399001002005-05-13T18:52:00.000+03:002005-05-13T19:18:55.753+03:00Condolences<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/img/64/2193/1024/DSCN5602.jpg"><img class="phostImg" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/img/64/2193/400/DSCN5602.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />In Damascene tradition, condolences are accepted separately by the men and the women of the family. In the case of the former, the family of the deceased sit in a row near the door to see all those coming and going, and every time a mourner comes in they stand up and welcome him, shaking his hand and then leading him to sit alongside the rest of the mourners, while the sheikh reads from the Quran. Every time a group of mourners comes, another group leaves. Passing the parents on the way out, they shake their heads exclaiming, "May God compensate you for your loss" to which the family members respond "God thank you for what you have done." They must accept condolences on three consecutive evenings.<br /><br />As for the women relatives, one of them volunteers to get in touch with the closest of the female relatives, calling them to the deceased person's house to stand in the room in which they accept condolences, the <em>'asriyya</em>. Thus, all the aunts, parents-in-law, nieces, sisters-in-law, daughters-in-law, and all the closest female relatives come to the house as soon as possible. The older women, of course, are the ones who actually stand in the 'asriyya accepting condolences. This act is one of showing how the deceased person stood with the relatives and the respect they owe him. Sometimes about ten women stand in the 'asriyya and at other times maybe even forty-five women, naturally depending on the deceased person's place in the hearts and minds of his friends and relatives.<br /><br />Adopted from <em>Siham Tergeman: Daughter of Damascus, English version by Andrea Rugh, Center for Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Texas at Austin, 1994.</em>Ayman Haykalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08028637476975151894noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8776105.post-1115822451670447722005-05-11T17:39:00.000+03:002005-05-12T18:09:19.946+03:00Guided TourThe Friends of Damascus Society invites you to participate in a guided tour in Al-Salhieh neighborhood on Friday, May 13, 2005. The tour will start from Al-'Afeef Park (near the French Embassy) at 9.30 Friday morning, and will be guided by Architect Luna Rajab, President of the Society's City Protection Committee. The tour is free. Just be there tomorrow morning at 9.30.Ayman Haykalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08028637476975151894noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8776105.post-1115542044780471002005-05-08T11:47:00.000+03:002005-05-08T11:52:45.586+03:00Moroccan Battalion<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/img/64/2193/1024/DSCN5560.jpg"><img class="phostImg" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/img/64/2193/400/DSCN5560.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Few people know that official name for <em>Sahat Al-Saba' Bahrat</em> (Seven Fountain Square), a main square in central Damascus, is <em>Al-Tajrida Al-Maghribiyyah</em> (The Moroccan Battalion) Square. A battalion from the Moroccan army was sent to Syria in 1973 to participate in the war against Israel to liberate the occupied Golan Heights. The Moroccans took part in the fiercest battles of the war and lost many soldiers on the slopes of Mount Hermon. In 1974, <em>Al-Saba' Bahrat</em> was renamed in honor of their courageous stand.Ayman Haykalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08028637476975151894noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8776105.post-1115201350013784922005-05-04T13:09:00.000+03:002005-05-04T13:13:50.516+03:00May Rain<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/img/64/2193/1024/DSCN38151.jpg"><img class="phostImg" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/img/64/2193/400/DSCN38151.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />A foggy, rainy and cold day in May, usually the first month of summer in Syria. Temperatures today reached a low 8°C as thunder rocked the city and heavy rain formed huge ponds in bumpy crumbling streets. This is the weirdest weather I have seen in years.Ayman Haykalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08028637476975151894noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8776105.post-1114931331512159532005-05-01T10:08:00.000+03:002005-05-01T10:10:13.773+03:00Happy Easter<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/img/64/2193/1024/DSCN5761.jpg"><img class="phostImg" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/img/64/2193/400/DSCN5761.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Orthodox Christians celebrate Easter today (while Catholics celebrated it on March 27). The difference is due to the use of two methods for calculating the date of Easter. Orthodox churches use the Julian Calendar, while Catholic and Protestant Churches use the Gregorian Calendar. There have been various attempts to reach a common date for Easter. In 1997, a meeting in Aleppo sponsored by the World Council of Churches and the Middle East Council of Churches and attended by various representatives of Eastern and Western Churches, issued what has been known as "The Aleppo Statement" which urged all churches to start celebrating Easter on a common date beginning in 2001. However, the suggestion was never implemented and the issue is still a matter of great concern, especially for Middle Eastern Christians, who believe it should be addressed seriously and urgently.<br /><br />The picture above shows a new Church in a suburb of Damascus that stands as a wonderful symbol of unity among Syrian Christians. The Church of Saint Paul and Saint Peter in the suburb of Dummar is the first church to serve both Orthodox and Catholic communities. It was inaugurated last February by Beatitude Ignatius IV, Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, and Gregorius III, the Melkite Catholic Patriarch. Will the event inspire church leaders to reach a common date of Easter?Ayman Haykalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08028637476975151894noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8776105.post-1114792674619586102005-04-29T19:37:00.000+03:002005-04-29T19:51:58.570+03:00Ottoman Mosque<p align="center"><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/img/64/2193/1024/DSCN5175.jpg"><img class="phostImg" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/img/64/2193/400/DSCN5175.jpg" border="0" /></a></p>Before the Friday prayers at the entrance of Al-Darwishiyeh Mosque. The Mosque is named after Darwish Pasha, the Ottoman governor of Damascus who ordered its construction in 1574. Darwish Pasha governed Damascus between 1571 and 1574. He died in Istanbul in 1579 but was buried in the Mosque he built in Damascus.Ayman Haykalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08028637476975151894noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8776105.post-1114632857104035662005-04-27T23:14:00.000+03:002005-04-27T23:24:46.950+03:00Haunted By Her<p align="center"><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/img/64/2193/1024/DSCN55741.jpg"><img class="phostImg" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/img/64/2193/400/DSCN55741.jpg" border="0" /></a></p><div align="center">Oh Damascus, how can I describe the way I feel<br />When I am always haunted by you? </div><div align="center"><br />Forgive me if I did not reveal my passion to you<br />For the sweetest thing about love is concealing. </div><div align="center"><span style="color:#ffffff;">.</span></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"><em>Nizar Qabbani (1923-1998)</em> </div>Ayman Haykalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08028637476975151894noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8776105.post-1114356996548187502005-04-24T18:36:00.000+03:002005-04-24T21:05:24.450+03:00In Remembrance<p align="center"><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/img/64/2193/1024/DSCN5570.jpg"><img class="phostImg" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/img/64/2193/400/DSCN5570.jpg" border="0" /></a></p><p>Armenian Syrians today mark the 90th anniversary of the mass deportations and killings of Armenians in Ottoman Asia Minor in 1915. Hundreds of thousands of Armenians then sought refuge in Syria to escape the killings, famine and economic difficulties. Today, they constitute an integral part of the Syrian society. 75 percent live in the northern city of Aleppo and nearly 20 percent in Damascus. The rest are scattered in other Syrian cities and towns. Throughout the years, Syrian Armenians were able to maintain their traditions and customs, and to preserve their culture and language. Most belong to the Armenian Orthodox Church. The picture shows a memorial stone in the Armenian Church in Damascus:<br /><br /><em>"In Memory of Our Martyrs. 24 April 1915".</em> </p><p><strong>Addendum</strong>: Read about Aleppo's observance of the anniversary at <a href="http://aleppost.blogspot.com/2005/04/today-i-am-armenian.html">Aleppo Post</a></p>Ayman Haykalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08028637476975151894noreply@blogger.com10