City of Wonders

Dr. Shahid Qayyum narrates his memorable visit to Damascus, the City of Wonders

As a rule I have been visiting places by choice but at times it was, I may say, by compulsion. Damascus was one such destination which was never on my ‘hit’ list but I visited it on the invitation of a Syrian friend. Although historically important, the place had never fascinated me. The visa was no problem and I was received at the airport by my friend. We drove straight to his house in central Damascus where he enhanced his credentials like a good host.

Capital of Syria, Damascus’ is its largest city situated on the southern bank of River Barada, It is among the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, dating back to 8000-10000 BC. It was ruined and re-built so often over the centuries that layer after layer of history and ancient civilization lie buried under the modern metropolis and excavations are simply not possible. The old city is surrounded by a fortification wall with eight gates leading into the walled enclave. Down town district has narrow streets and looks different from the modern neighborhoods. Damascus has been ruled by the Romans and Byzantinians in the recorded history and has also been a seat of the Umayyad Empire. The Ottomans ruled it for almost 400 years before it was made a French mandate following the Second World War. The worst period of foreign invasion this historic city ever witnessed was that of Mongol conqueror Timurlunk whose forces massacred the inhabitants, except the artisans, who were lucky to be deported to Samarkand, Timur’s capital in Central Asia. Timur besieged Damascus and put the city to sack. A huge number of Damascenes were slaughtered and human skulls were piled up to erect a minaret. A city square bearing the name Burj al ruus (Tower of heads) was built in memory of the ghastly holocaust.

The Syrian culture and way of living has two sides to it. A certain class of ladies is attired in western dresses while there are others who cover their faces behind the veils. For years I had witnessed my host’s spouse dress up in skirt and blouse and hang around in the balcony smoking cigarettes. Back home in Damascus I did not have a glimpse of hers. The male and female quarters in their ‘not too big’ an apartment were segregated and ladies were confined to the private section of the lodging. The meals were sumptuous and elaborate and we were served with a Syrian delicacy which was quite similar to nargasi koftay that we make in Pakistan.

Umayyad or the Grand mosque is one of the largest in the world and one of the oldest sites of continuous prayers since the rise of Islam. It is a symbol of one of the great periods of proud Muslim civilization and a masterpiece of architectural ingenuity. This site was originally occupied by a ‘temple of god’ which became Temple of Jupiter with the arrival of the Romans and later became St. John’s church under the Byzantine Christians. The construction of this rectangular mosque started in 714 AD and it was burnt by Timur during his barbaric invasion. It was rebuilt later. A shrine in the mosque is said to contain the head of John the Baptist.

The most memorable thing that I saw in Damascus was the mausoleum of Sultan Salahuddine Eyyubi...(to be continued)

Athens is a lovely place and it was a jolly good experience going places on conducted tours as well as at our own. We stayed at Athens Gate Hotel, named after the historic Hadrian’s Arc right across the road, and hardly fifteen minutes walk from the famous Syntagma square. Temple of Zeus stands next to the Arc and the expansive National Gardens stretch right up to the square. Syntagma, also called Parliament square, is essentially the tourist core of the city wherein beats the heart of Athens. It is an expensive area and a shopper’s paradise. The former Royal palace now houses the Parliament building and the old Parliament building has been converted into National Historical Museum, alongside the National Archeological Museum; all standing in a row at the square. During a visit to the British Museum, London, I was astonished to see a complete room placed in the big Greek relic’s hall. It was purchased by the British from the Ottoman rulers and re assembled and erected there. Giving a soft touch to the place there are pigeons in big numbers in front of the parliament house simulating the Trafalgar square in London. Tourists feed these birds and get photographed in the process.

The National Gardens designed by the first queen of Greece and formerly used as King’s private park with duck and turtle ponds and a botanical museum make an oasis in the modern jungle of concrete. Henry Miller calls it “the quintessence of a park”. A nice and calm place it is still no match in serenity and tranquility to the famous Kew Gardens in London. We were lucky to see a carnival, under way in the vast gardens, and it was a pleasant surprise to see the Greeks, young as well as old, dressed in their long and brightly coloured traditional dresses decorated with beads and thread work like that seen in our wild North. May be the invading Macedonians have something to account for it.

Ermon Street, a pedestrian road, shoots off from Syntagma square and is full of fashion shops and branded stores. Clogged with tourists at all times it is always a pleasure to be there. Language is invariably a bar for non English speaking nationalities. Once on the Ermon Street I encountered such a situation when a white tourist sought my help for ‘God knows what?’ Failing in his efforts to make me understand his question he frantically persisted with his queries and gave up only when I took out a tourist map from my pocket and waved at him. The sign language worked and he moved away smiling.

Shopping sans bargaining in Athens is not feasible by any means. The asking prices are staggeringly high. The Greeks are clever businessmen. You plan simple window shopping and you are lured into the store by the sales person. You move in to the store to look around and compare the prices with those back in your home country and you come out with ‘three bags full’. We walked into an antique cum souvenir shop near our hotel and were amused to see a coal iron put up for sale. The sales girl seeing our ‘interest’ in the item came over to us and started giving details of its usage some eight decades ago. We did not have the face to admit before her that it was still widely used in our country even at the turn of the century. We selected a replica of a traditional Greek chariot in the souvenir shop which, the sales girl insisted, was made of white stone. A year or so later my wife thought it had got dusty and needed washing and it virtually went ‘down the drain’ under the running tap water. It was some salt like material which dissolved softly.

The vibrant and multicultural Omonia square is the second most important centre located in the heart of the city. This area is cheaper as compared to Syntagma square and that is what prompted us to book a hotel in that locality during our last trip to Athens. It is regarded as the transportation centre of Athens. Mass transit system includes buses, trams, metro and suburban railways. Taxis are cheap and during rush hours it is considered normal to flag a taxi even when another passenger is already in.

The best way to see a place is to take conducted tours and that is what we exactly did. Some of the old and modern sites were in our walking range but for the others we booked the tours. Athens is a melting pot of architectural styles ranging from Greco-Roman to Neo-classical and modern styles. Most of the prominent buildings are from the Greco-Roman or Neo-classical era. Parthenon, the greatest monument of antiquity, dedicated to goddess Athena, stood on a hill top as an enduring symbol of ancient Greece. The temple of Zeus, the largest of the Greek temples constructed by Emperor Hadrian, has only fifteen of its original 104 columns now standing. The Hadrian’s Arc near the temple of Zeus was built as a gate between the ancient city and the Roman city of Athens. King’s palace is also nearby. According to a popular legend Lycabettus, the tallest hill in the city, was actually a boulder thrown from the skies by goddess Athena.

Panathenaikos stadium in the city suburbs, where first modern Olympic Games were held in 1896, was initially built in 330 BC. It sits in the hollow of a hill, where going up and down a couple of times you will easily burn out last night’s meal. Made of white marble, same as used for Parthenon, this stadium has a seating capacity for 60000 spectators. It is a replica of ancient Athens stadium.

The port city of Piraeus and the ancient city of Athens, initially inhabited around the holy rock of Acropolis, have virtually amalgamated with each other to make twin cities where it is difficult to draw a line between the two. The port at Piraeus is important as shipping is the other most significant industry besides tourism. Greece has 3000 merchant vessels constituting 18% of the world’s fleet. Though the revenues are gradually diminishing the Greeks still profit handsomely from maritime trade. Aristotle Onassis, the Greek shipping magnate who shot to fame after marrying the widowed Jacqueline Kennedy, after the assassination of US president John F.Kennedy, was a man with staggering wealth to his name. Besides Aristotle Onassis Greece has to its credit the all time great philosophers like Aristotle, Plato and Socrates.

The Greeks claim that ancient Athens is the city with most glorious history in the world. It is a magical city worshipped by gods and people. It is an enchanting capital where democracy as well as the most wise men of ancient times were born. It is their country. They have a right to make any claims and there certainly is a fair bit of substance to their claims.  

The writer is a dental surgeon and can be reached at: dsq006@gmail.com