In the fall of 2009 I traveled to Jordan and Syria with a group organized by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.  Since the outbreak of Syria’s civil war, which to date has killed some 93,000 people, I’ve often thought back to the peaceful country I visited just a year and a half earlier.  I found a  landscape of green hills, desert and sea that in some ways resembles Oregon, cities full of friendly people and intriguing souks, and everywhere wonderful smells of fruit, spices, and flowers.  I think back on those scents and they return to me as an emblem of Syria’s beauty and a prayer for peace.  Here are a few photographs of my trip.

Entering Syria from Jordan

Ruins at Afamea, central Syria

Ruins at Palmyra, eastern Syria

A helpful sign at Palmyra

Palmyra

Entrance to a crusaders’ fortress

Courtyard of an art gallery, Aleppo

Syrian hill town

Entering a mosque

Complaints box, limited capacity

Friends in a cafe, Aleppo

Rest stop in the desert

Wooden water wheel, Hama

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Jeff Scheuer

Jeff Scheuer is a writer and critic based in New York. He is the author of two books about media and politics: The Big Picture: Why Democracies Need Journalistic Excellence (2007), and The Sound Bite Society: How Television Helps the Right and Hurts the Left (1999), named a Choice “Outstanding Academic Title.” Jeff is currently writing about critical thinking and the liberal arts.

Latest posts by Jeff Scheuer (Posts)

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Tags: ends & odd, photography, travel & foreign lands // Add Comment »