Damascus, Faded Opulence
These photographs, mostly taken in the C18th and C19th private courtyard houses and palaces in the Old City of Damascus offer a poignant reminder and glimpse into a vanished era in which dazzling beauty can be recognised, immediately, in the quality and intricate work of the painted ceilings, wooden wainscoting, stone carving, stucco relief, tile design and, essentially, the architecture that houses these wonders. Now no longer readily accessible they capture a unique moment.
In the late 1990s I enjoyed a happy collaboration with the writer Brigid Keenan, whose husband, a diplomat, had been posted to Damascus.
Very soon Brigid, as she writes, ‘found myself in love with Damascus.’
She was captivated by the Old City a beguiling labyrinthine maze of narrow streets and alleys; its souks exploding with vendors selling spices, herbs, sacks of dried flower petals, vegetables and fruit, nuts, dates and flat breads hot from clay ovens. Young boys weave through chaotic crowds bearing trays of small glasses of tea, barrows laden with plants or building materials negotiate tiny passages with seeming ease. Men in turbans squeeze pomegranate juice, falafel and shawarma cafes abound. Above all there is a seductive atmosphere, an aroma in whatever section of the souk you are passing through, be it carpets, leather, perfume or coffee, giving the whole an exotic sense of another world.
But behind this there is a hidden secret which Brigid discovered when she was taken by a friend to a nondescript doorway in a back street. She takes up the story.
“Stepping through we were suddenly in another world, in a peaceful courtyard full of sunshine and birdsong, green with jasmine and vines and lemon trees, bright with roses and the gleam of a mosaic floor at our feet and a mother-of pearl inlaid fountain tinkling at its centre. Leading off this courtyard we glimpsed ornate rooms gleaming with mirror and gold. We felt we had entered some kind of fairyland.”
This was Bait Mujallid, a wondrous palace in a sad state of disrepair, like so many. It was subsequently purchased and has been undergoing restoration. Brigid contacted me in London. I made the first of many visits, similarly falling under its spell. Our mission was to document as many houses as possible and publish a book in the hope that awareness would be raised about their distinct beauty and generate interest in their restoration.
We were extremely fortunate in being introduced to Mr Wafic Rida Saïd - who was brought up in a courtyard house in Damascus - and who generously supported the publishing project. ‘Damascus, Hidden Treasures of the Old City’ was published by Thames and Hudson in 2000.
There appeared a revival of interest, in the following years, with foreigners becoming aware of their idiosyncratic charm and significance, sympathetically restoring the fragile remains. But that all came to a tragic end in 2011. It is not easy to discover the state of these buildings at the present. But as these pictures were taken over 25 years ago, half of which those years since then the country has been ‘out of bounds’ it is unlikely any restoration has taken place - more likely deterioration.
I very much hope that the images stand testament to the former sparkling majesty of the Old City and a reflection of the culture of Syria.
10% of sales to be donated to the Saïd Foundation.
Click on the images below to see more information and view in larger format.
The grand double-height dining room, built in the mid C19th. The house was owned by the Jabri family until 1938 and it was Said Agha Jabri, a Syrian tax collector for the Ottoman administration who restored the house between 1840 and 1877 in a romantic rococo style.
It was bought in 1977 by Nora Jumblatt whose restoration programme was abruptly halted with the onset of war in 2011 but who has recently returned for the first time with hopes to continue.
Click on the image to view in larger format.
Prints are available in two sizes and come in a limited edition run of 5:
40×30 inches (101.6cm x 76.2cm)
24×18 inches (60.96cm x 45.72cm)
Printed on Fujicolour Crystal Archive Matte C-type paper.
Includes a COA (Certificate of Authenticity) with photographer’s name, print number, title, dimensions and signed.
If interested, please enquire with Tim on tim@timbeddow.com for more information on Edition and Shipping details.
Please note:
Photographs ought to be viewed on a colour corrected monitor for accurate representation of the final print.
Price on Application
The wealthy Quwatli family owned 4 palaces within the Old City, one of which housed the British Consulate 150 years ago.
Larger palaces such as this were not just family residences but were also used for business and political meetings.
Click on the image to view in larger format.
Prints are available in two sizes and come in a limited edition run of 5:
40×30 inches (101.6cm x 76.2cm)
24×18 inches (60.96cm x 45.72cm)
Printed on Fujicolour Crystal Archive Matte C-type paper.
Includes a COA (Certificate of Authenticity) with photographer’s name, print number, title, dimensions and signed.
If interested, please enquire with Tim on tim@timbeddow.com for more information on Edition and Shipping details.
Price on Application
The qa’a is the Arabic salon, used as a reception room, in the houses in Ottoman Syria.
They consist of an ‘ataba (the threshold) here stone decorated and a tazar (seating platform above).
The exuberantly decorated arch and walls sparkle with small mirrors placed in the framework.
Click on the image to view in larger format.
Prints are available in two sizes and come in a limited edition run of 7:
40×30 inches (101.6cm x 76.2cm)
24×18 inches (60.96cm x 45.72cm)
Printed on Fujicolour Crystal Archive Matte C-type paper.
Includes a COA (Certificate of Authenticity) with photographer’s name, print number, title, dimensions and signed.
If interested, please enquire with Tim on tim@timbeddow.com for more information on Edition and Shipping details.
Please note:
Photographs ought to be viewed on a colour corrected monitor for accurate representation of the final print.
Price on Application
Abd al-Qadir arrived in Damascus in 1852, a hero. In his native Algeria he had fought the French for 15 years - trying to oust them from his country - only to be defeated in the end. Exiled to France he was eventually freed by Napoleon III and decided to come to Damascus where he bought houses by the Barada river for his family and entourage.
He died in 1883 and after Algerian independence the coffin of their great resistance hero returned, where it was greeted with a 101 gun salute and a minute of silence. His houses had a North African style.
Isabel Burton said of him ‘His mind is as beautiful as his face. He is every inch a Sultan’.
Click on the image to view in larger format.
Prints are available in two sizes and come in a limited edition run of 5:
40×30 inches (101.6cm x 76.2cm)
24×18 inches (60.96cm x 45.72cm)
Printed on Fujicolour Crystal Archive Matte C-type paper.
Includes a COA (Certificate of Authenticity) with photographer’s name, print number, title, dimensions and signed.
If interested, please enquire with Tim on tim@timbeddow.com for more information on Edition and Shipping details.
Please note:
Photographs ought to be viewed on a colour corrected monitor for accurate representation of the final print.
Price on Application
This image is of a reception room from another of the Quwatli palaces, decorated in a Rococo style. This huge reception room has distinctive ‘bulls-eye’ windows and stone work dated 1802.
The wealthy Quwatli family owned 4 palaces within the Old City, one of which housed the British Consulate 150 years ago. Larger palaces such as this were not just family residences but were also used for business and political meetings.
Click on the image to view in larger format.
Prints are available in two sizes and come in a limited edition run of 7:
40×30 inches (101.6cm x 76.2cm)
24×18 inches (60.96cm x 45.72cm)
Printed on Fujicolour Crystal Archive Matte C-type paper.
Includes a COA (Certificate of Authenticity) with photographer’s name, print number, title, dimensions and signed.
If interested, please enquire with Tim on tim@timbeddow.com for more information on Edition and Shipping details.
Please note:
Photographs ought to be viewed on a colour corrected monitor for accurate representation of the final print.
Price on Application
Detail of a ceiling at Bait Lisbona. Built by a Jewish family who fled Portugal during the Inquisition. In the mid C19th the house was admired for its ornate decoration, unlike others within the city walls.
Click on the image to view in larger format.
Prints are available in two sizes and come in a limited edition run of 5:
40×30 inches (101.6cm x 76.2cm)
24×18 inches (60.96cm x 45.72cm)
Printed on Fujicolour Crystal Archive Matte C-type paper.
Includes a COA (Certificate of Authenticity) with photographer’s name, print number, title, dimensions and signed.
If interested, please enquire with Tim on tim@timbeddow.com for more information on Edition and Shipping details.
Please note:
Photographs ought to be viewed on a colour corrected monitor for accurate representation of the final print.
Price on Application
Tibi was a jewel of a house when I took the photographs - a sort of palace in miniature lay-out but in a terrible state, needing massive renovation.
The Tibis were a prominent religious family but it is not known who built this house. Not known what condition it may be in today.
Click on the image to view in larger format.
Prints are available in two sizes and come in a limited edition run of 5:
40×30 inches (101.6cm x 76.2cm)
24×18 inches (60.96cm x 45.72cm)
Printed on Fujicolour Crystal Archive Matte C-type paper.
Includes a COA (Certificate of Authenticity) with photographer’s name, print number, title, dimensions and signed.
If interested, please enquire with Tim on tim@timbeddow.com for more information on Edition and Shipping details.
Please note:
Photographs ought to be viewed on a colour corrected monitor for accurate representation of the final print.
Price on Application
This double courtyard C18th century house is owned and has been restored by the Syrian authorities. Remarkable for its coloured plasterwork.
It now, incongruously, houses the Ibish collection of hunting trophies
Click on the image to view in larger format.
Prints are available in two sizes and come in a limited edition run of 5:
40×30 inches (101.6cm x 76.2cm)
24×18 inches (60.96cm x 45.72cm)
Printed on Fujicolour Crystal Archive Matte C-type paper.
Includes a COA (Certificate of Authenticity) with photographer’s name, print number, title, dimensions and signed.
If interested, please enquire with Tim on tim@timbeddow.com for more information on Edition and Shipping details.
Please note:
Photographs ought to be viewed on a colour corrected monitor for accurate representation of the final print.
Price on Application
Wall painting at Bait Barudi.
Once owned by Fakhri Barudi, a renowned intellectual and patron, it was a centre for Damascene society.
Click on the image to view in larger format.
Prints are available in two sizes and come in a limited edition run of 7:
40×30 inches (101.6cm x 76.2cm)
24×18 inches (60.96cm x 45.72cm)
Printed on Fujicolour Crystal Archive Matte C-type paper.
Includes a COA (Certificate of Authenticity) with photographer’s name, print number, title, dimensions and signed.
If interested, please enquire with Tim on tim@timbeddow.com for more information on Edition and Shipping details.
Please note:
Photographs ought to be viewed on a colour corrected monitor for accurate representation of the final print.
Price on Application
It was under restoration by the Architectural Faculty of Damascus University with the aim of becoming a centre for old city studies but it is not known if completed.
Click on the image to view in larger format.
Prints are available in two sizes and come in a limited edition run of 5:
40×30 inches (101.6cm x 76.2cm)
24×18 inches (60.96cm x 45.72cm)
Printed on Fujicolour Crystal Archive Matte C-type paper.
Includes a COA (Certificate of Authenticity) with photographer’s name, print number, title, dimensions and signed.
If interested, please enquire with Tim on tim@timbeddow.com for more information on Edition and Shipping details.
Please note:
Photographs ought to be viewed on a colour corrected monitor for accurate representation of the final print.
Price on Application
A courtyard in ruins, like many others.
Click on the image to view in larger format.
Prints are available in two sizes and come in a limited edition run of 5:
40×30 inches (101.6cm x 76.2cm)
24×18 inches (60.96cm x 45.72cm)
Printed on Fujicolour Crystal Archive Matte C-type paper.
Includes a COA (Certificate of Authenticity) with photographer’s name, print number, title, dimensions and signed.
If interested, please enquire with Tim on tim@timbeddow.com for more information on Edition and Shipping details.
Please note:
Photographs ought to be viewed on a colour corrected monitor for accurate representation of the final print.
Price on Application
Isabel Burton enjoyed visiting this hammam located in the Tailor’s Souk (Suq al-Khayattin) which is now crowded with shops.
Click on the image to view in larger format.
Prints are available in two sizes and come in a limited edition run of 5:
40×30 inches (101.6cm x 76.2cm)
24×18 inches (60.96cm x 45.72cm)
Printed on Fujicolour Crystal Archive Matte C-type paper.
Includes a COA (Certificate of Authenticity) with photographer’s name, print number, title, dimensions and signed.
If interested, please enquire with Tim on tim@timbeddow.com for more information on Edition and Shipping details.
Please note:
Photographs ought to be viewed on a colour corrected monitor for accurate representation of the final print.
Price on Application
The main qu’a adapted to less formal living.
Click on the image to view in larger format.
Prints are available in two sizes and come in a limited edition run of 5:
40×30 inches (101.6cm x 76.2cm)
24×18 inches (60.96cm x 45.72cm)
Printed on Fujicolour Crystal Archive Matte C-type paper.
Includes a COA (Certificate of Authenticity) with photographer’s name, print number, title, dimensions and signed.
If interested, please enquire with Tim on tim@timbeddow.com for more information on Edition and Shipping details.
Please note:
Photographs ought to be viewed on a colour corrected monitor for accurate representation of the final print.
Price on Application
The north qa’a of the grand 3 courtyard palace. Decorated in typically ‘Ottoman baroque’ style - an elaborate, ornate style of interior decoration adopted in the mid C19th.
Click on the image to view in larger format.
Prints are available in two sizes and come in a limited edition run of 5:
40×30 inches (101.6cm x 76.2cm)
24×18 inches (60.96cm x 45.72cm)
Printed on Fujicolour Crystal Archive Matte C-type paper.
Includes a COA (Certificate of Authenticity) with photographer’s name, print number, title, dimensions and signed.
If interested, please enquire with Tim on tim@timbeddow.com for more information on Edition and Shipping details.
Please note:
Photographs ought to be viewed on a colour corrected monitor for accurate representation of the final print.
Price on Application
Used as the Persian consulate until the C20th and descendants of the family still reside there, or were when we photographed.
The muqarnas work around the edge is an archetypal form of Islamic architecture and typically featured in vaults and domes, often referred to as ‘honeycomb vaulting.’
Click on the image to view in larger format.
Prints are available in two sizes and come in a limited edition run of 5:
40×30 inches (101.6cm x 76.2cm)
24×18 inches (60.96cm x 45.72cm)
Printed on Fujicolour Crystal Archive Matte C-type paper.
Includes a COA (Certificate of Authenticity) with photographer’s name, print number, title, dimensions and signed.
If interested, please enquire with Tim on tim@timbeddow.com for more information on Edition and Shipping details.
Please note:
Photographs ought to be viewed on a colour corrected monitor for accurate representation of the final print.
Price on Application
Intricately carved stonework in Bait Lisbona, always admired and renowned for its beauty, in particular its juwwani courtyard and iwan.
Click on the image to view in larger format.
Prints are available in two sizes and come in a limited edition run of 5:
40×30 inches (101.6cm x 76.2cm)
24×18 inches (60.96cm x 45.72cm)
Printed on Fujicolour Crystal Archive Matte C-type paper.
Includes a COA (Certificate of Authenticity) with photographer’s name, print number, title, dimensions and signed.
If interested, please enquire with Tim on tim@timbeddow.com for more information on Edition and Shipping details.
Please note:
Photographs ought to be viewed on a colour corrected monitor for accurate representation of the final print.
Price on Application
A room opening onto one of the courtyards.
Click on the image to view in larger format.
Prints are available in two sizes and come in a limited edition run of 5:
40×30 inches (101.6cm x 76.2cm)
24×18 inches (60.96cm x 45.72cm)
Printed on Fujicolour Crystal Archive Matte C-type paper.
Includes a COA (Certificate of Authenticity) with photographer’s name, print number, title, dimensions and signed.
If interested, please enquire with Tim on tim@timbeddow.com for more information on Edition and Shipping details.
Please note:
Photographs ought to be viewed on a colour corrected monitor for accurate representation of the final print.