january 2007
so maybe everyone is sick of christmas already, but here in oldcity damascus there are still some trees up. i hadn't come across any until i visited my friend in the christian quarter, where he was living footsteps from ananias' house, the spot where saul was baptized as paul.
paul, in front of ananias' house, which has since been converted into a small chapel/giftshop. over the gate reads in neon arabic lights: almajd allah fi al'ala. It means: "The glory of God on high."
this is inside the chapel, where they say "the scales fell" from saul's eyes. where he once was blind, now he could see. it has the look and feel of a cellar that is aging some very important wines.
a closeup in the ananias chapel.
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this is "the street that they call 'straight'" that was mentioned in the new testament. ananias was told by god to meet with a man who, if he baptized, would speak the gospel to the world's kings (saul-come-st.paul). it's straight at the beginning, but it does get a little crooked in the middle. now it's called shariat almustaqeem, which means "the way the straight."
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in syria, be you christian be you muslim, you have love for st. george (from the dragon story, england's patron saint). he was an old warrior/healer during the crusades, and some people associate him with AlKhidr, the green one (eternal youth), or Elijah, who's role it is to herald the redeemer in the end of days. this is the sign in front of the shrine of st. george.
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this is st. paul's church.
there's grafiti on the door to st. paul's church. clothes haning to dry inside. there's something endearing about that.
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one of the grander churches in the oldcity. you can even hear church bells (i have to say, it was kind of a reminded me of home to hear churchbells). it's still christmas here, as you can see.
an old damascus fountain, decorated like a christmas tree.
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