Sadness for Syria . . .

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It is hard for me to imagine that just a few short years ago we traveled to Lebanon, and then from there set out to discover some of Syria, visiting the Krak des Chevaliers, Hama, Homs, Aleppo, Palmyra, and Damascus, before returning to Beirut. We had an unforgettable time in Syria. The hospitality was honest, the people we met in shops, restaurants, hotels, and museums seemed sincerely pleased to see tourists like ourselves, as there rather obviously were not a lot. We had entire museums to ourselves, which was a treat.
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So it is with considerable horror these days that I read the stories of current events in Syria. One of the highlights of our trip was the time spent in Aleppo, which is now the site of a major battle between government and rebel forces. When we were there the only aggressive behavior observed was on the part of certain taxi drivers vying for position. Today these streets are raked with machine gun fire, rocket propelled grenades, artillery and tank shells raining down. The horror, the horror.
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Why is it that humans still cannot settle their differences after all these thousands of years of civilization without resorting to bestial brutality ?
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Taxis abounded in Aleppo; and on the heights farther up the street here stands the ancient Citadel, where some parts of the ruins date back to the third millennium BC.
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The Citadel walls...
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Main entrance to the Citadel... (our daughters have grown a bit since then !)
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Even five years ago I was photographing lions...
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Ruins within the Citadel walls...
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If anyone out there has the skills to translate the Arabic text here, I'd love to know what it says.
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Am wondering how many of the buildings visible from the Citadel heights are already in ruins today ?
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Another regal lion...
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A magic lantern ? Make a wish for the end of madness...
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The souk in Aleppo was well worth a visit, it goes on and on, with an amazing array of goods for sale.
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Syrian soap is famous the world over...
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Would love to know what the note on the windshield said...
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This was the view from our hotel window in the morning, before we left Aleppo and took the road across the desert to Palmyra. Satellite dishes everywhere! Guess they were hungry for news from outside the borders. May they one day soon live in peace again.
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PS Am adding this post so soon after the last one (for a change) as am going to be on vacation for the next three weeks, and will probably be blogging even less than usual, and wanted to publish these photos from Aleppo before I left. Best wishes to all...
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