Damascus, Syria, Nov 2005:  Damascene refers to someone from Damascus- (alternatively it could be read as ‘Damascus Scenes’)- hence the title of this video. I was fortunate enough to visit Damascus in a relative time of peace- but in a matter of years the country would be torn apart, into a war  that does not seem to have an end…

In addition to being one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, Damascus is/was a major cultural and religious center of the Levant. Filmed somewhat clandestinely in the Umayyad Mosque- one of the largest and oldest mosques in the world (considered by some Muslims to be the fourth-holiest place in Islam)- and the Al-Hamidiyah Souq- the soundtrack is mixed with the original audio, capturing the Mullah’s call etc….