1950 Damascus's Marjeh Square and the Telegraph Column Framed Vintage Photo Reprint Night Journey Photograph: Willem van de Poll

Photograph: Willem van de Poll

A monastery of the Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch (بطريركيّة أنطاكية وسائر المشرق للروم الأرثوذكس) it houses an icon of Saint Mary (مريم العذراء) which is said to be painted by Saint Luke (لوقا الإنجيلي) and serves as an important pilgrimage site

this detailed English-language city map of Aleppo is a wonderful snapshot in time before the mass expansion of the city

Egypt and Syria - interestingly enough

1950 Damascus's Marjeh Square and the Telegraph Column Framed Vintage Photo Reprint Night Journey Photograph: Willem van de PollThis 1950 photo of Marjeh Square ( ), one of the main squares in Damascus captures a moment in time, long forgotten. The centerpiece is the grand Telegraph Column ( , , ) commissioned by Ottoman Sultan Abdul Hamid II and built by Italian architect Raimondo D'Aronco in 1904 5 to commemorate the completion of a telegraph line between Damascus and Mecca. At the top of the column sits a bronze replica of Yildz Mosque ( ) in Istanbul. On the far right you