An Intimate Look At Syria: Pre-Revolution

A minaret looms over Damascus.

With the advent of 2012, I'd like to share a little story about my background. Despite being born in Italy, and being currently situated in Austin, I kind of had a bit of a strange upbringing..Growing up traveling from place to place depending on where my parents' work took them. However, around the mid nineties my parents decided to settle down in the capital of Syria, Damascus and start their own business as contractors for foreign interests. As a result I spent quite a few years as an expatriate in an  Arabic country, and had enough time to pick up the language, gain a few friends and really grow to love the place.

This year marks the very first time in years I haven't been able to go back to visit my folks due to the unfortunate turmoil that has enveloped the country, and it's not easy sitting back and watching the downward spiral unfold. In a way I kind of feel like I'm losing a place that I called home for quite a few years, which has been a very uncomfortable issue to deal with. My heart goes out to the Syrian people in their struggle. The purpose of this post is to shed a little light on the rarely seen side of these middle eastern countries and everyday life prior to recent events. These photos were gathered in late 2010/early 2011 prior to the uprising. Check out over 200 photos after the break.

6/15 Update:
My family has been forced to leave Syria, and the future is uncertain at this point. We're scattered across the globe and it seems like the future of the place I once loved is set to spiral into civil war. At least I have these memories.