TY - BOOK AU - Keenan,Brigid AU - Beddow,Tim TI - Damascus: hidden treasures of the old city SN - 0500019460 AV - NA1489.7.D36 K44 2000 U1 - 720/.95691/44 21 PY - 2000/// CY - New York, N.Y. PB - Thames & Hudson KW - Architecture KW - Syria KW - Damascus KW - Pictorial works KW - Islamic architecture KW - fast KW - Illustrated works KW - lcgft N1 - Includes bibliographical references (p. 221-222) and index; Part 1. Sacred and secular. Fountains ; Decorative tiles ; Mihrabs and niches -- pt. 2. Palaces and people. Courtyards ; Ceilings ; Wall paintings ; Coloured pastework ; Stonework ; Windows ; Doors N2 - Damascus, reputed to be the worldʹs oldest continually inhabited city, has enjoyed a history of immense grandeur, enormous political and mercantile power, and great cultural and artistic achievement. In addition to some of Islamʹs most magnificent architecture, such as the Umayyad Mosque, the city boasts a heritage of fairy-tale palaces and sumptuous private houses. Sadly, many of them are in urgent need of restoration. Brigid Keenan and Tim Beddow were given unprecedented access to the inner, "hidden" city, which has resulted in a book that is of immense importance to all concerned with the heritage of architecture in the Islamic world. The superb photographs include façades, courtyards, alleyways and fountains, and the breathtaking interiors that often lie behind the unassuming walls of the old town, with exquisite details in stone, wood, paint, marble, plaster, glass and mother-of-pearl. The whole, published with the generous support of Wafic Rida Said, forms a convincing and elegiac plea for the preservation of the heart of this historic ancient capital. -- Jacket ER -