Damascus: Gate of a World [Illustrated Guide to Damascus with Folding Color Street Map]

Item Details

Damascus–Beirut:, Librairie Universelle,, c1950s., Stapled illustrated wraps

The Green Guide Books, Serial 3, Very Good

DAMASCUS — A CROSSROADS OF CIVILIZATIONS.
Rouhi Jamil introduces Damascus as one of the world's oldest cities, a place shaped by successive civilizations yet retaining much of its ancient character. From the grandeur of the Great Mosque to the crowded souks and narrow streets of the Old City, his account captures a city where centuries of history remain part of everyday life.

Written for travelers, the guide offers a revealing glimpse of Damascus in the years before modern development transformed much of its urban landscape. Its descriptions of historic neighborhoods, monuments, and daily life preserve the perspective of an earlier generation encountering one of the Middle East's great cultural centers.

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS: COLOR-ILLUSTRATED WRAPPERS, PHOTOGRAPHIC PLATES & FOLDING MAP.

• Original stapled pictorial wrappers, slightly larger than the text block. Both covers feature elaborate multicolored geometric ornamentation and architectural illustrations of Damascus.
• 4.5 × 6 inches; 64 pages.
• Illustrated with ten black-and-white photographic plates, each with a tissue guard.
• Photographs depict historic monuments, religious buildings, civic architecture, and city views.
• An attached folding color street map measures approximately 13.25 × 9.75 inches when opened. The map identifies neighborhoods, streets, public buildings, hotels, foreign legations, and other places of interest.
• Printed in Beirut, Lebanon, by Al-Ilmieh Press.
• The Green Guide Books, Serial 3.

CONDITION: VERY GOOD — COMPLETE WITH FOLDING MAP.

• Illustrated wrappers remain colorful and attractive, with light edge wear, corner rubbing, and small creases. Some irregularity and wear along the spine and upper edges.
• Text leaves show occasional edge wear, corner creases, and light age-toning. Stapled binding remains intact.
• All ten photographic plates and their guards are reported present. The attached folding map appears complete and retains its colors.

HISTORICAL & CARTOGRAPHIC SIGNIFICANCE: DAMASCUS BEFORE THE MODERN TRANSFORMATION OF THE CITY.
This guide offers a glimpse of Damascus as visitors would have experienced it in the mid-twentieth century, when centuries-old traditions remained woven into the life of the city. Its pages trace the influence of successive civilizations while exploring the mosques, historic neighborhoods, and bustling markets that gave Damascus its distinctive character.

The photographs capture familiar landmarks and architectural details, while the folding map provides a fascinating record of the city's streets, neighborhoods, and institutions at the time of publication.

A PARTICULARLY INTERESTING STREET MAP.
The map is especially useful as a period document. Its index distinguishes official buildings, religious institutions, transportation facilities, hospitals, hotels, restaurants, and foreign legations.

Among the named locations are the Syrian Parliament, the University, the National Museum, the French and American legations, and several hotels. The map also retains period street names and English transliterations, offering a snapshot of how Damascus was presented and navigated by international visitors.

GENRES: Travel Guides, Middle Eastern Travel, Illustrated Books, Historical Geography, Cartography, Tourist Literature, Regional History, Travel Ephemera.

SUBJECTS: Damascus, Syria, Rouhi Jamil, Librairie Universelle, The Green Guide Books, Syrian History, Damascus Street Maps, Historic Architecture, Islamic Architecture, Mosques, Souks, Middle Eastern Tourism, Beirut Printing, Photographic Illustration, Twentieth-Century Travel.

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