Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Damascus doors
There was a time when I was enthralled with doors, and would photograph them wherever I went. This fascination had faded somewhat, but Damascus stoked up the door passion again. All those stone archways must have done it. Yes, had a short trip to Damascus, which was so full of sights I can't begin to organize a blog post, so I'm offering up a series of doors, windows, and façades in the meantime.
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8 comments:
beautiful! i love how the second one is just a bit off kilter. What a variety of textures and architecture.
Oh, they are lovely! I've always liked doors and windows, especially when they are old, have a lot of texture, or have bright colors that contrast with walls... Some invite you to come in, others are clearly shouting, "Stay out!". The arches are wonderful!
Thanks, Kel and Rachel!
There was so very much more where this came from....
What is it about doors and windows that is so fascinating? The invitation to open them and peek into the world inside - or outside?
Do they open up new horizons or exclude us from a hidden world?
They are both inviting and separating - and your beautiful photographs show an amazing variety of these gates to two worlds!
I used to love doors and windows, too! Wouldn't it be lovely to walk through an amazing door every day when you come home?
Hi Kim! Nice to see you!
I definitely agree. I've always wanted a door I could paint in a bright, joyous color - or maybe more than one color....
Hi Tracy,
I wandered over after seeing your avatar on your comment on the Maple Corners blog. I'm fascinated by your photographs and will be back. One quick question, if you don't mind...What is the small door on the right side of the picture seven from the bottom? In the US I would guess it's a doggie door, but somehow that doesn't seem all that likely in Damascus.
Thanks,
Julia
Hi Julia! I love your question.
I fully meant to shoot a person in front of one of those doors, for scale. There were many of the type you asked about. The main door is about 12 feet tall, so the little door is a people door, although a small one - no more than 5 feet, you'd have to duck to go in.
I think they're old khans, or hotel-type places, and the main door would be opened to let in horses. (There would be an open courtyard on the other side, with the ground floor "rooms" devoted to animals.) Otherwise the big doors remain shut and people go in and out the little one.
There was so much cool stuff like this in Damascus, I have not found the time to talk about it all.
Thanks for visiting!
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