this morning, while reading about the anger directed against europeans, and particularly danes, in the middle east, i suddenly thought of beit aqqad.
beit aqqad is the home of the danish institute in damascus. the institute bought the traditional damascene house in the old city and beautifully restored it. it really is gorgeous, and is one of the best examples of a traditional house left in the city with its gates, passages and courtyards.
the institute's location is not obvious from the outside. there is only a small sign on a nondescript door just off straight street. i only found it because the address was in my guide book. you have to be buzzed in to get inside.
i remember last september when i rang the bell and wondered if they would let me in. when the intercom asked who i was, i said in english that i was an american tourist who just wanted to look around. my only response was the click of the door latch indicating that i could come in. they let me poke around for as long as i wanted. when i sat down in one of the courtyards to make a note in my journal, one of the people who worked there brought me coffee.
anyway, i have nothing but pleasant memories of the people at the danish institute. i took the above picture just after i was buzzed into the first courtyard. i don't have all that many photos of the place, but what i do have is here. it's funny how a relatively short visit can make me feel a connection with a place. i hope they do not suffer from any misplaced fury over these events.
