Viewing the Architecture of Syria

The exhibition Under Siege: Monuments of Syria, photographs by Peter Aaron and Lynn Davis, opened last weekend at Mark McDonald, 555 Warren Street, and continues this weekend. 

Centuries of spectacular architecture in Syria are being demolished in a matter of months by the current civil conflict. The ravages of time appear tame, beautiful, and comfortingly comprehensible in comparison to the immediate senseless destruction of war. We see images of the suffering of the people of Syria every day in the news, but the toll on these ancient, historic structures is rarely portrayed.

Photograph by Peter Aaron

Photograph by Lynn Davis

In 2009, Peter Aaron visited Syria and recorded much of the country's incomparable architectural and archaeological heritage: Hellenistic and Roman ruins, Ottoman caravansarais, medieval souks, Crusader castles, early Christian pilgrimage sites, great Abbasid and Ummayad mosques. These sites were then still in use by local populations. Just months after his return to the U.S., the Syrian Civil War broke out. Since then, many of these magnificent structures have been severely damaged or destroyed.    

Lynn Davis has traveled worldwide to photograph in forty-eight countries, including Syria. Her large scale images of natural and human-made wonders, from mounds to monuments, document the effect wind, sand, water, and human activity have had on historic sites. 

Under Siege can be viewed from noon to 5 p.m. this Saturday and Sunday, October 4 and 5. On Saturday, October 4, from 5 to 8 p.m., there is an artist reception sponsored by HOUSE Hudson Valley Realty.