Damascus at the Dawn of the Twentieth Century

العلاف، أحمد حلمي. دمشق في مطلع القرن
العشرين. دمشق: وزارة الثقافة و
الإرشاد القومي، ١٩٧٦، ٤٥۳ص.

Al-ʻAllaf, Ahmad Hilmi.
Dimashq fi Matlaʻ Al-Qarn Al-ʻIshrin. Damascus: Wizarat al-Thaqafah
wa-al-Irshad al-Qawmi, 1976, 453pp.

ABSTRACT

Damascus
at the Dawn of the Twentieth Century

دمشق في مطلع القرن العشرين

Dimashq fi Matlaʻ Al-Qarn Al-ʻIshrin deals
in a unique manner with the city’s social history, including its customs and
traditions at the turn of the century. In doing so, the work represents a new
direction from previous historical studies which have focused more on the
political history of this era. In addition to providing a topographical
description of the town, the work gives a fairly comprehensive depiction of the
various facets of social and folkloric life during this period. Indeed, the
book illustrates the clothes, foodstuffs, customs, holidays as well as proverbs
and practices during festivities, along with many other aspects of social life.
A number of sections are also dedicated to the discussion of cultural life, the
administrative and the financial system, political parties and issue of Arabism
at that time.

The
great richness found in the book’s multitude of subjects provides substantive
documentation on these aspects, the last remaining traces of which are almost
impossible to spot, except in some of the old neighbourhoods. In order to bring
to life the hustle and bustle of social life in Damascus, the book vividly
records these aspects in as much photographic detail as possible.

Despite
this, the plethora of subjects has diminished the book’s analytical depth. It
is also obvious that the book lacks a clear methodology as it attempts to shed
light on the diversity of Damascus’ social scene. This may be due to the fact
that the work is based on an incomplete draft kept in the Centre of Historical
Documentation in Damascus that was published in its unedited form after Ahmad
al-ʻAllaf’s death. As such, the author never had the opportunity to complete
the entirety of his work based on his own particular vision of the subject. It
is also worth noting that the book’s language is unrefined and sometimes
descends into colloquial Arabic, either as a result of the context in which the
book was published or due to the author’s desire for his book to be written in
a language as close as possible to the life which he sought to capture.

This
book is able to engage a large breadth of readers, whether from amongst
specialists or non-specialists, taking them on an entertaining and exquisite
tour of the social manifestations prevalent during that period that may stir
the memories of some and astonish others.

In
general, this book has succeeded to a large extent in documenting social
memories at the turn of the twentieth century in Damascus by bringing to life
all of its various social manifestations. In documenting these, the book
provides a vibrant picture which faithfully conveys social realities to future
generations. It is also worth noting that had the author been able to finish
what he started the result would have been a more complete book with a more
coherent and comprehensive vision of its subject.

Shirin
Khidr

Translated
by Hugh Lovatt