These old photos show what the Syrian capital looked like half a century ago
Syria is now the site of one of the worst conflicts on earth in five years. The most recognizable images of this Middle Eastern country show bombed buildings, piles of stones and refugees.
A series of photographs taken 50 years ago by Charles W. Cushman, an avid traveler and amateur photographer, stand in stark contrast to today. In his photographs, the center of Damascus appears to be full of peaceful life, despite a series of military coups in Syria in the 1960s.
(Total 22 photos)
1. 4 million Syrians have fled their country since 2011. This drone shot of Damascus shows why so many people no longer feel safe there.
2. Entire neighborhoods were destroyed during the hostilities, and people simply stopped living in some areas of the capital.
3. 50 years ago, there was also a period of instability in Syria. Two years before Kushman visited Damascus in 1965, a military coup took place in the country, as a result of which the Arab Socialist Baath Party came to power.
4. After that, on February 23, 1966, Syria was shocked by the fifth coup in 4 years led by Salah Jadid and Hafez al-Assad.
5. But these photos show the everyday side of life in this country.
6. Women wear a variety of clothes.
7. Men wear western style suits.
8. Many of Cushman's photographs feature animals.
9. In the mid-1960s, animals transported goods through the center of Damascus. Cushman named this shot "Full Loaded".
10. Sometimes animals also carried people.
11. "Big rider - little donkey," says the description of this photo.
12. Photos also show noisy street scenes.
13. Carts were littered with fruit.
14. Families bought everything they needed together.
15. And the merchants carried goods on their backs.
16. The minaret rises above the busy market.
17. The city center was overflowing with shoppers.
18. Crowded street.
19. Kushman captioned this photo: “Syrian skyscraper?”
20. This is the river Barada, which flows through Damascus.
21. "Sheep all over the Damascus Highway."
22. Agricultural land near Damascus.