This interview with Mahdi Al Mahdi took place on 24 September 2019, my last evening in Damascus before I flew out of Syria on my return trip to Australia.Â
I just chanced upon the ‘White and Black Quartet’ when I sat outside my hotel to chat with friends. It was a ‘magic moment’ for me. Â
https://youtu.be/oYcsQFdU9-g
Here, 'White and Black Quartet'...
Not so long ago, while driving my elderly mother to an appointment, I recorded traffic noises, snatches of our conversation, and, through the cacophony of traffic sounds, came the pure voice of Fairuz, the Lebanese diva cherished by people across Syria.
Susan Dirgham
Our Need for Music
Below is a quote from the 1964 book Music Education in the Primary School, published in Melbourne, Australia....
 Tima Kurdi, author of ‘The Boy On The Beach’ (Simon & Schuster, 2018), was born and raised in Damascus.Â
In 1992, she immigrated to Canada but maintained close links with her family in Syria. There were joyful reunions back in Damascus, but in September 2015, a personal tragedy struck the Kurdi family.
Tima’s younger brother Abdullah, his wife Rehanna, and their...
Part 2: Tima Kurdi, author of ‘The Boy On The Beach’ (Simon & Schuster, 2018), speaks to Sarah Nachar and Susan Dirgham about:
Women in SyriaÂ
COVID-19 and Sanctions on SyriaÂ
Syria - Our Good-Hearted MotherÂ
Women In Syria Today
Tima describes the dramatic changes that have taken place since she grew up in Syria, when women mainly stayed at home...
I was in Damascus for just over a week, and in a taxi with Athar and Rana on our way to the old city. First for a stroll in the Souq Al-Hamidiyah and then onto Beit Jabri for a juice and maybe lunch.
It's September 2019. Life has its burdens for the locals, no doubt, but they can still smile....
Dar Al Salam School, a private school in central Damascus, has a co-educational primary school section and a girls high school. Its principal and the majority of its staff are women.
I heard from a friend whose niece attended the school that it has a very good reputation.
I visited the school on 23 September 2019 to meet Nisreen, or 'Teacher...
Syrian actor and artist Faadi Sobeih was born in Damascus, Syria, on 1st November 1974 (currently aged 46).
His first days in his acting career began in 1998 in Damascus and became really famous. He is known for his acting in comedy and being featured in Syrian Drama TV. He loved acting when he was a kid and it was...
Interview with Lubna, recorded by Susan Dirgham in 2010
Extract:
In regard to women’s issues and the equality of the sexes, what are some of the differences of opinion in Syria?
You have a whole range of opinions. For example, men are demanding their rights, like to be equal to the women! They are saying, like, women have more rights than...
Tears for the Souq of Damascus
On the road to Damascus
I dreamed of the Souk
The delicious biscuit, barazeh
The over powering smell of maazoot
Souk El Hamadeyeh’s narrow lanes
Shoulder rubbing lanes of fabric
Copperware, clothing, underwear
The silversmiths, surely do reign
Traditional foods and modern cuisine
Great fashion and jewellery
Syria, home of pure cotton
High-rise buildings add to the scene
Mar Yohanna’s historical church
Now a mausoleum
The ancient...
Over lunch, I interviewed Hana about Fairuz, the Lebanese singer that Syrians across the country listen to in the mornings. Hana's daughter Karla helped translate.