Not far from Al-Hamidiyah Souq stood the Damascus National Museum, where I spent most of my twenties.
There, among the remnants of the past, I learned the true true essence of culture captured by the hands of the many over millennia—those who carved, sculpted, painted, lived life, told stories.
Damascus, continuously inhabited for thousands of years, has been a melting pot of cultures, religions, and innovations, facilitating the exchange of goods, ideas, art, and science through the Silk Road.
But no matter how many times I walked through the halls of the museum, the Ugaritic tablet always took my breath away.
Not because it held one of the earliest known alphabets, it was because of something my father said to me.
My father’s words made me see everything about Syria in a different light. Walking through the National Museum didn’t fill me with pride or hubris. Instead, it reminded me of my place in the intricate fabric of human existence.
Museums are timeless mirrors reflecting our past, present, and future. They hold the essence of who we are and what we can become.
-----
Subscribe for more stories at the intersection of art, culture, and technology.