p.

5.

the way. But, I'm forgetting, we are now in
Damascus & there was so little time, that we made
straight for the Great Mosque, having decided to see
that if nothing else. But it was Friday & we were
not allowed inside, as it was the time for midday
prayers. So we went around the outside, which was very
probably more interesting. It was possible to see into the
mosque - which has no roof, of course, & so there is
plenty of light - from various doors & gates in the walls.
There was not a great deal to see - various tall pinnacles
of minarets & fountains, lots of dirty Arabs bowing &
scraping - but the main thing was the mosaic
on one wall, which depicts Paradise & is very famous -
looked from where I was to be really very
lovely. There was much Ranan & pagan carving & uncovered
& not uncovered pillars & arches & gates & remains by
Nazi bombs. But the whole place is surrounded
by the old Syrian bazaar & market. Here, everybody
is making all manner of things int he open shop
windows: woodwork, metal work, jewelry, embroidery &
food & the cooking of it. It was absolutely interesting,
& you & I could have spent days just wandering
round looking & watching. I thought of it.
The funny little hankie I enclose was from the
modern part of the bazaar & cost 1 pence, which
equals 10 Syrian pounds which equals about 2-1.2d.
But the old part is a really remarkable hive
of human industry.

After this I went to the "Cercle des Officier"