Travel to the lost paradise: metamorphosis of travel to Damascus (II)

Abstract

This paper brings the most significant transformations undergone by the imagery of the city of Damascus in travel books, paying a special attention to the modern traveler. This image, which relies on the literary traditions of the subjects, but also on the historical and material changes suffered by the city, suggests initially an exotic-oriental city model, which is often transgressed since the second half of the nineteenth century. To complete this picture, in this second part, we resort to comparatism in order to identify the changes produced in some of Damascus’ most significant urban elements according to the texts.