Suphanieh, Damascus

‎Passing through Bab Tuma, or gate of St. Thomas, at the northeast angle of the city wall, and proceeding eastward a short distance, we find a collection of tombs clustered together in a white-domed building, where rest the remains of the famous Sheik Arlan, a poet of the time of Mured Din. If we go through the gate of the tomb eastward a few minutes’ walk will bring us to Suphanieh Garden. The scenery here is beautiful beyond description. You almost fancy that you tread on enchanted ground, the cool waters of the Abana gurgling and glistening on their way, while overhead the branches of the trees interlace and cast flickering shadows below. You can truly say with the poet:

‎The drooping branches touching the cool water, the bee in the brier rose, the wind in the poplar, all this labyrinth of leafage so lavish “checkering the sunshine,” make the place enchanting. Near this is the road leading to the Jobar. “It is a sweet, quiet ride,” says Porter; “the winding lanes are shaded by the spreading boughs of magnificent walnuts and lined with blooming orchards.” Jobar is a favorite resort of wealthy Jews. It is their park and their café. There they spend their long afternoons, often the entire night, under boughs of vine and jessamine.