Where you'll find me in Damascus insha'allah: Bab Tuma, the quarter where Saul stayed after he was blinded on the road and became the apostle Paul. We're going to a boutique hotel in an old Damascene house, complete with its own Turkish bath.
Through the wonders of Facebook I've learned of the television craze transfixing the Arab world this month: Bab al-Hara 3 - the third year of a month-long historical soap opera set in a fictional neighborhood of Damascus in the early 20th century. They run the series every night during Ramadan, and it's popular among Arab Christians and Jews as well as Muslims. Several of my young cousins mentioned it on Facebook so I looked it up. You can even see clips of previous series on YouTube.
The series depicts a fictional quarter of Damascus with all its characters and dramas, perhaps in the tradition of Naguib Mahfouz' novel, Midaq Alley. (Harat al-Midaq). Maybe I'll reread Midaq Alley for a little refresher. I also have a memoir of a woman who grew up in Damascus, and a biography of Asmahan, the famous Syrian/Druze singer (who made her career in Egypt).