Thursday, Jan. 24, 6:30 p.m.—RUTLAND— On Thursday, Jan. 24 at 6:30 p.m., Phoenix Books Rutland will host Kevin Bubriski for a talk on his new book, “Legacy in Stone: Syria Before the War,” a collection of 100 black-and-white photographs taken throughout Syria in 2003, documenting and immortalizing many important ancient sites which are now no longer there due to the on going Syrian civil war.
Kevin Bubriski was on assignment in Syria in 2003, during the infancy of the U.S. war in neighboring Iraq. He was photographing the country’s ancient monuments, as well as documenting the daily lives and ordinary human stories of its citizens. Unbeknownst to him, within the decade, a war would break out in Syria, and destroy or damage much of what he had photographed.
Until the Syrian civil war in 2010, the Suq in Aleppo was considered to be the longest continuously inhabited place of commerce in the world, existing for well over two millennia. Bubriski photographed the Suq while it was still thriving, teeming with merchants and artisans. He also captured stunning, decisive images from the Dead Cities, the basilica of St. Simeon, the pilgrimage sites of Serjilla, al-Bara, Kharab Shams, Mushabak, Baqirha, Qalb Lozeh, Resafe, early Islamic sites near Raqqa, and the ancient Roman trade cities of Apamea and Palmyra.
Bubriski recalls a special sense of discovery and awe being in a place of such rich history and haunting beauty. He remembers holding his breath and seeing the ruins take shape on the ground-glass of his Hasselblad camera as he gathered and preserved these sites forever in photographs.
This event is free and open to all. Phoenix Books Rutland is located at 2 Center St., Rutland. Copies of the featured title will be available for attendees to purchase and have signed. For more information, call 802-855-8078 or visit phoenixbooks.biz.
Photo by Luc Burns.
Kevin Bubriski
