by Wickhambrook History Society
There was an excellent turn-out for our first meeting of the year. One of our members, Antony Foreman, gave a talk entitled ‘Snapshots of Syria’ which was based on a trip he had taken there in the 1990s. To most of us, Damascus, Aleppo and Raqqa are the names of war torn areas of the country but we were shown a beautiful, fertile and cultured country before the latest conflict destroyed so much of the art and architecture.
As Antony pointed out several times during his talk, this is a part of the world which has experienced upheaval like no other, since the time of Queen Zenobia in the third century. So many tribes, religions and land grabs have meant that the latest crisis is just that.
There was a Suffolk connection to Syria, much to our surprise. The pitch which coated the famous ship found at Sutton Hoo was imported from Syria, so trade routes were established in the time of the Anglo –Saxons.
This talk covered history, geography, art and current affairs and was much enjoyed by the members.
Our next meeting is on Tuesday 20th February when Sarah Doig will talk on East Anglian almshouses.