Damascus. From the journey to Palestine

Damascus. From the Journey to Palestine is Ciągliński's most panoramic view of the Syrian capital — a cityscape that encompasses the ancient city as a whole rather than a specific street or monument. Damascus in 1901 was still a largely medieval Islamic city, its ancient Aramaic street grid overlaid with Ottoman buildings and encircled by the gardens and orchards of the Ghouta oasis. The view from the surrounding hills shows the city as a compact mass of domes and minarets rising from a fertile plain framed by the Anti-Lebanon mountains.

The panoramic cityscape is built from warm ochre and sand tones with darker accents for domes and minarets. The surrounding oasis gardens provide green counterpoint to the city's stone. Atmospheric haze softens the distance. Ciągliński handles the complex subject with summary confidence.