Legacy in Stone

More about the book

This collection features 100 black-and-white photographs taken in Syria in 2003, documenting ancient sites that have since been lost or damaged due to the ongoing civil war. Photographer Kevin Bubriski, on assignment during the early days of the U.S. war in Iraq, captured not only the country's remarkable monuments but also the daily lives and stories of its people. Unbeknownst to him, a decade later, conflict would devastate much of what he had photographed. Before the war, the Suq in Aleppo was renowned as the longest continuously inhabited marketplace in the world, thriving for over two millennia. Bubriski's images reflect this vibrancy, showcasing bustling merchants and artisans. He also documented stunning sites such as the Dead Cities, the basilica of St. Simeon, and various pilgrimage locations, along with early Islamic sites near Raqqa and the ancient Roman trade cities of Apamea and Palmyra. Bubriski recalls the profound sense of discovery and awe he felt amidst such rich history, capturing the haunting beauty of these ruins with his Hasselblad camera, preserving their legacy forever in photographs.