Alumni Reunite in Damascus

	Amr Armanazi '67, Alyson King '00, Huda Armanazi, Yuri Shentsov '01, Minira Mustafina, Ayman Jarjour '00, Missak Baghboudarian, Jihan Alaili '01,  Awad Jarjour, Lydia Jarjour and Carole Rigaud
	Minira Mustafina and her daughter, Katie Hickerson '09,  Jihan Alaili '01, Mustafa Ali, Alyson King '00, Ayman Jarjour '00 and Yuri Shentsov '01
	Back row: Yuri Shentsov '01, Ayman Jarjour '00, Alyson King '00, Minira Mustafina and her daughter. Front row: Omar Nasser Edin '07, Charles Hunter, Chargé d’Affaires of the US Embassy in Damascus, Jihan Alaili '01, Katie Hickerson '09, Reem Qaisi and Nemati Alami.

Over the weekend of April 29 nearly 20 I-House alumni and guests gathered in Damascus, Syria for the first ever alumni event there. The Syrian, Scottish, Lebanese, Jordanian, Egyptian, American and Russian alumni travelled from five different countries to attend the reunion.

Organized by World Council of Alumni members Ayman Jarjour ’00 and Alyson King ’00, the weekend included opportunities for the visiting alumni to meet with representatives from different sectors of life in Syria: NGOs, finance, the arts, and the UN. A highlight was a luncheon with Charles Hunter, Chargé d’Affaires of the US Embassy in Damascus and currently the highest ranking US diplomat in Syria.

The weekend kicked off with a welcome reception hosted by Jarjour and King at their home. Activities on Friday included brunch at Shakespeare And Co, a modern English-inspired café in downtown Damascus, and a tour of Damascus's famous old city, taking in the Omayyad Mosque and the magnificent 18th century Ottoman Azem Palace. Alumni enjoyed a lively dinner at Al Khawali restaurant and explored the old city including an old Damascene house which has been continuously occupied by its owners since the 18th century.

Other weekend activities included a visit to the National Museum, which houses the world's first alphabet and a stunning 2nd century synagogue, and the 16th century Tekkiye Suleimaniyeh complex built by the famous Turkish architect Sinan. Alumni especially enjoyed a visit to the gallery of Mustafa Ali, a renowned sculptor and arts advocate in the Jewish quarter, whose work many of the alumni had heard about from afar. Ali offered a tour and explanations of his art on display.

As the weekend came to a close, alumni agreed that the gathering was a good start for hosting ongoing activities in the region. Those in attendance discussed hosting the next reunion in Amman, Cairo or Beirut. If you would like to get involved, please contact Nicole Davidson at ndavidson@ihouse-nyc.org or 1-212-316-8425.

Additional photographs from the weekend can be found in the alumni photo gallery. Please note: log in is required. Please contact alumni@ihouse-nyc.org for instructions on how to register with the I-House website.