So amongst the (probably very few) cool things the Syrian regime, or at least the Damascene municipality has done is to put smart-looking shiny blue captions under street signs named after historical figures, poets, or places that explain who or what they were and what their significance is. I have decided to photograph as many of these as I can and post each one on Kabob with a translation of the caption (for those who cannot read god’s language). What I’d really love is for commenters to add or correct me on the information provided about the person/place/event to see what the authorities here consider “fit to print”, so I will translate the captions exactly as they’re written even if my own information may be different. The first sign is the one above about…

…al-Mutanabbi, Ahmad ibn il-Husayn, a pride of arab poets, born in 303 A.H./915 A.D., grew up in the Levant, gained his fame at the court of Saif al-Daula al-Hamadani and was killed in 354 A.H./965 A.D

Shar`ia Ishbiliya (Seville St.) near my current apartment:

Seville, an Andalusian city conquered by the Arab Muslims in 712 A.H. whose fame became widespread during the reign of the Bani `Imad dynasty, and was famous for its fruit and olive trees.

Related posts:

1. Proposal to Name Street After Qana
2. The Arab-American FOB Street on Politics: What they’re saying about the primaries
3. When the Wall Street Journal Supports Palestine
4. Downing Street Strikes Back!
5. Living on antsy street, Over your head like a Banksy Piece