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| Allan Scott enlistment photo Source: www.naa.gov.au |
My Grandfather, Allan Richard Scott, enrolled with the Australian Military Forces on 7th February 1942. Within 7 months he was in the Middle East. It seems that he had some time for seeing the sights as there are a number of photos from his time abroad.
While in the Middle East he visited many sites in Jerusalem, which I shall share with you over time, including the Mosque of Omar, which is more commonly known as The Dome of the Rock and is a sacred site for Jews, Muslims and Christians. The old black and white photos do not do justice as the mosque is very colourful and intricately decorated.
You can read more about the mosque here and there are some wonderful colourful photos here.
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| From the Album of Allan Scott (1942 or 1943) " Approach to Mosque" |
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| From the album of Allan Scott (1942 - 1943) "Mosque of Omar" |
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| From the Album of Allan Scott (1942 or 1943) "Holy Rock - Inside Mosque of Omar" |
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| From the Album of Allan Scott (1942 or 1943) "Holy Rock - Inside Mosque of Omar" |
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| This post was prompted by Sepia Saturday. Click to read more posts It was difficult to match this weeks prompt. The dome of the mosque reminded me of the ball. |
You are so right. That mosque is beautiful, more so in person, I imagine. The planning that went into it - the construction - blows my mind! And what a difference 70 years makes. It hardly looks like the same place.
ReplyDeleteI imagine that it was scene of beauty in a terrible time in my grandfather's life.
DeleteColor makes such a difference in this case.
ReplyDeleteThank you for supplying an easy way to see the mosque in color. It is truly beautiful. But those multiple stairs are another matter altogether. Whew!
ReplyDeleteSuch as shame that they built so close to it though!
DeleteGreat to have those photos of the mosque from your grandfather's perspective. They are amazing architectural,constructions. We visited the famous Blue Mosque in Istanbul several years ago.
ReplyDeleteIt is very precious to have these old black and white photos shot by your grandfather.
ReplyDeleteI am very fortunate to have my grandparents albums for scanning.
DeleteBeautiful mosque- something I will never see in my lifetime. Thanks for sharing your grandfather's memories.
ReplyDeleteNo, I don't think I will either.
DeleteFantastic B & W photos of a historic place. What a difference from when there were trees still around it, to the later photos where fences are here and there. And it was great that your grandfather had the opportunity to take photos inside as well. Many thanks.
ReplyDeleteYes, it does not seem that there are modern day photos of the inside.
DeleteDome, ball...a logical transition. Thank goodness your grandfather had enough spare time to get these images. And that your family saved them.
ReplyDeleteA pity that he did not write about it in his letter home, which we have also
DeleteEven though the war was a terrible catastrophe, one bright spot was giving many men like Allan Scott an opportunity to see parts of the world that they would never have visited in peacetime. How could we measure the expanded imaginations that such travel produced?
ReplyDeleteYou are very right. It may have been his stories, which encouraged my grandmother to travel later in life.
DeleteMy father was in India during the war and I still remember a snapshot of the Taj Mahal. I am going to ask my sister if she still has it.
ReplyDeleteHave you been able to visit it?
DeleteAmazing photos. Don't you wish you could hear him talking about his experiences now?
ReplyDeleteI never met my grandfather but yes I would have loved to hear him speak about his experiences!
DeleteA beautiful building and of course Allan would have seen it in colour too!
ReplyDeleteHopefully there are prompts soon so I can highlight some more of his photos :)
DeleteThat's so amazing you have this photos! What a great memory or maybe better to say history. AS for me, my grandparents have just a few photos when they were young, as they lived in a really small countryside.
ReplyDeleteI am very fortunate and thank my grandmother constantly!
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