Exterieur van het mausoleum van Saladin, Damascus c. 1867 - 1877

This albumen print of the exterior of Saladin's mausoleum in Damascus was created in the late 19th century by Félix Bonfils. Bonfils was part of a wave of European photographers who traveled to the Middle East, documenting its landscapes and architecture through a colonial gaze. The image captures the mausoleum in a state of disrepair, reflecting a Western fascination with the ‘Orient’ as ancient and decaying. This aestheticization obscures the ongoing cultural and historical significance of sites like Saladin's tomb to the local population. Saladin, revered as a hero and a symbol of pan-Arab nationalism, is here reduced to a picturesque ruin. Consider the power dynamics at play: a European photographer capturing an Islamic monument, framing it for a Western audience. The photograph becomes a symbol of cultural appropriation and the power of representation. It invites us to reflect on whose stories are being told, and how they are being framed.