Syria: An Economic Survey 



Batrum, in the Lebanon, the streets are paved with small, round 

 stones, in Tyre with small cobble-stones, etc. In the last few years 

 the government has forced each municipal administration to oc- 

 cupy itself with the laying out of new streets and the widening 

 of existing streets. In those cases where houses were torn down 

 the proprietors were indemnified. 



The houses built by natives have a large drawing room in the 

 center with numbers of doors leading into smaller rooms. (In 

 Damascus there are beautiful courts with fountains and trees.) 

 The rooms are furnished with rugs, mats, divans, and cushions; 

 there are no tables, chairs or closets. Bathrooms are practically 

 unknown. The first bathrooms and water closets were introduced 

 by the Jews of Tel- Aviv. 



B. The Price of Land and Rents. The price of city lots is 

 highest in Beirut. Then come Aleppo, Damascus, Jerusalem, 

 Jaffa and Haifa. Before the war lots were sold at the following 

 cost per pic (1 pic equals 0.5625 sq. meters) : 



Best Location in Near the Edge 



Center of Traffic of the City 



Beirut 200 10 



Aleppo 50 5 



Damascus 50 5 



Jerusalem 30 2 



Jaffa 30 2 



Haifa 30 2 



Tripoli 20 2 



Horns 15 2 



Hama 10 2 



Gaza 5 1 



The cost of building a one-story house containing four large 



and three small rooms, with a foundation of 62 square miles, is 

 approximately as follows: 



Building Material Francs 



Damascus framework filled in with sun-dried brick 8,000 



Jerusalem natural stone (hard) 20,000 



Jaffa " " (soft) 14,000 



Haifa " " (hard) 18,000 



Houses bring 3 to 4 per cent in Horns, Nablus, Gaza, etc., 

 8 to 10 per cent in the ports, and as much as 10 to 12 per cent 

 in those ports with the greatest immigration. 



82 



