A bazaar in Jerusalem, fishing boats on the Sea of Galilee and Bedouins at the Pyramids: Fascinating color photos from the 1890's reveal daily life in the Levant

These images were taken between 1890 and 1900 in the Levant - now Israel, Lebanon, Egypt, Syria and Palestine
They were originally taken in black and white but have since been restored to full color using Photochrom
Although the photographs were captured more than a century ago, many of the buildings remain the same today

PUBLISHED: 05:02 EST, 13 July 2016 | UPDATED: 07:49 EST, 13 July 2016

Taken over 100 years ago, these fascinating photographs reveal life in the Levant during the decade between 1890 and 1900.

They capture everyday scenes in what's now Israel, Lebanon, Egypt, Syria and Palestine.

Although the images were originally taken in black and white, they've been restored to full colour with the help of Photochrom technology - allowing an incredible insight into the lives of the people living in the Levant over a century ago.

Many of the images are set to a stunning backdrop, still largely untouched by civilization and certainly far from modernity.

In some of the scenes, travellers are seen tending to camels in arid landscapes while in others, fishermen are pictured on their traditional rowing boats. There are scenes from city life too, as groups of women are captured making bread while in the market streets, traders are busy selling their wares.

The images offer a fascinating perspective on a region that has changed dramatically in some ways but with its distinctive climate and unique architecture, in some destinations, looks surprisingly familiar.

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This photograph of Jaffa was taken between 1890 and 1900. The Israeli city had historically been a very important port for the country

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The street by the Tower of David in Jerusalem, circa 1900, had once been a bustling bazaar with traders selling their wares by the side of the road

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Plain of Esdraelon, also known as the Jezreel Valley, is the setting of this image of two labourers and their camel

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A group of fishermen is pictured on the waters in Tiberias, on the coast of the Sea of Galilee in Israel, around 1900

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Two young children, from a neighbourhood of Jerusalem, are pictured circa 1900 holding what appears to be Jerusalem artichokes

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Grain sellers, photographed around 1890, are trading on a street in Jerusalem. With them, they have traditional scales and a small mill

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Left, a water carrier in Jerusalem, taken between ca. 1890 and ca. 1900 and right, a Sheikh of a Palestine village, pictured in 1895

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This man is pictured in Sidon, Lebanon, looking out to sea. There are almost no boats on the waters but the city ahead is already built up

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A group of Bedouins, with their caravan of camels, are pictured around 1895, resting in front of the Pyramids of Giza

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Left, three elderly Jewish men in Jerusalem and right, two Bedouin men holding rifles pictured around 1900

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A native of Palestine is pictured in 1895 working with an ox and a donkey to turn the soil on a small patch of farm land

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A group of travellers are relaxing under an enormous tree in Lydda. Behind them, a small oasis can be seen in the distance

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A Syrian woman is pictured making traditional flat breads in this picture, while another one looks on with a child on her shoulders

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Damascus Gate, pictured in 1900, is one of the main entrances to the old city of Jerusalem. It still stands today

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Left, the Oak of Mamre near Hebron and right, the Church of the Redeemer in Jerusalem, both of which still stands today

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The Jaffa Gate, pictured in 1900, was another of the entrances to the historic city of Jerusalem. As apparent from the sign, it was already popular with tourists

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A group of men are pictured with their horses outside the Tomb of Samuel in Nebi-Samwil. The site had been a Jewish shrine, which was then taken over by Christians who built a church at the location. Later, a mosque was built in its place

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Left, the Arch of Ecce Homo pictured in 1900 and right, the Lion's Gate, pictured in 1900, which offers access to Jerusalem

Jewish institute

Sunday, July 24, 2016