Hamada Kassam, a Syrian national and Assistant Professor of English at Zayed University, who had to postpone his QF Fellowship following Executive Order 13769, has written about the taste and talent for the timeless which explains Mark Twain's fascination with Damascus, most evident in INNOCENTS ABROAD. 

You can read Dr. Kassam’s personal narrative at MarkTwainStudies.org. While you’re there, check out recent posts by Dwayne Eutsey, Ronald Jenn, Steve Webb, and myself. The website is completing it’s fourth and busiest month, with over 12,000 unique visitors.