Damascus

Syria's capital and one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities on Earth, Damascus preserves millennia-old souks and alleyways amid the fertile Ghouta plain.

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One of the world's oldest continuously inhabited cities, over 7,000 years

The Umayyad Mosque was built on the site of a Roman temple and Byzantine church

The Old City is a UNESCO World Heritage Site

Historically famed for Damask textiles and Damascus steel swords

Damascus is the capital of Syria and one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, with a settlement history spanning more than seven thousand years. The city lies at the foot of Mount Qasioun amid a green oasis known as the Ghouta, and has long served as a key stop on trade caravan routes between East and West.

Pearl of the East

At the heart of the Old City stands the Umayyad Mosque, one of the oldest and grandest mosques in the Islamic world, built atop the remains of a Roman temple and a Byzantine church, reflecting the city's layered history. Around it stretch historic souks like Al-Hamidiyah, famous for its iron-vaulted roof, where traditional crafts such as Damask textiles and mosaic work remain alive today.

The Umayyad Mosque, one of the oldest mosques in Islamic history
Al-Hamidiyah Souq, Damascus's most famous historic market
The historic Damascus Citadel on the edge of the Old City
Traditional Damascene houses with ornate inner courtyards

The Old City of Damascus is inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in recognition of its architectural and historical richness. Through the ages the city has been called the "Pearl of the East" and "Paradise on Earth" for the beauty of its orchards and the abundance of water from the seven rivers surrounding it.