The Old City of Damascus

Damascus, claimed to be the oldest continuously inhabited capital on earth, holds at its heart an ancient walled Old City that is a UNESCO World Heritage treasure of the Islamic and classical worlds. Within its Roman-founded walls wind atmospheric covered souks, above all the grand Souk al-Hamidiyah, leading to the magnificent Umayyad Mosque, one of the oldest and greatest mosques in the world, resplendent with golden mosaics. Around it spread a labyrinth of narrow lanes, hidden courtyard houses with fountains and citrus trees, old caravanserais, churches, hammams and shrines. Steeped in millennia of history, the Old City of Damascus is a place of extraordinary depth and atmosphere.

History

The ancient city on the south bank of the Barada was founded in the 3rd millennium BC and first appears as Ta-ms-qu in the 2nd millennium BC, in an Amorite region contested by the Hittites and the Egyptians; after the Sea Peoples weakened both around 1200 BC, the Arameans made it the capital of the kingdom of Aram-Damascus, from the 11th century until 733 BC. Its oval of about 86 hectares, crossed by the Straight Street, is enclosed by a 4.5-kilometre wall built mainly by the Romans and strengthened by the Ayyubids and Mamluks, and it holds the Umayyad Mosque, one of the largest and oldest mosques in the world. It became a World Heritage Site in 1979 and, like all Syrian sites, was put on the List of World Heritage in Danger in June 2013 (Wikipedia, Old city of Damascus).

The main sights

• The Umayyad Mosque - the great ancient mosque of golden mosaics.
• Souk al-Hamidiyah - the grand covered market street.
• The courtyard houses - the hidden homes with fountains and trees.
• The old lanes - the labyrinth of caravanserais, churches and shrines.

When to go

Spring and autumn, roughly March to May and September to November, are the most pleasant for wandering the souks, courtyards and lanes in mild weather; summer is hot and winter can be cool and wet. The covered souks offer welcome shade and atmosphere whatever the season.

Before you go

Restoration is under way in parts of the Old City, and a local guide helps greatly. As one of the oldest cities on earth, a living UNESCO World Heritage warren of souks, courtyard houses and the magnificent Umayyad Mosque, though, the Old City of Damascus is a treasure of extraordinary depth.

Nearby

The Straight Street, the old city walls and the surrounding quarters lie within reach.

Key facts