The Bawabet Dimashq ( ar, بوابة دمشق, Bawābat Dimashq, lit=''Damascus Gate''), is a family owned

restaurant A restaurant is a business that prepares and serves food and drinks to customers. Meals are generally served and eaten on the premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services. Restaurants vary greatly in appearan ...

Damascus )), is an adjective which means "spacious". , motto = , image_flag = Flag of Damascus.svg , image_seal = Emblem of Damascus.svg , seal_type = Seal , map_caption = , ...

Syria Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...

, that opened in 2002. It is the largest restaurant in the world, as listed by the Guinness World Records. ANNA newsreel from 2014 shows the abandoned compound during the Syrian Civil War in 2014. The structure cost $40 million to construct and is owned by Shaker al Samman. The restaurant has a 54,000 sq-m dining area, 2,500 sq-m kitchen, can serve 6,014 people, and during peak operation, 1,800 staff are employed. The restaurant has features such as waterfalls, fountains and replicas of archaeological ruins of Syria, and six culinary themed sections for Indian,

Chinese Chinese can refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation ** List of ethnic groups in China, people of va ...

, Arab, Iranian,

Middle Eastern The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Province), East Thrace (European ...

and

Syrian Syrians ( ar, سُورِيُّون, ''Sūriyyīn'') are an Eastern Mediterranean ethnic group indigenous to the Levant. They share common Levantine Semitic roots. The cultural and linguistic heritage of the Syrian people is a blend of both indi ...

Cuisine A cuisine is a style of cooking characterized by distinctive ingredients, techniques and dishes, and usually associated with a specific culture or geographic region. Regional food preparation techniques, customs, and ingredients combine to ...

. The restaurant received the title as the largest restaurant in the world by the Guinness World Records on May 29, 2008, taking the title from the Mang Gorn Luang or ''Royal Dragon'' restaurant in Bangkok, Thailand, which caters to up to 5,000 diners. The restaurant was closed for seven years. In 2018, after the success of the Rif Dimashq offensive by the

Syrian Army " (''Guardians of the Homeland'') , colors = * Service uniform: Khaki, Olive * Combat uniform: Green, Black, Khaki , anniversaries = August 1st , equipment = , equipment_label = , battles = 1948 Arab–Israeli War Six ...

, the restaurant was reopened.

References

{{Coord, 33, 26, 23, N, 36, 24, 24, E, display=title Restaurants in Damascus 2002 establishments in Syria