The Ancient City of Damascus ( ar, دِمَشْق ٱلْقَدِيمَة, Dimašq al-Qadīmah) is the historic city centre of Damascus, Syria. The old city which is one of the

oldest continuously inhabited cities This is a list of present-day cities by the time period over which they have been continuously inhabited as a city. The age claims listed are generally disputed. Differences in opinion can result from different definitions of "city" as well as "c ...

in the world, contains numerous archaeological sites, including some historical churches and mosques. Many cultures have left their mark, especially Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine and Islamic. In 1979, the historical center of the city, surrounded by walls of

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...

era, was declared a

World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...

. In June 2013, UNESCO included all Syrian sites on the list of

World Heritage in Danger The List of World Heritage in Danger is compiled by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) through the World Heritage Committee according to Article 11.4 of the World Heritage Convention,Full title: ''Conv ...

to warn of the risks to which they are exposed because of the Syrian Civil War.

Origins and founding

Lying on the south bank of Barada River, the ancient city was founded in the 3rd millennium B.C. The horizontal diameter of the oval is about 1.5 km (0.9 mi) which is known as

Damascus Straight Street Straight Street, from the Latin Via Recta ( ar, الشارع المستقيم ''al-Shāriʿ al-Mustaqīm''), known as the Street called Straight ( gr, τήν ῥύμην τήν καλουμένην εὐθείαν) in the New Testament, is the ol ...

, while the vertical diameter ( la, Cardus Maximus) is about 1 km (0.6 mi). With an approximate area of 86.12 hectares (212.8 acres; 0.86 km2), the ancient city was enclosed within a historic wall of 4.5 km (2.8 mi) in circuit that was mainly built by the Romans, then fortified by the

Ayyubids The Ayyubid dynasty ( ar, الأيوبيون '; ) was the founding dynasty of the medieval Sultanate of Egypt established by Saladin in 1171, following his abolition of the Fatimid Caliphate of Egypt. A Sunni Muslim of Kurdish origin, Saladin ...

and Mamluks. The first mentioning of Damascus was as "Ta-ms-qu" in the second millennium BC, it was situated in an

Amorite The Amorites (; sux, 𒈥𒌅, MAR.TU; Akkadian: 𒀀𒈬𒊒𒌝 or 𒋾𒀉𒉡𒌝/𒊎 ; he, אֱמוֹרִי, 'Ĕmōrī; grc, Ἀμορραῖοι) were an ancient Northwest Semitic-speaking people from the Levant who also occupied la ...

region in the middle of a conflict zone between the

Hittites The Hittites () were an Anatolian people who played an important role in establishing first a kingdom in Kussara (before 1750 BC), then the Kanesh or Nesha kingdom (c. 1750–1650 BC), and next an empire centered on Hattusa in north-centra ...

and Egyptians. The city exercised tributary until the emergence of the

Sea Peoples The Sea Peoples are a hypothesized seafaring confederation that attacked ancient Egypt and other regions in the East Mediterranean prior to and during the Late Bronze Age collapse (1200–900 BCE).. Quote: "First coined in 1881 by the Fren ...

in 1200 BC whose raids helped in weakening the arch rivals. Consequently, the Semitic Arameans managed to establish the independent state of Aram-Damascus (11th century – 733 BC), naming the main city as ‘Dimashqu’ or ‘Darmeseq’.

Historical timeline

Throughout its history, Damascus has been part of the following states: *c. 2500–15th century BC,

Amorites The Amorites (; sux, 𒈥𒌅, MAR.TU; Akkadian: 𒀀𒈬𒊒𒌝 or 𒋾𒀉𒉡𒌝/𒊎 ; he, אֱמוֹרִי, 'Ĕmōrī; grc, Ἀμορραῖοι) were an ancient Northwest Semitic-speaking people from the Levant who also occupied lar ...

*15th century BC–late 12th century BC, New Kingdom of Egypt *late 12th century BC–732 BCE, Aram-Damascus *732 BC–609 BC,

Assyria Assyria ( Neo-Assyrian cuneiform: , romanized: ''māt Aššur''; syc, ܐܬܘܪ, ʾāthor) was a major ancient Mesopotamian civilization which existed as a city-state at times controlling regional territories in the indigenous lands of the ...

*609 BC–539 BC, Babylonia *539 BC–332 BC, Persian Achaemenid Empire *332 BC–323 BC,

Macedonian Empire Macedonia (; grc-gre, Μακεδονία), also called Macedon (), was an ancient kingdom on the periphery of Archaic and Classical Greece, and later the dominant state of Hellenistic Greece. The kingdom was founded and initially ruled ...

*323 BC–301 BC, Antigonid dynasty *301 BC–198 BC, Ptolemaic Kingdom *198 BC–167 BC, Seleucid Empire *167 BC–110 BC, Ituraea (semi-independent from Seleucids) *110 BC–85 BC,

Decapolis The Decapolis (Greek: grc, Δεκάπολις, Dekápolis, Ten Cities, label=none) was a group of ten Hellenistic cities on the eastern frontier of the Roman Empire in the Southern Levant in the first centuries BCE and CE. They formed a group ...

(semi-independent from Seleucids) *85 BC–64 BC, Nabataea *64 BC–27 BC,

Roman Republic The Roman Republic ( la, Res publica Romana ) was a form of government of Rome and the era of the classical Roman civilization when it was run through public representation of the Roman people. Beginning with the overthrow of the Roman Ki ...

*27 BC–395 AD,

Roman Empire The Roman Empire ( la, Imperium Romanum ; grc-gre, Βασιλεία τῶν Ῥωμαίων, Basileía tôn Rhōmaíōn) was the post- Republican period of ancient Rome. As a polity, it included large territorial holdings around the Mediter ...

*476–608,

Byzantine Empire The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...

*608–622,

Sassanid Persia The Sasanian () or Sassanid Empire, officially known as the Empire of Iranians (, ) and also referred to by historians as the Neo-Persian Empire, was the last Iranian empire before the early Muslim conquests of the 7th-8th centuries AD. Named ...

*622–634,

(restored) **529–634, Ghassanids *634–661, Rashidun Caliphate *661–750,

Umayyad Caliphate The Umayyad Caliphate (661–750 CE; , ; ar, ٱلْخِلَافَة ٱلْأُمَوِيَّة, al-Khilāfah al-ʾUmawīyah) was the second of the four major caliphates established after the death of Muhammad. The caliphate was ruled by th ...

*750–885,

Abbasid Caliphate The Abbasid Caliphate ( or ; ar, الْخِلَافَةُ الْعَبَّاسِيَّة, ') was the third caliphate to succeed the Islamic prophet Muhammad. It was founded by a dynasty descended from Muhammad's uncle, Abbas ibn Abdul-Muttalib ...

*885–905,

Tulunids The Tulunids (), were a Mamluk dynasty of Turkic origin who were the first independent dynasty to rule Egypt, as well as much of Syria, since the Ptolemaic dynasty. They were independent from 868, when they broke away from the central authority ...

*905–935,

(restored) *935–969,

Ikhshidids The Ikhshidid dynasty (, ) was a Turkic mamluk dynasty who ruled Egypt and the Levant from 935 to 969. Muhammad ibn Tughj al-Ikhshid, a Turkic mamluk soldier, was appointed governor by the Abbasid Caliph al-Radi. The dynasty carried the Arabic t ...

*970–973, Fatimid Caliphate *973–983, Qarmatians *983–1076, Fatimid Caliphate (restored) *1076–1104,

Seljuq Empire The Great Seljuk Empire, or the Seljuk Empire was a high medieval, culturally Turko-Persian, Sunni Muslim empire, founded and ruled by the Qïnïq branch of Oghuz Turks. It spanned a total area of from Anatolia and the Levant in the west to t ...

*1104–1154,

Burid dynasty The Burid dynasty was a dynasty of Turkish origin ''Burids'', R. LeTourneau, The Encyclopedia of Islam, Vol. I, ed. H.A.R. Gibb, J.H. Kramers, É. Lévi-Provençal and J. Schacht, (Brill, 1986), 1332. which ruled over the Emirate of Damascus i ...

*1154–1174, Zengids *1174–1260,

*1260 March–September, Mongol Empire *1260–1521,

Mamluk Sultanate The Mamluk Sultanate ( ar, سلطنة المماليك, translit=Salṭanat al-Mamālīk), also known as Mamluk Egypt or the Mamluk Empire, was a state that ruled Egypt, the Levant and the Hejaz (western Arabia) from the mid-13th to early 16t ...

*1516–1918,

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...

*1918–1920,

Occupied Enemy Territory Administration The Occupied Enemy Territory Administration (OETA) was a joint British, French and Arab military administration over Levantine provinces of the former Ottoman Empire between 1917 and 1920, set up on 23 October 1917 following the Sinai and Pale ...

*1920 March–July,

Arab Kingdom of Syria The Arabs (singular: Arab; singular ar, عَرَبِيٌّ, DIN 31635: , , plural ar, عَرَب, DIN 31635: , Arabic pronunciation: ), also known as the Arab people, are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in Western Asia, No ...

*1920–1924,

State of Damascus The State of Damascus (french: État de Damas; ar, دولة دمشق ') was one of the six states established by the French General Henri Gouraud in the French Mandate of Syria which followed the San Remo conference of 1920 and the defeat of K ...

under the French Mandate *1924–1946, French Mandate of Syria *1946–1958, Syrian Republic *1958–1960,

United Arab Republic The United Arab Republic (UAR; ar, الجمهورية العربية المتحدة, al-Jumhūrīyah al-'Arabīyah al-Muttaḥidah) was a sovereign state in the Middle East from 1958 until 1971. It was initially a political union between Eg ...

*1960–present, Syrian Arab Republic

Main sights

Damascus has a wealth of historical sites dating back to many different periods of the city's history. Since the city has been built up with every passing occupation, it has become almost impossible to excavate all the ruins of Damascus that lie up to below the modern level. The

Citadel of Damascus The Citadel of Damascus ( ar, قلعة دمشق, Qalʿat Dimašq) is a large medieval fortified palace and citadel in Damascus, Syria. It is part of the Ancient City of Damascus, which was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979. The loc ...

is located in the northwest corner of the Old City. The ''

'' (referred to in the

conversion Conversion or convert may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * "Conversion" (''Doctor Who'' audio), an episode of the audio drama ''Cyberman'' * "Conversion" (''Stargate Atlantis''), an episode of the television series * "The Conversion" ...

St. Paul Paul; grc, Παῦλος, translit=Paulos; cop, ⲡⲁⲩⲗⲟⲥ; hbo, פאולוס השליח (previously called Saul of Tarsus;; ar, بولس الطرسوسي; grc, Σαῦλος Ταρσεύς, Saũlos Tarseús; tr, Tarsuslu Pavlus; ...

Acts The Acts of the Apostles ( grc-koi, Πράξεις Ἀποστόλων, ''Práxeis Apostólōn''; la, Actūs Apostolōrum) is the fifth book of the New Testament; it tells of the founding of the Christian Church and the spread of its message ...

9:11), also known as the ''

Via Recta Straight Street, from the Latin Via Recta ( ar, الشارع المستقيم ''al-Shāriʿ al-Mustaqīm''), known as the Street called Straight ( gr, τήν ῥύμην τήν καλουμένην εὐθείαν) in the New Testament, is the ol ...

'', was the decumanus (east–west main street) of Roman Damascus, and extended for over . Today, it consists of the street of Bab Sharqi and the Souk Medhat Pasha, a covered market. The

Bab Sharqi Bab Sharqi ( ar, بَابٌ شَرْقِيٌّ, Bāb Šarqī; "The Eastern Gate"), also known as the Gate of the Sun, is one of the seven ancient city gates of Damascus, Syria. Its modern name comes from its location in the eastern side of the cit ...

street is filled with small shops and leads to the old Christian quarter of

Bab Tuma Bab Tuma ( ar, بَابُ تُومَا, Bāb Tūmā, meaning: "Gate of Thomas") is an area of the Old City of Damascus in Syria, and is also the name of one of the seven gates inside the historical walls of the city, which is a geographic landm ...

(St. Thomas's Gate).

Medhat Pasha Souq Midhat Pasha Souq ( ar, سُوق مِدْحَت بَاشَا, Sūq Midḥat Bāšā) also called Al-Taweel Souq ( ar, سُوق الطَّوِيل, Sūq aṭ-Ṭawīl, english: ''Long Market'') is a historically important souq which forms the weste ...

is also a main market in Damascus and was named after

Midhat Pasha Ahmed Şefik Midhat Pasha ( ota , احمد شفيق مدحت پاشا, 18 October 1822 – 26 April 1883) was an Ottoman democrat, kingmaker and one of the leading statesmen during the late Tanzimat period. He is most famous for leading the O ...

, the Ottoman governor of Syria who renovated the Souk. At the end of the Bab Sharqi street, one reaches the House of Ananias, an underground chapel that was the cellar of Ananias's house. The

Umayyad Mosque The Umayyad Mosque ( ar, الجامع الأموي, al-Jāmiʿ al-Umawī), also known as the Great Mosque of Damascus ( ar, الجامع الدمشق, al-Jāmiʿ al-Damishq), located in the old city of Damascus, the capital of Syria, is one of the ...

, also known as the Grand Mosque of Damascus, is one of the largest mosques in the world and also one of the oldest sites of continuous prayer since the rise of Islam. A shrine in the mosque is said to contain the body of St. John the Baptist. The mausoleum where

Saladin Yusuf ibn Ayyub ibn Shadi () ( – 4 March 1193), commonly known by the epithet Saladin,, ; ku, سه‌لاحه‌دین, ; was the founder of the Ayyubid dynasty. Hailing from an ethnic Kurdish family, he was the first of both Egypt and ...

was buried is located in the gardens just outside the mosque. Sayyidah Ruqayya Mosque, the shrine of the youngest daughter of Husayn ibn Ali, can also be found near the Umayyad Mosque. The ancient district of Amara is also within a walking distance from these sites. Another heavily visited site is Sayyidah Zaynab Mosque, where the tomb of

Zaynab bint Ali Zaynab bint Ali ( ar, زَيْنَب بِنْت عَلِيّ, ', ), was the eldest daughter of Ali, the fourth Rashidun caliph () and the first Shia Imam, and Fatima, the daughter of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. Zaynab is best known for her r ...

is located.

Souqs and Khans

* ''

Al-Hamidiyah Souq The Al-Hamidiyah Souq () is the largest and the central souk in Syria, located inside the old walled city of Damascus next to the Citadel. The souq is about long and wide, and is covered by a tall metal arch. The souq starts at Al-Thawra street ...

'', built (1780–1884) during the reign of Sultan

Abdul Hamid I Abdülhamid or Abdul Hamid I ( ota, عبد الحميد اول, ''`Abdü’l-Ḥamīd-i evvel''; tr, Birinci Abdülhamid; 20 March 1725 – 7 April 1789) was the 27th Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, reigning over the Ottoman Empire from 1774 ...

, the largest and the central souk in Syria, located inside the old walled city of Damascus next to the

Citadel A citadel is the core fortified area of a town or city. It may be a castle, fortress, or fortified center. The term is a diminutive of "city", meaning "little city", because it is a smaller part of the city of which it is the defensive core. I ...

. The souq is about 600 meters longسوق الحميدية - اكتشف سورية
/ref>Al-Hamidiyah Souk, main Damascus shopping centre - The Arab Weekly
/ref> and 15 meters wide, and is covered by a 10 meter tall metal arch. * ''

Midhat Pasha Souq Midhat Pasha Souq ( ar, سُوق مِدْحَت بَاشَا, Sūq Midḥat Bāšā) also called Al-Taweel Souq ( ar, سُوق الطَّوِيل, Sūq aṭ-Ṭawīl, english: ''Long Market'') is a historically important souq which forms the weste ...

'', named after the then Ottoman governor of Syria (and later Grand Vizier)

. * ''

Al-Buzuriyah Souq Al-Buzuriyah Souq ( ar, سُوقُ ٱلْبُزُورِيَّةِ, Sūq al-Buzūrīyah) is a historical souk located to the south of the Umayyad Mosque inside the old walled city of Damascus, Syria. The souk is famous for its spices vendors, and ...

'', 152 m (499 ft) in length. * '' Khan al-Harir'', completed in 1574. * ''

Khan Jaqmaq Khan Jaqmaq ( ar, خَان جَقْمَق, Ḵān Jaqmaq) is one of the few remaining caravansary, khans in the Old City of Damascus, it was built by the Mamluk emir, Sayf ad-Din Jaqmaq who was governor of Damascus in 1418–20. It was rebuilt to a ...

'', completed in 1420. * ''

Khan As'ad Pasha Khan As'ad Pasha ( ar, خَان أَسْعَد بَاشَا, Khān ʾAsʿad Bāşā) is the largest caravanserai () in the Old City of Damascus, covering an area of . Situated along Al-Buzuriyah Souq, it was built and named after As'ad Pasha al-Az ...

'', completed in 1752, covering an area of 2,500 square metres (27,000 sq ft). Situated along Al-Buzuriyah Souq, it was built and named after As'ad Pasha al-Azm. * ''

Khan Sulayman Pasha Khan Sulayman Pasha ( ar, خَان سُلَيْمَان بَاشَا, Khān Sulaymān Bāşā) is a large khan in the Old City of Damascus.Sulayman Pasha al-Azm.

Historic buildings

* '' Temple of Jupiter'', built by the Romans, beginning during the rule of

Augustus Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octavius; 23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), also known as Octavian, was the first Roman emperor; he reigned from 27 BC until his death in AD 14. He is known for being the founder of the Roman Pr ...

Burns, 2005, p. 61. and completed during the rule of

Constantius II Constantius II (Latin: ''Flavius Julius Constantius''; grc-gre, Κωνστάντιος; 7 August 317 – 3 November 361) was Roman emperor from 337 to 361. His reign saw constant warfare on the borders against the Sasanian Empire and Germanic ...

,Finegan, 1981, pp. 58–60. previously a temple dedicated to Hadad-Ramman, the god of thunderstorms and rain. * ''

'' ( la, Via Recta), a

street (

Decumanus Maximus In Roman urban planning, a decumanus was an east–west-oriented road in a Roman city or castrum (military camp). The main decumanus of a particular city was the Decumanus Maximus, or most often simply "the Decumanus". In the rectangular street g ...

) which runs from east to west in the old city, 1,500 metres in length. * ''

'', built (1076–1078) and (1203–1216) by Turkman warlord

Atsiz ibn Uvaq Atsiz ibn Uwaq al-Khwarizmi, also known as al-Aqsis, Atsiz ibn Uvaq, Atsiz ibn Oq and Atsiz ibn Abaq (died October 1079), was a Khwarezmian Turkish mercenary commander who established a principality in Palestine and southern Syria after seizing ...

, and

Al-Adil I Al-Adil I ( ar, العادل, in full al-Malik al-Adil Sayf ad-Din Abu-Bakr Ahmed ibn Najm ad-Din Ayyub, ar, الملك العادل سيف الدين أبو بكر بن أيوب,‎ "Ahmed, son of Najm ad-Din Ayyub, father of Bakr, the Just ...

. * ''

Nur al-Din Bimaristan Nur al-Din Bimaristan ( ar, البيمارستان النوري) is a large Muslim medieval ''bimaristan'' ("hospital") in Damascus, Syria. It is located in the al-Hariqa Al-Hariqa ( ar, الحريقة) is a neighborhood in Damascus, Syria. It lies ...

'', a large medieval '' bimaristan'' ("hospital"), built and named after the

Zengid The Zengid dynasty was a Muslim dynasty of Oghuz Turkic origin, which ruled parts of the Levant and Upper Mesopotamia on behalf of the Seljuk Empire and eventually seized control of Egypt in 1169. In 1174 the Zengid state extended from Tripoli ...

Sultan Nur ad-Din in 1154. * ''

Mausoleum of Saladin The Mausoleum of Saladin holds the resting place and grave of the medieval Muslim Ayyubid Sultan Saladin. It is adjacent to the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus, Syria. It was built in 1196, three years after the death of Saladin. In addition to the ...

'', built in 1196, the resting place and grave of the medieval Muslim Ayyubid Sultan

. * ''

Azm Palace Al-Azem Palace ( ar, قصر العظم) is a palace in Damascus, Syria, built in 1749. Located north of Al-Buzuriyah Souq in the Ancient City of Damascus, the palace was built in 1749 to be the private residence for As'ad Pasha al-Azem, the gove ...

'', built in 1750 as a residence for the Ottoman governor of Damascus

As'ad Pasha al-Azm As'ad Pasha al-Azem ( ar, أسعد باشا العظم, 1706 – March 1758) was the governor of Damascus under Ottoman rule from 1743 to his deposition in 1757. He was responsible for the construction of several architectural works in the city a ...

. * ''

Maktab Anbar Maktab Anbar ( ar, مكتب عنبر) (Anbar Office) is a house in the center of Old Damascus, Syria. The house was built as a private residence by a local Jewish notable Mr. Anbar in the mid 19th century and was later confiscated by the Ottoman ...

'', a mid 19th-century Jewish private mansion, restored by the

Ministry of Culture Ministry of Culture may refer to: *Ministry of Tourism, Cultural Affairs, Youth and Sports (Albania) * Ministry of Culture (Algeria) *Ministry of Culture (Argentina) *Minister for the Arts (Australia) *Ministry of Culture (Azerbaijan) * Ministry of ...

in 1976 to serve as a library, exhibition centre, museum and craft workshops. * '' Beit al-Mamlouka'', a 17th-century Damascene house, serving as a luxury boutique hotel within the old city since 2005.

Madrasas

* ''

Al-Adiliyah Madrasa Al-Adiliyah Madrasa () is a 13th-century madrasah located in Damascus )), is an adjective which means "spacious". , motto = , image_flag = Flag of Damascus.svg , image_seal = Emblem of Damascus. ...

'', a 13th-century madrasah. * '' Al-Fathiyah Madrasa'', built in 1743 by an Ottoman official named Fethi Al-Defterdar. * '' Al-Mujahidiyah Madrasa'', built in 1141 by Burid governor Mujahid al-Din bin Bazan bin Yammin al-Kurdu. * '' Al-Qilijiyah Madrasa'', established in 1254. * '' Al-Salimiyah Madrasa'', a 16th-century madrasah. * '' Al-Sibaiyah Madrasa'', established in 1515. * '' Al-Zahiriyah Library'', established in 1277, taking its name from its founder Sultan Baibars. * ''

Nur al-Din Madrasa The Nur al-Din Madrasa ( ar, الْمَدْرَسَةُ النُّورِيَّة, al-Madrasah an-Nūrīyah) is a funerary madrasa in Damascus, Syria. It is in the Suq al-Khayattin, inside the city walls. It was built in 1167 by Nūr ad-Dīn Zang� ...

'', built in 1167 by Nūr ad-Dīn Zangī.

Places of worship

Mosques

* '' Sayyidah Ruqayya Mosque'' contains the grave of

Sukayna bint Husayn Ruqayya bint al-Ḥusayn ( ar, رُقَيَّة بِنْت ٱلْحُسَيْن, born on the 20th of Rajab, 56 AH – 5 Rabi' al-Thani, 60 / 61 AH or 676 CE; died on the 10th of Safar, 60 / 61 AH or 680 / 681 CE), was the daughter of Husayn i ...

, also known as Ruqayyah, the young daughter of Al-Husayn ibn ‘Alī. * ''

Sulaymaniyya Takiyya The Sulaymaniyya Takiyya ( ar, التَّكِيَّة السُّلَيْمَانِيَّة, at-Takiyya as-Sulaymāniyya), known in Turkish as , is a '' takiyya'' ( Ottoman-era Arabic name for a mosque complex which served as a Sufi convent) in D ...

'', the western part of which, comprising a

mosque A mosque (; from ar, مَسْجِد, masjid, ; literally "place of ritual prostration"), also called masjid, is a place of prayer for Muslims. Mosques are usually covered buildings, but can be any place where prayers ( sujud) are performed, ...

and an ''

imaret Imaret, sometimes also known as a ''darüzziyafe'', is one of a few names used to identify the public soup kitchens built throughout the Ottoman Empire from the 14th to the 19th centuries. These public kitchens were often part of a larger comple ...

'', was commissioned by

Suleiman the Magnificent Suleiman I ( ota, سليمان اول, Süleyman-ı Evvel; tr, I. Süleyman; 6 November 14946 September 1566), commonly known as Suleiman the Magnificent in the West and Suleiman the Lawgiver ( ota, قانونى سلطان سليمان, Ḳ ...

and built between 1554 and 1559 to a design by

Mimar Sinan Mimar Sinan ( ota, معمار سينان, translit=Mi'mâr Sinân, , ) ( 1488–1490 – 17 July 1588) also known as Koca Mi'mâr Sinân Âğâ, ("Sinan Agha the Grand Architect" or "Grand Sinan") was the chief Ottoman architect ( tr, l ...

; the ''

Salimiyya Madrasa The Salimiyya Madrasa () is a 16th-century madrasa in Damascus, Syria. It is part of the Sulaymaniyya Takiyya, started under the Ottoman sultan Süleyman I. The madrasa was built after the rest of the complex, with stones which had been left ov ...

'' was built adjoining it in 1566 (named after Suleiman's son Selim II but possibly commissioned by Suleiman himself before his death) * ''

'', a mosque built on the site of Temple of Jupiter, and a Christian basilica which was dedicated to

John the Baptist John the Baptist or , , or , ;Wetterau, Bruce. ''World history''. New York: Henry Holt and Company. 1994. syc, ܝܘܿܚܲܢܵܢ ܡܲܥܡܕ݂ܵܢܵܐ, Yoḥanān Maʿmḏānā; he, יוחנן המטביל, Yohanān HaMatbil; la, Ioannes Bapti ...

( Yahya). * ''

Nabi Habeel Mosque Nabi Habeel Mosque ( ar, مَسْجِد ٱلنَّبِي هَابِيْل, Masjid An-Nabī Hābīl; tr, Nabi Habeel Camii), or "Mosque of the Prophet Abel", is a shrine dedicated to Habeel, located on the west mountains of Damascus, near the ...

'' * '' Sinan Pasha Mosque'' * ''

Darwish Pasha Mosque The Darwish Pasha Mosque ( ar, جَامِع دَرْوِيش بَاشَا, Jāmiʿ Darwīš Bāšā, transliteration: ''Jami Darwish Pasha'', tr, Derviş Paşa Camii) is a 16th-century mosque in Damascus, Syria Syria ( ar, سُورِي� ...

'' * '' Aqsab Mosque'' * '' Yalbugha Mosque'' * '' Hanabila Mosque'' * '' Sayyidah Zaynab Mosque''

Churches

* ''

House of Saint Ananias The House of Saint Ananias (also called Saint Ananias House or Chapel of Saint Ananias; ar, كَنيسَةُ الْقِدِّيسِ حَنَانِيَا, Kanīsat al-Qiddīs Ḥanāniyā) is an ancient underground structure in Damascus, Syria, th ...

'', an ancient underground structure in Damascus, Syria, that is alleged to be the remains of the home of

Ananias of Damascus Ananias ( ; grc, Ἀνανίας from Hebrew חנניה, ''Hananiah'', "favoured of the ") was a disciple of Jesus at Damascus mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles in the Bible, which describes how he was sent by Jesus to restore the sight o ...

, where Ananias baptized Saul (who became Paul the Apostle). * '' Cathedral of the Dormition of Our Lady'', also called "Greek-Melkite Patriarchal Cathedral of the Dormition of Our Lady", the Catholic cathedral of Melkite Greek Church. * ''

Mariamite Cathedral of Damascus The Mariamite Cathedral of Damascus, also known as the Maryamiyya Church ( ar, الكَنِيسَة المَرْيَمِيَّة, al-Kanīsah al-Maryamīyah), is one of the oldest Greek Orthodox churches in Damascus, Syria and holds the seat of t ...

'', the seat of the

Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch The Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch ( el, Ελληνορθόδοξο Πατριαρχείο Αντιοχείας), also known as the Antiochian Orthodox Church and legally as the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East ( ar ...

. After the Muslim conquest of Damascus the church was closed until 706 AD when al-Walid ordered to return it to the Christians as a compensation for the Church of John the Baptist which was turned into the

. * '' Chapel of Saint Paul'' * '' Cathedral of Saint George'' * '' Syriac Catholic Cathedral of Saint Paul''

Gates

The old part of the city is surrounded with 4.5-kilometre-long (2.8-mile) thick walls, pierced by the seven historical gates, the eighth gate was added later by Muslims. These are, clockwise from the north-east side: *

(Gate of Thomas), dedicated to

Venus Venus is the second planet from the Sun. It is sometimes called Earth's "sister" or "twin" planet as it is almost as large and has a similar composition. As an interior planet to Earth, Venus (like Mercury) appears in Earth's sky never f ...

. *

(The Eastern Gate), dedicated to the Sun. * Bab Kisan (Kisan Gate), dedicated to Saturn. *

Bab al-Saghir ''Bāb aṣ-Ṣaghīr'' ( ar, بَـاب الـصَّـغِـيْـر, "Small Gate"), also called ''Goristan-e-Ghariban'', may refer to one of the seven gates in the Old City of Damascus, and street in the modern city of Damascus, Syria. It has ...

(also called "Goristan-e-Ghariban"), dedicated to

Jupiter Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun and the largest in the Solar System. It is a gas giant with a mass more than two and a half times that of all the other planets in the Solar System combined, but slightly less than one-thousandth t ...

. * Bab al-Jabiyah (Gate of the Water Trough), dedicated to

Mars Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun and the second-smallest planet in the Solar System, only being larger than Mercury. In the English language, Mars is named for the Roman god of war. Mars is a terrestrial planet with a thin at ...

. * Bab al-Faradis (The Gate of the Paradise), dedicated to Mercury. *

Bab al-Salam Bab al-Salam ( ar, بَابُ السَّلَامِ, Bāb as-Salām) (''The Gate of Peace'') is one of the seven ancient city-gates of Damascus, Syria Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the ...

(The Gate of Peace), dedicated to the Moon. * Bab al-Faraj (The Gate of Deliverance), a gate which was built completely after the Muslim conquest of the Levant.

Hammams

The presence of public baths ( ḥammāms) in Damascus started during the

Umayyad The Umayyad Caliphate (661–750 CE; , ; ar, ٱلْخِلَافَة ٱلْأُمَوِيَّة, al-Khilāfah al-ʾUmawīyah) was the second of the four major caliphates established after the death of Muhammad. The caliphate was ruled by the ...

era, while some historians date them back to the

era. The Damascene baths were mentioned by a number of Damascus historians, such as

Ibn 'Asakir Ibn Asakir ( ar-at, ابن عساكر, Ibn ‘Asākir; 1105–c. 1176) was a Syrian Sunni Islamic scholar, who was one of the most renowned experts on Hadith and Islamic history in the medieval era. and a disciple of the Sufi mystic Abu al-Najib S ...

(1106–1175 AD) in his famous book "The History of Damascus". In his book, Ibn 'Asakir named 77 of baths working at that time within the city. The historian Ibn Shaddad counted 114 baths located in Damascus in 1250 AD. The number of these baths increased to 365 during the Ottoman era, then decreased drastically to reach 60 baths in the late nineteenth century AD. Today, however, the number of baths in full operation is barely 20, the most famous of them is the "Nour al-Din al-Shahid" bath in the

Districts and subdivisions

* Al-Qaymariyya * Al-Amarah Al-Jouwaniyah * Al-Amin **Jewish quarter *

**Al-Jourah *

Al-Hariqa Al-Hariqa ( ar, الحريقة) is a neighborhood in Damascus, Syria. It lies inside the walls of the old city south of the Citadel of Damascus between the late-Ottoman-era markets of al-Hamidiyah Souq and Medhat Pasha Souq. The neighborhood was kno ...

* Ma'azanat ash-Shahm * Shaghour al-Juwani

Preservation of the ancient city

Threats to the future of the old City

Due to the rapid decline of the population of Old Damascus (between 1995 and 2009 about 30,000 people moved out of the old city for more modern accommodation), a growing number of buildings are being abandoned or are falling into disrepair. In March 2007, the local government announced that it would be demolishing Old City buildings along a stretch of rampart walls as part of a redevelopment scheme. These factors resulted in the Old City being placed by the

World Monuments Fund World Monuments Fund (WMF) is a private, international, non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of historic architecture and cultural heritage sites around the world through fieldwork, advocacy, grantmaking, education, and trainin ...

on its 2008 Watch List of the 100 Most Endangered Sites in the world. It is hoped that its inclusion on the list will draw more public awareness to these significant threats to the future of the historic Old City of Damascus.

Current state of old Damascus

In spite of the recommendations of the

World Heritage Center: * Souq al-Atiq, a protected buffer zone, was destroyed in three days in November 2006; * King Faysal Street, a traditional hand-craft region in a protected buffer zone near the walls of Old Damascus between the Citadel and ''Bab Touma'', is threatened by a proposed motorway. * In 2007, the Old City of Damascus and notably the district of

have been recognized by The World Monument Fund as one of the most endangered sites in the world. In October 2010,

Global Heritage Fund Global Heritage Fund is a non-profit organization that operates internationally. Founded in California, United States, California in 2002, its mission is to "transform local communities by investing in global heritage." To date, it has partnere ...

named Damascus one of 12 cultural heritage sites most "on the verge" of irreparable loss and destruction. The old city outside of the walls of the Roman era, is also considered part of the old Damascus, however, it hasn't been given the same historical priority. During the French mandate, Michel Écochard, the French architect, planned an urban scheme for the city, that advised to only reserve the parts of the old city inside the Roman walls. This approach has been adopted later by the ruling governments of Syria, which contributed to demolishing parts of its old neighborhoods. Old houses in Sarouja, Al Midan, and Shagour Barrani was replaced by new buildings for trade mainly.

References

Bibliography

* * {{Damascus Historic sites in Syria Geography of Damascus Neighborhoods of Damascus World Heritage Sites in Danger Architecture in Syria Arabic architecture History of Damascus

Origins and founding

Historical timeline

Main sights

Souqs and Khans

Historic buildings

Madrasas

Places of worship

Mosques

Churches

Gates

Hammams

Districts and subdivisions

Preservation of the ancient city

Threats to the future of the old City

Current state of old Damascus

See also

References

Bibliography