The Old City of Damascus

The Old City of Damascus

The Old City of Damascus was built in the 3rd century BC and is one of the oldest cities in the Middle East. During the medieval period, Damascus was a thriving hub of handicrafts (such as swords and sashes). Among its 125 monumental buildings from various historical periods, the Great Mosque from the 8th century is the most magnificent. The Old City of Damascus is situated in the southwestern part of Syria, at the foothills of the Anti-Lebanon Mountains, built on the slopes of the majestic Mount Qasioun. In 1979, UNESCO inscribed the Old City of Damascus as a cultural heritage site on the World Heritage List.

The Old City of Damascus is enclosed by a defensive city wall with gates, and its layout retains the style established since the Caliphate period of the Umayyad dynasty. The urban design preserves some of the planning structures from the Roman and Byzantine periods (such as streets oriented according to the four cardinal points). Covered markets, caravan enclosures, palaces, minarets, and domes all testify to the Islamic origins of the Old City of Damascus. Among its many historic buildings, the Great Mosque, which records the city’s development through different eras, is a top destination for pilgrims; it is also one of the holiest sites in Islam.