Ancient City of Damascus

　　The Ancient City of Damascus was built in the 3rd century BC and is one of the oldest cities in the Middle East. During the Middle Ages, Damascus was a thriving hub for handicrafts (such as swords and belts). Among its 125 monumental buildings dating from different historical periods, the 8th-century Great Mosque is the most magnificent. The Ancient City of Damascus is located in the southwestern part of Syria, at the foothills of the Anti-Lebanon Mountains, built on the slopes of the majestic Qasioun Mountain. In 1979, UNESCO designated the Ancient City of Damascus as a cultural heritage site and included it in the World Heritage List.

　　The Ancient City of Damascus is enclosed by a defensive city wall with gates, and its layout retains the style established since the period of the Umayyad Caliphate. The city’s 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 heritage from which the Ancient City of Damascus originated. Among its many historic buildings, the Great Mosque, which reflects the city’s development through various historical periods, is a top destination for pilgrims; it is also one of the holiest sites in Islam.