Damascus is the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world. It has occupied a position of importance in the fields of science, culture, politics, art, commerce, and industry from the earliest times. It has been called `al-Fayha` (the `fragrant city`), al-Sham, Jollaq, and `Peral of the Orient` as the Emperor Julian named it. It was mentioned in the Holy Qur'an as `the many-columned city of Aram, whose like has never been built in the land. It was also mentioned 59 times in the Holy Bible.

Early references to the city, such as those in the Ebla tablets, confirm that `Dameski' (i.e. Damascus) during the third millennium B.C. was a city of immense economic influence. Ancient Pharaonic scripts refer to it as `Dameska'. It enjoyed great prominence during the second millennium B.C. as the centre of an Aramaic kingdom under the name of `Dar-misiq' (`the irrigated house'). The Aramites were the original inhabitants of Damascus, and their language was Syriac. Many villages around Damascus are still known by their Aramaic names.

Damascus fell under the domination of the Greeks, the Romans, and the Byzantines. They all left their mark on the city as visitors can still readily observe today. In the Roman era, Damascus was first among the ten most prominent cities. It received many privileges, especially during the reign of the Syrian dynasty of Roman emperors. It was from Damascus that the most talented architect of the Roman Empire came. This was Apolodor the Damascene, who designed the celebrated Trajan Column in Rome, and the great bridge on the River Danube. Part of the heritage of this era are the remains of the city-plan which Apolodor designed in oblong shape according with Roman architectural style. There is also part of the Roman temple of Jupiter, which was erected on the site of an older Aramaic temple (Hadad) where the Omayyad mosque stands today. This part of the temple is distinguished by its huge Corinthian columns with their richly decorated capitals.

In the Byzantine era, a great number of churches and monasteries were built, and most of them have survived to the present.

Damascus became the capital of the first Arab state at the time of the Omayyads in 661 A.D. This marked the beginning of its golden epoch, and for a whole century it was the centre of the youthful Islamic Empire. This reached its peak of expansion during this period, and came to stretch from the shores of the Atlantic and the Pyrennese in the west, to the river Indus and China in the east. The Omayyads took a genuine interest in building up the city, organizing its souqs and districts, improving its water supply and erecting palaces and hospitals in various parts of it.

Following the decline and fall of the Omayyads, Damascus went through a period of neglect and deterioration. It suffered disaster and destruction, seeing only temporary prosperity, depending on whose domination it was subjected to. However, when Independence was achieved in 1946, the city started to regain its importance as a significant cultural and political centre in the Arab world.

Visiting Damascus

It is impossible to enumerate all the places of interest in Damascus. The city is a living museum spanning thousands of years. One can only review the most important landmarks in the old part (within city-walls) and the new part (outside city-walls) of the city.

Landmarks of Old Damascus

1- The Wall and Gates:

The Wall was built in the Roman era with large, tapered stones. It was oblong in shape, designed in the manner of Roman militry camps, cities, and fortifications. There are seven gates in it: Bab Sharqi, Bab al-Jabieh, Bab Keissan, Bab al-Saghir, Bab Tuma, Bab al-Jeniq, and Bab al-Faradiss. The main thoroughfare traversed the city from Bab al-Jabieh to Bab Sharqi; on both sides there were Corinthian columns, and across it numerous triumphal arches. But this thoroughfare has been submerged over the years to about six meters underground, and has been superseded by Souq al-Tawil or Midhat Pasha, under which are occasionally discovered some Roman columns, especially when road works are in progress.

One such discovery was made in 1950 when a triumphal arch was found at Bab Sharqi, brought up to street level, and re-erected after its restoration was completed.

At the time of the Islamic conquest in 635 A.D., teh Wall was still solid and impregnable, so the two Muslim leaders Khaled ibn al-Walid and Abu Obeida ibn al-Jarrah entered the city through Bab Sharqi and Bab al-Jabieh respec- tively. Thus the Wall was preserved, and remained intact throughout the Omayyad era. But when the Abassids stormed Damascus in 750 A.D.,they destroyed large parts of it. It began to deteriorate over the years so much, so that it became oval n shape. But it was partly restored and reinforced it at the time of the Nourites and Ayoubites, in order to withstand the attacks of the Crusaders. During Ottoman rule, however, it was neglected altogether, and some masonry was removed for use in other buildings; later on, numerous houses were built upon the greater expanse of it.

The only part of historic significance still standing in its original form is 500-meters long, and stretches from Bab al-Salaam to Bab Tuma. Most of the gates are still there, although much altered by additions and engravings done over the years. Other gates were made during the Islamic era, such as Bab al-Salaam and Bab al-Faraj which were built by Nureddin. Bab Keissan and Bab al-Jeniq were blocked up; and Bab al-nasr, which had stood next to al-Qal'a (the castle) was removed when Souq al-Hamidiyeh was built in 1863. The remaining towers on the Wall are: The Nureddin Tower to the south of Bab Tuma, and al-Saleh Ayoub Tower to the east.

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