If you want to explore the ancient cultures and religions of the Middle East, Damascus is a perfect destination for you. The capital of Syria is one of the oldest inhabited cities in the world, established between 8,000-10,000 BC. Damascus has a wealth of historical sites including beautiful mosques and churches, ancient walls built in the Roman era and seven gates leading to the Old town, as well as shopping souqs and traditional bathhouses to visit.
Old city & museums. The large World Heritage listed old city of Damascus can be divided into four distinct areas: the market, the Muslim, the Christian and the Jewish district. The market area offers many affordable shopping opportunities, as well as cosy cafés and traditional Arabic bathhouses, hammams. Damascus hosts interesting museums such as the National Museum of the country and a military museum.
cultural & nearby attractions. The capital of Syria is also a modern city with many types of cultural attractions available. Learning Arabic in Damascus is popular among foreigners, as it is a quite cheap city to live in. Mount Qasioun that rises above Damascus is a popular lookout place with several restaurants offering scenic views to the city. The nearby Barada Gorge area offers nice possibilities for hiking.
Attractions in Damascus, the oldest inhabited city in the world
From 661 to 750 AC Damascus was the centre of Islam and the Arab world. Even today, there are more than 200 historical mosques in Damascus which remind of those days. However, only 70 of them are in use today. The major attraction in Damascus, the spectacular Umayyad Mosque is situated at the end of Souq al-Hamidiyya, a popular place for affordable shopping in Damascus. The magnificent mosque has four minarets and it was first a Greek temple, then a Roman temple, then a church and finally a mosque. Visitors are welcomed to this mosque, but women should cover their hair, arms and legs. In addition, the mosques of Sayyidah Zaynab and Sayyidah Ruqayya are worth visiting. See also the old citadel of Damascus and the Mausoleum of Saladin.Old city & museums. The large World Heritage listed old city of Damascus can be divided into four distinct areas: the market, the Muslim, the Christian and the Jewish district. The market area offers many affordable shopping opportunities, as well as cosy cafés and traditional Arabic bathhouses, hammams. Damascus hosts interesting museums such as the National Museum of the country and a military museum.
cultural & nearby attractions. The capital of Syria is also a modern city with many types of cultural attractions available. Learning Arabic in Damascus is popular among foreigners, as it is a quite cheap city to live in. Mount Qasioun that rises above Damascus is a popular lookout place with several restaurants offering scenic views to the city. The nearby Barada Gorge area offers nice possibilities for hiking.
Practical information for your stay in Damascus
Damascus is located in western Syria, 80 kilometers inland from the Mediterranean Sea, 690 meters above sea level on a plateau between mountains to the west and desert to the east. Damascus has a pleasant Mediterranean climate with hot and dry summers and mild, wet winters. Summers can be very hot, but usually they are slightly cooler in Damascus than in the desert areas of Syria. Weather-wise, spring and autumn are the best seasons to visit Damascus.
Photo: James Gordon, used under Creative Commons License (By 2.0)
How to get there. There are regular flights to Damascus from many European and Asian airports. You can also travel to Damascus by bus from Jordan, by service taxi from Lebaon, or by train from Turkey and Iran. There is a good bus network in Syria.
Local transport. The best way to move around in Damascus is to take a microbus, “servees” or “meecro”, which takes about 10 passengers. This is a rather cheap way of travel in Damascus, but the microbuses are usually rather full of passengers and not so comfortable. Microbuses do not have fixed stops, so ask the driver to stop when you want to. Taxis are plentiful in Damascus, and relatively cheap as well, but make sure the taxi driver will use a meter before getting into one. (Car rental in Damascus is easy but driving in the city area is not recommended due to the traffic jams and parking problems. You can explore central Damascus easily by walking.
Visitor services. Damascus has good facilities for visitors. There is a wide range of budget apartments and luxury hotels in Damascus. Restaurants in Damascus offer wide range of dishes from local delicacies like felafel sandwiches and Syrian kebabs to international dishes like pasta and pizza. There is no actual nightlife in Damascus. However, there are some bars and clubs in the Christian quarter.
Safety. Damascus is a quite safe city. However, visitors should dress modestly and avoid any political demonstrations. Syrians are mostly welcoming towards tourists, but as not many locals speak English, it is advisable to learn some phrases in Arabic before traveling to Damascus.
hint See also these nearby destinations: Beirut, Acre (Akko), Haifa
