UNESCO World Heritage · 1979 · Damascus
Ancient City of Damascus
دمشق القديمة
33.5117° N · 36.3064° E“Continuously inhabited for over 10,000 years.”
- Category
- UNESCO
- Era
- 3rd millennium BCE – present
- Location
- Damascus
- UNESCO
- Inscribed 1979
Overview
Significance
Notable Features
- Umayyad Mosque (705 CE)
- Al-Hamidiyeh Souq
- Straight Street (Via Recta)
- Azem Palace (1750)
- Bab Touma
- Bab Sharqi
- Historic city walls
- Citadel of Damascus
Major Attractions
Umayyad Mosque
The 8th-century congregational mosque whose courtyard mosaics depict an idealised paradise; houses a shrine to John the Baptist.
Azem Palace
An 18th-century Ottoman governor's residence — the finest surviving example of the Damascene ablaq-and-courtyard tradition.
Al-Hamidiyeh Souq
Iron-roofed Ottoman covered market running west from the Citadel to the Temple of Jupiter columns at the mosque entrance.
Straight Street
Roman cardo running east-west across the Old City, mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles.
Bab Touma & Bab Sharqi
Roman city gates anchoring the Christian quarter, with the Chapel of Saint Ananias half-underground nearby.
Khan As'ad Pasha
A 1751 caravanserai with nine domes covering a vast central courtyard — the largest khan in the city.
Visitor Tips
- Enter the Old City via Souq al-Hamidiyeh from the Citadel side for the classic introduction.
- Use the prayer-break hours to walk the residential lanes around Bab Touma — they empty out and feel timeless.
- Always carry small change and a head covering if visiting the Umayyad Mosque.
What to Eat Nearby
Bakdash Ice Cream
Mastic-rosewater ice cream pounded by mallet and rolled in pistachios — a Hamidiyeh souq institution since 1885.
Sahlab
Hot milk thickened with orchid root, topped with cinnamon and pistachios — a winter Old City classic.
Damascene Mezze
Hummus, muhammara, makdous (stuffed baby eggplant in olive oil), and warm bread eaten in a courtyard restaurant.
Where to Stay
Beit Al Mamlouka
Boutique heritageRestored 17th-century courtyard house, the first boutique hotel in the Old City.
Talisman Hotel
Boutique heritageAtmospheric Ottoman mansion near Bab Sharqi with a small interior pool.
Beit Zaman
GuesthouseAffordable family-run courtyard guesthouse close to the Umayyad Mosque.