The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-04-05
NH F ASHINGTON, April 4.-(Special)
 wv Telling the story ''a1s of Damascus tus

|MSEH ASHlNGToN' Apfil 4.-lopeeiai' WNW Telling the story of Damascus
 v V which is often regarded the
 oldest city in the world, the National
 Geographic society's bulletin on the geography of the war for today says:
 If the. progress of military events in
 the far eastern theatre of the war should
 bring the British troops to Damascus, 1t
 will not be the first time that English soldiers have trod those historic streets;
 for it was in 1s41, in the process of clear ing Syria of Egyptian rule that an Eng fish army besieged and took this ancient capital.
 "Damascus is claimed to be %the oldest city in the world" Whether this be true or not, it is certain that it's origins are shrouded in mystery and that it can claim a longer continuous existence than any city that is standing today. It was al ready noted place at the time of Abra- ham, David conquered, it and placed a garrison there, and it slipped from the hands of Solomon to become the capital of the kingdom of Syria, the constant rival and enemy of Israel. Swaying back and forth through the centuries with the varying fortunes of conquering races which have overrun the east counting even the Mongol among those to whom II has owed allegiance, Damascus, garden l spot of the desert, has been a prize for eternaF conflict. Battle without and mas sacre within its walls have been it's DOT | tion. And yet its history has not lacked l for romance. Antony gave the city as a l erif fo tro rTihari1q pOUfQrre0 1t upon Herod; from its palaces Pompey scattered the crowns of the east to the vassals of Rome. Here Paul proclaimed I his conversion, and here, too, Moham- mechanism was emblazoned to con quered province in the light of the flames
 which were consuming its capital.
 l "Yet amid it all Damascus made prog | ress in the arts, set a foothold for science, and made great libraries to measure it's l advance in letters; and it still remains the most charmingly oriental of any city in the world. set with it's back to the foot of it's mountain where the prophet I made his great renunciation, and facing i eastward across the great Syrian desert of which 1t is realized mirage.
 l Damascus has a spell. Mohammed recognized it while he was yet camel driver; and, viewing the city's loveliness 1 from the heights of Jebel Kasyun, he re- | IuSeQ 10 enter US gates lest IL SnOulO tempt him with it's beauties to renounce
 the glories of Paradise. Whether the prophet ever visited the city is not re-
 corded, but in the courtyard of it's great
 mosque, in the so-called dome of the treasury, is reputed to have been the
 burial place of Ayisha. his favorite wife This mosque, not yet completely re built from the serious fire which ravaged
 it in 1s93 is the city's chief monument
 1t dates from pagan days and has beer
 in turn both Christian. and Moslem De- spite it's mutilations and it's haphazard
 restoration. it is still most lovely. A
 thousand years ago, Mukaddasi, writing
 in 9S5 A. D., declared that the grea1
 mosque of Damascus was "the fairest o1
 any that the Moslems now hold and no where' he continued, lis there collected greater magnificence'' It's inner walls he said, for twice the height of 8 man were faced with variegated. marbles ant
 above this. even to the very ceiling, wer'
 mosaics of various colors and in gold Rare, he said, were the tree'
 and few the well known towns tha1
 could not be found figured on these walls
 ghs whole revenue of Syria for sever