Damascus

**Damascus** be de capital den largest city of Syria. E be de oldest capital city insyd de world. Known colloquially in Syria as *aš-Šām* wey dem dub, poetically, de "City of Jasmine" (*مَدِيْنَةُ الْيَاسْمِينِ, Madīnat al-Yāsmīn*), Damascus be a major cultural center of de Levant den de Arab world.

E dey situate insyd southwestern Syria, Damascus be de center of a large metropolitan area. Nestled among de eastern foothills of de Anti-Lebanon mountain range  inland from de eastern shore of de Mediterranean on a plateau  above sea level, Damascus dey experience an arid climate secof de rain shadow effect. De Barada River dey flow thru Damascus.

Damascus be one of de oldest continuously inhabited cities insyd de world. First settled insyd de 3rd millennium BC, dem choose am as de capital of de Umayyad Caliphate from 661 to 750. After de victory of de Abbasid dynasty, dem move de seat of Islamic power to Baghdad. According to sam, Damascus be de fourth holiest city insyd Islam. De city see ein importance decline thru out de Abbasid era, only to regain significant importance insyd de Ayyubid den Mamluk periods.

Today, e be de seat of de central government of Syria. Dem name Damascus de least livable city out of 140 global cities insyd de Global Liveability Ranking. As of June 2023, e be de least livable out of 173 global cities insyd de same Global Liveability Ranking. Insyd 2017, dem launch two development projects insyd Damascus to build new residential districts, Marota City den Basillia City to symbolize post-war reconstruction.

## Historical sites
### Walls den gates of Damascus
De Old City of Damascus plus an approximate area of 86.12 hectares be surrounded by ramparts on de northern den eastern sides den part of de southern side. Der be seven extant city gates, de oldest of wich dey date back to de Roman period. Dese be, clockwise from de north of de citadel:
* Bab al-Faradis ("de gate of de orchards", anaa "of de paradise")
* Bab al-Salam ("de gate of peace"), all on de north boundary of de Old City
* Bab Tuma ("Touma" anaa "Thomas's Gate") insyd de north-east corner, wey dey lead into de Christian quarter of de same name,
* Bab Sharqi ("eastern gate") insyd de east wall, de only one to retain ein Roman plan
* Bab Kisan insyd de south-east
* Bab al-Saghir (De Small Gate)
* Bab al-Jabiya at de entrance to Souk Midhat Pasha, insyd de southwest.
Oda areas outsyd de walled city sanso bear de name "gate": Bab al-Faraj, Bab Mousalla den Bab Sreija, both to de south-west of de walled city.

### Churches insyd de old city
* Chapel of Saint Paul
* House of Saint Ananias
* Mariamite Cathedral of Damascus
* Cathedral of the Dormition of Our Lady
* Saint John the Damascene Church
* Saint Paul's Laura
* Saint George's Syriac Orthodox Cathedral

### Islamic sites insyd de old city
* Umayyad Mosque, dem sanso know as de Great Mosque of Damascus
* Sayyidah Ruqayya Mosque
* Bab Saghir Cemetery
* Mausoleum of Saladin
* Nabi Habeel Mosque

### Madrasas
* Al-Adiliyah Madrasa
* Al-Sibaiyah Madrasa
* Az-Zahiriyah Library
* Nur al-Din Madrasa

### Khans
* Khan Jaqmaq
* Khan As'ad Pasha
* Khan Sulayman Pasha

### Old Damascene houses
* Azm Palace
* Bayt al-Aqqad
* Bayt Farhi
* Maktab Anbar
* Beit al-Mamlouka

#### State of old Damascus
In spite of de recommendations of de UNESCO World Heritage Center:
* Souq al-Atiq, a protected buffer zone, dem destroy insyd three days insyd November 2006;
* King Faysal Street, a traditional hand-craft region insyd a protected buffer zone near de walls of Old Damascus between de Citadel den *Bab Touma*, be threatened by a proposed motorway.
* Insyd 2007, de Old City of Damascus den notably de district of Bab Tuma be recognized by The World Monument Fund as one of de most endangered sites insyd de world.

Insyd October 2010, Global Heritage Fund name Damascus one of 12 cultural heritage sites most "on the verge" of irreparable loss den destruction.

## Geography

### Climate

## Demographics

File:The_Umayyad_Mosque,_the_Great_Mosque_of_Damascus,_Damascus,_Syria.jpg|De Umayyad Mosque
File:Damascus_Mosque_al-Aqsab_aka_al-Zainabiye_4642.jpg|Ayyubid-era Al-Aqsab Mosque
File:Damascus_Mosque_al-Karami_4987.jpg|Mamluk-era Al-Karimi Mosque
File:Takiyya_as-Süleimaniyya_Mosque_01.jpg|Ottoman-era Sulaymaniyya Takiyya
File:Melkite_Greek_Catholic_Church,_Damascus,_Syria.jpg|De Greek-Melkite Patriarchal Cathedral of the Dormition of Our Lady
File:Syriac_Catholic_Church,_Damascus_01.jpg|De Syriac Catholic Cathedral of Saint Paul
File:Damascus-Bab_Kisan.jpg|De Chapel of Saint Paul


## Education

* Damascus University

* Syrian Virtual University
* International University for Science and Technology
* Syrian Private University
* Arab International University
* University of Kalamoon
* Yarmouk Private University
* Wadi International University
* Al-Jazeera University
* European University Damascus

* Higher Institute of Business Administration
* Higher Institute of Applied Science and Technology
* Higher Institute of Dramatic Arts
* National Institute of Administration
* Syrian International Academy for Training and Development
## Twin towns – sisto cities

*Ankara, Turkey
*Astana, Kazakhstan
*Bucharest, Romania
*Buenos Aires, Argentina
*Córdoba, Spain
*Dubai, United Arab Emirates
*Istanbul, Turkey
*Rabat, Morocco
*Toledo, Spain
*Yerevan, Armenia

## References


## External links

* Map of Damascus, 1929, Eran Laor Cartographic Collection, The National Library of Israel, Historic Cities Research Project.