Sightseeing OverviewAt the heart of the
old city is one of the oldest and most sacred Islamic monuments, the
Great Umayyad Mosque, resplendent with stunning golden mosaics. Nearby the remnants of the
Roman Temple of Jupiter are still standing, and the
perfume souk leads to the 18th-century
Ottoman Azem Palace.
The only road to cut through the warren of the old city is Straight Street, which leads through the
Christian quarter to the
Roman city gate of Bab Sharqi, the
Chapel of Ananias and the modern
St Paul’s chapel.
The
National Museum, in the new city,
is a treasure trove of the country’s finest archaeological finds. Next door is the
Tekkiye as-Sulaymaniyye Mosque built by the master architect Sinan, and the
tekke (
monastery for whirling dervishes), now the Army Museum and a handicraft bazaar.
At night Damascenes love going up to
Mount Qassioun for cooler air and sweeping
views over their magnificent city.
Tourist InformationThe city’s main tourist office is near the Cham Palace Hotel on Sharia 29 May (website:
www.syriatourism.org). The smaller office next to the Handicrafts Souk near the Tekkiye as-Sulaymaniyye is often closed. Both provide free maps and old-fashioned brochures but offer very little practical information on the city. More information is available online at
www.damascus-online.com and
www.oldamascus.com.
Key Attractions:The Great Umayyad Mosque
The splendid early 8th-century
Umayyad Mosque was built on a site that has been sacred for thousands of years. It has been an Aramaic temple, a Roman temple and a Byzantine cathedral. The shrine, said to contain St John the Baptist’s head, is still an important pilgrimage spot, as is the tomb of Salah ad-Din (Saladin) just outside the courtyard. More than 12,000 workmen helped to create the superb golden mosaics that once surrounded the entire courtyard, but only the
Paradise Panel is left, representing paradise, or Damascus itself.
Tourist entrance at Bab al-Amara, Old City
The Old City
Five kilometers (3 miles) of walls surround the well-preserved medieval city of Damascus, with the
Great Umayyad Mosque (see above) at its heart. It is a place for strolling through the labyrinthine alleys and busy souks, admiring the fine palaces, madrasas (Quranic schools), caravanserais and mosques on the way, or whiling time away in one of the many cafés.
The Christian Quarter and Straight Street
Straight Street, the Via Recta, has been the main east-west thoroughfare since Roman/Hellenistic times. Just off the street are the grand Damascene houses of the
Christian Quarter, now often turned into bars and restaurants. At the end is the Roman gate of
Bab Sharqi, and nearby the underground
Chapel of St Ananias, where it is believed that Ananias sheltered St Paul after his blinding conversion.
St Paul’s Chapel marks the spot where St Paul was lowered over the city walls to escape his Roman persecutors.
The National Museum
The museum has many treasures from Syria’s amazing archaeological sites. Highlights include the sculpture and jewelry from Palmyra, the second-century interior of the Dura Europos synagogue, the world’s first alphabet on the Ugarit tablets and the eerie priest statues of Mari.
Sharia Shoukri al-Quwatly
Azem Palace
One of the most beautiful palaces of the old city, the 18th-century palace of the Ottoman governor Assad Pasha al-Azem has several rooms illustrating traditional crafts and culture.
Souk al-Bazuriye
Further Distractions:Maristan Nur ad-Din
The
Maristan Nur ad-Din, a 12th-century lunatic asylum, was used until the 19th century. Patients were calmed down by music and the splashing waters of fountains. Now an interesting museum of medicine, it shows just how advanced the Arabs were on that front.
Just off Sharia al-Mu’awiya, Old City
Tekkiye as-Sulaymaniyye
This exquisite mosque was commissioned by the Ottoman Sultan Sulayman the Magnificent and built by his master architect Sinan in a mixed Turkish and Syrian style. Next door is a
tekke or monastery, now strangely filled with army planes from the
Army Museum, and the
Selimiye Madrasa, a center for traditional crafts.
Sharia Shoukri al-Quwatly
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