What is Damascus famous for?
Damascus is best known for being one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities on earth, for the Umayyad Mosque, and for the covered souqs of the old city. Say the name and what comes up is the gold-ground mosaics in the mosque courtyard, the shafts of light falling through the bullet holes in the Hamidiyya's tin roof, the shaded courtyard of the Azm Palace, and the whole city seen from Qasioun at dusk. The jasmine belongs to the name too; it covers the walls of the courtyard houses.
Highlights
- The mosaics in the Umayyad Mosque courtyard
- The bullet-pierced roof of Souk al-Hamidiyah
- The shaded courtyard of Azm Palace
What to see
Bab Kisan
The southeast gate of Old Damascus, Saturn's gate in the Roman wall. Since 1939 the gate itself is the front of a church. How to find it and what to see.
The Chapel of Saint Ananias
A two-room underground chapel in the Christian quarter of Damascus, 5-6 metres below street level, held to be where Paul was baptised. How to find it, what to see.
Souq Midhat Pasha
The covered western stretch of Straight Street, named after the Ottoman governor who rebuilt it in 1878. Cloth and abaya stalls on top of the Roman road.
The Mariamite Cathedral
The seat of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch, in the Christian quarter of Damascus. Handed back in 706 in exchange for the Umayyad Mosque. Free entry.
Mount Qasioun
The mountain north of Damascus and the viewpoint that fits the whole city in one frame. Half an hour from the centre. When to go up, late afternoon or night.
The Mausoleum of Saladin
A small domed tomb of 1196 against the north wall of the Umayyad Mosque. Two cenotaphs stand inside, and which of them is the real one is the surprising part.
Where to eat
Al-Nawfara Café
At the foot of the steps below the Umayyad Mosque's eastern gate. The hakawati climbs onto his chair at 20:00 and reads for half an hour. Tea, coffee, narghile.
Bakdash Ice Cream
The same shop halfway along Souq al-Hamidiyah since 1885. Booza is made with sahlab and mastic, then pounded with wooden mallets in front of the counter.
Ready-made routes
A walk through the Christian quarter of Damascus: Bab Sharqi to Bab Kisan
900 metres and three stops in the Christian quarter of Damascus: the Roman east gate, a chapel below street level, and a gate that became a church front.
Seven stops from the Hamidiyya to the Umayyad Mosque
Seven stops from the Hamidiyya's pierced tin roof to the Umayyad courtyard. 600 metres in all, no leg over 150 — the core of old Damascus, step by step.
Old Damascus in a day
A route inside the walls, from Bab Sharqi to the Umayyad Mosque. Five stops, all of it walkable: six hours without stopping, a full day if you stop along the way.
Transparency
- How this was chosen
- The answer on this page is written by hand. The lists are built from published records tied to this city and grow on their own as records are added.
- Last updated
- August 20, 2026