How many days do you need in Damascus?
Two days cover the core of Damascus. Day one is the old city end to end: in at Bab Sharqi, west along Straight Street, finishing at the Umayyad Mosque. Day two heads north to the Ayyubid buildings of Salihiyya, then up Qasioun in the late afternoon. A third day is only worth it if you want the hammam and the Nur al-Din bimaristan without hurrying them. With one day, drop Qasioun rather than cutting the old city in half.
- Suggested length
- 2–3 days
- Total visiting time across these places
- 14 hours 5 minutes
- Best season
- April–May, September–October
Ready-made routes
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On foot · two and a half hoursMamluk mosques of Qanawat: from al-Tawrizi to al-Tawusiyya
An 1800-metre walk west of the Damascus walls past four Mamluk mosques: Tankiz of 1317, al-Tawusiyya of 1382, al-Tawrizi of 1420 and al-Shadhbakiyya of 1453.
On foot · four hoursThrough Souq Saruja: from Jawdat al-Hashimi School to the Tomb of Ibn al-Muqaddam
A 2700-metre walk across Souq Saruja, north of the Damascus walls: the city's first state secondary school, a Mamluk bath, a leather souq, a cemetery, a 1201 tomb.
On foot · 3 hoursSouqs on both sides of the Citadel: Sarujiyya, Asruniyya and Khan al-Muradiyya
A half-day walk around the Citadel of Damascus: saddlers below its west wall, copper sellers facing its east wall, then Khan al-Muradiyya and the Umayyad Mosque.
What to see
- Damascus · 15th century
Al-Shadhbakiyya Mosque, Damascus
A Mamluk mosque of 1453 in Qanawat, Damascus: black-and-white banded stone, a muqarnas portal, a courtyard pool and the founder's grave, a block south of Tankiz.
Saidnaya · icon museumHagia Sophia Church and Icon Museum, Saidnaya
A church below Our Lady of Saidnaya with a small museum of 65 historic icons and about 25 manuscripts, a short walk from the monastery. Opening hours unconfirmed.
Damascus · 14th centuryMausoleum of Kujkun al-Mansuri, Damascus
A Mamluk tomb of 1312 in Salihiyya, Damascus, where the emir Kujkun lies. Its endowment inscription runs across three stone courses on the north wall.
Damascus · 13th centuryTomb of Ibn Salama al-Raqqi, Damascus
An Ayyubid tomb of 1213 in Salihiyya, Damascus: a 16-ribbed dome on a two-tier drum and a lintel inscription giving the date of death. West of the Al-Sahiba Madrasa.
- Damascus · 13th century
Mausoleum of Ibn al-Muqaddam (Talha Mosque), Damascus
An Ayyubid tomb of 1201 in Souq Saruja, Damascus, enclosed since 1993 by the Talha Mosque: a 12-ribbed dome and tall pointed arches. Near Dahdah Cemetery.
Damascus · 12th centuryFarrukh Shah and Bahramshah Mausoleums, Damascus
Two Ayyubid tombs side by side in Abu Rummaneh, Damascus: the dome of Saladin's nephew Farrukh Shah, now a prayer room, and his son's tomb, restored in 2005.
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.
- Facts checked
- August 2026
- Last updated
- September 15, 2026