Featured places
Mosques, caravanserais, souks, museums — and why they are worth the walk.
813 Places
Surp Sarkis: the Armenian Cathedral of Damascus
The Armenian Apostolic cathedral sits just inside Bab Sharqi. The domed church you see dates from 1866, entry is free, and the 6 January liturgy fills it.
Damascus · Ottoman — 1866
The Queen of the Universe: the Armenian Catholic Cathedral of Damascus
The Armenian Catholic cathedral in the al-Tall quarter. Built in 1930 as a Jesuit church, a cathedral since 1984, entry free, with a rose window on the front.
Damascus · Modern — 1930
The Syrian Parliament Building
Built on the Salihiyah road in 1928-1929 over an old cinema. French outside, Arab ornament inside; it is a working chamber, so only the front is on view.
Damascus · French Mandate
Soufanieh, Damascus
A house in the quarter north of Bab Touma. Marian apparitions were reported here in 1982-1983, and people have been coming to that house ever since then.
Damascus · Late twentieth century
Souq al-Sarujiyya
The saddlers’ souq on the west side of the Damascus citadel. It now sells horse harness, leather work and coarse tent canvas, one lane west of Hamidiyah.
Damascus · Ottoman
The Cherubim Monastery above Saidnaya
A monastery on the mountaintop above Saidnaya, some 2000 metres above sea level. Damascus and the Ghouta open from its terrace; entry free, mountain road.
Damascus · Byzantine — 6th century; repaired in 1981
Sheikh Raslan Cemetery
A working cemetery outside Bab Touma in Damascus, named after a Sufi of the 12th century. The street running beside it carries the same name, and entry is free.
Damascus · Zangid — Ottoman
Sabaa Bahrat Square
The name means seven pools. The square was laid out by the French administration in 1925 under another name, and the Central Bank of Syria stands on it now.
Damascus · French Mandate
Sebki Park
Officially Zenobia Park, but the city calls it Sebki. Twenty dunams of green in Shaalan between Abu Rummaneh and al-Rawda, named after a Mamluk garden.
Damascus · Mamluk-period name, modern park
The Syriac Catholic Cathedral of Saint Paul, Damascus
The Syriac Catholic cathedral stands a hundred metres west of Bab Sharqi, on the south side of Straight Street. The present building dates from 1848; entry free.
Damascus · Ottoman — 1848
Saint George’s Cathedral: the Syriac Orthodox Patriarchate in Damascus
The Syriac Orthodox cathedral on Bab Touma Street has been the seat of the Antioch patriarchate since 1959. Entry free, patronal feast 6 May, ask at the gate.
Damascus · Modern — 1951
The Walls of Damascus
The wall around the old city encloses some 100 hectares. Its courses read period by period: reused blocks below, Nur al-Din above, Ottoman at the top.
Damascus · Roman — Zangid — Ayyubid — Mamluk — Ottoman
