Damascus Things to Do

  • Mihrab & Mosaics of the Mausoleum (March 2008)
      Mihrab & Mosaics of the Mausoleum (March...
    by MM212
  • Hicaz railway station
      Hicaz railway station
    by Tuna_ank
  • More of the courtyard
      More of the courtyard
    by mikey_e

Most Viewed Things to Do in Damascus

  • Souk El-Hamidiyeh, Damascus

    1. Souk El-Hamidiyeh

    If Damascus is one of the oldest cities in the world – if not the oldest city in the world – one would expect it to have a considerably old souq. Damascus does not disappoint whatever the visitor’s...   more
  • Omayyad Mosque, Damascus

    2. Omayyad Mosque

    The Minaret of the Bride is square and thus contrasts with the Ottoman-style minarets common in the city and with the octagonal Egyptian-style Western Minaret. It was the first one built, although its...   more
  • Azem Palace, Damascus

    3. Azem Palace

    Azm Palace is one of the grand old houses that can be found in the Old City of Damascus. It was built in 1750 and served as the house of Asad Pasha Azm, then Ottoman governor of the city. Today, the...   more
  • Mausoleum of Saladin, Damascus

    4. Mausoleum of Saladin

    Saladin (Salahadin in Arabic), much feared in the West, is seen as a hero in Damascus and throughout the entire Muslim world. Saladin was a Kurdish Muslim who founded the Ayyubid dynasty and reigned...   more
  • Hejaz Railway Station, Damascus

    5. Hejaz Railway Station

    Rail travel may not been quite as well established in the Middle East as it is in Europe, but it’s not for lack of trying. During the Ottoman period, and again under British and French Mandates,...   more
  • National Museum, Damascus

    6. National Museum

    While Roman and Greek art was highly developed in the realms of figurative sculpture and pottery, some of the best examples of the highly-developed artistic traditions of these two cultures can be...   more
  • Citadel, Damascus

    7. Citadel

    Ironically, the Citadel of Damascus does not occupy as commanding a presence as one might expect. The densely populated old town, with its compact souqs and the importance of its religious sites...   more
  • Beit Nizam, Damascus

    8. Beit Nizam

    A splendid 18th century mansion, Beit Nizam served as the residence of the British ambassador in the 19th century and later as the French consulate. It was designed in the typical Damascene...   more
  • Sayyida Ruqayya Mosque, Damascus

    9. Sayyida Ruqayya Mosque

    In contrast to the tomb area of the shrine, the courtyard and the prayer hall are calm and well-organized sections. The courtyard is filled with pilgrims from various parts of the Shiite world (there...   more
  • Beit As Sibai, Damascus

    10. Beit As Sibai

    A fine example of traditional Damascene houses, Beit Siba'i dates from the 18th century. Architecturally, it might also be considered the purest Syrian form, not too different from Azem Palace,...   more
  • Christian Quarter, Damascus

    11. Christian Quarter

    Only about 10% of Syrians might be Christians, but the long and enduring presence of the faith in the country has led to no small division of sects among the believers. Schism after schism has created...   more
  • Khan As'ad Pasha, Damascus

    12. Khan As'ad Pasha

    Khan As’ad Pasha Khan Asad Pasha is an important monument in the walled city of Damascus, within the Bzouriyyeh Souk. It was built by the governor of Syria, Asad al Azem, in 1752,being used as a...   more
  • Chapel of Ananais, Damascus

    13. Chapel of Ananais

    This chapel stands on the site of Ananias' house. Ananias was the man, who after receiving a message from God, miraculously restored the sight of Saul (later known as St. Paul). The ancient chapel...   more
  • Hammam Nureddin, Damascus

    14. Hammam Nureddin

    The most famous hammam (Arab bath) in Damascus, Hammam Nureddine (also spelt Nur al-Din) is also its grandest and one of its oldest. It was built by the Zengid ruler Nureddine in 1154 AD to generate...   more
  • Bab Al Saghir, Damascus

    15. Bab Al Saghir

    Located south-west of the old city, Bab al-Saghir was named the Gate of Mars in Roman Damascus. Much like some of the other gates in the city, Bab al-Saghir was rebuilt in the 12th century by...   more
  • Old City by Night, Damascus

    16. Old City by Night

    Unlikely many other Arab cities, Damascus' old city is not just a tourist attraction or souq. It includes many, many cafés and restaurants, and the presence of...   more
  • Temple of Apollo, Damascus

    17. Temple of Apollo

    Damascus, once an important member of the Decapolis, or the ten Roman cities of the Levant, has its fair share of Roman ruins - or at least Roman ruins that...   more
  • Saladin Statue, Damascus

    18. Saladin Statue

    I've already explained a bit about Saladin in my tip on his Mausoleum, so I won't cobble together a history lesson once again. Nevertheless, the importance of...   more
  • Aramani Hammam, Damascus

    19. Aramani Hammam

    I can't say that I visited this hammam or that it is possible to go in, but it still caught my fantasy. Part of the reason for that was that this hammam seems...   more
  • Qaymarryeh Street, Damascus

    20. Qaymarryeh Street

    Qaymarryeh Street extends to the east of the Umayyad Mosque (it starts from the back of the mosque) and goes out to end at Bab Touma in the Christian Quarter of...   more
  • Merjeh Square, Damascus

    21. Merjeh Square

    Merjeh Square is part of the grimy, grey extension of modern Damascus that connects the old city to the more fashionable districts of Mezzeh and the Qassioun...   more
  • Sulaimaniya Tekkiya, Damascus

    22. Sulaimaniya Tekkiya

    I did not have the full opportunity to explore Tekkiya Sulaimaniya, a Tekke in the Ottoman tradition, and was only attracted by the beautiful stonework of its...   more
  • Umayyad Square, Damascus

    23. Umayyad Square

    Umayyad Square may sound old and historical, but it really isn’t. In fact, it marks the start of the grimy, 20th century extension of the city of Damascus, and...   more
  • Malik Zahir Hammam, Damascus

    24. Malik Zahir Hammam

    Hammams are a popular aspect of any Muslim city, and, despite the fact that they are essentially public baths, they retain a certain luxurious mystique to them....   more
  • Faces of Old Damascus 3, Damascus

    25. Faces of Old Damascus 3

    Whenever I look at the photos I've taken, I'm feeling warmth inside right in the middle of my chest. Sounds corny but...I don't know about you. There's...   more

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Fascinating, fabled city

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