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"She measures time not
by days, months or years, but by the empires she has seen rise and crumble to ruin. She is a type of immortality. Damascus has seen all
that ever occurred on earth and still she lives. She has looked upon
the dry bones of a thousand empires, and will see the tombs of a
thousand more before she dies." [Mark Twain Innocents Abroad] The city could be viewed from Mount Kassioun which dominates the city.
The mountain itself has attracted several legends including the belief
that here Abraham had the unity of God revealed to him. History: No large scale systematic excavations have been possible in a city so
continuously and densely inhabited as in Damascus. The settlement of
this oasis clearly goes back to the earliest phase of post-nomadic
economic development - the 4th millennium or before - making Damascus
one of the oldest continuously inhabited urban centers in the world. The first historical record of "Dimashqa" (Damascus) is in the Mari
tablets (c2500 BC) and a little later as "Dimaski" in the Ebla
archives. Amorite settlement began around the beginning of the second
millennium BC. Later in the millennium it became into the Egyptian
sphere of influence and is mentioned in the Amarna archives (18th dynasty - 14th century BC). After the invasions of Sea Peoples 1200 BC, it recovered
under the Arameans. They established here their principality of
Aram-Damascus which took a leading role in the expansion of the
biblical kingdoms of Israel and Judea. The city fell to Assyrians in
732 BC. In 572, the Neo-Babylonian (or Chaldean) king, Nebuchadnezzar,
conquered Syria and Palestine but the Chaldean dynasty itself was
overwhelmed shortly after in 539 when the Persian King, Cyrus, took the
whole region in the course of his sweep towards the Aegean. Alexander's great campaign brought Damascus under Greek control in 332
following the battle of Issues. The subsequent rule by Greek brought
town-planning to Damascus (Straight Street). Roman rule lasted 700
years in all forms. From 37 BC to AD 54, the Romans accepted continued
Nabataean control of Damascus. It remained a city-state and was under
improvements as well as other cities under Roman rule. The town plan
was improved further, an aqueduct system brought the waters of the
River Barada to homes and baths and the city was walled and furnished
with nine gates; seven of them are standing still today. Damascus, which housed an important Jewish colony, was associated with
the earliest phase of the spread of Christianity and the mission of St
Paul. Hadrian gave it the rank of metropolis (117 AD), later was raised
to Colonia under Alexander Severus (222). In the Umayyad period of Islamic rule, Khalid Bin al-Walid took
Damascus from the Romans after 6 months siege. It was made the capital
of the Umayyad Empire under the 5th Caliph, a;-Moawiya, in 661, thus
ending a thousand years of western supremacy. This Empire had provided
Damascus with the most lasting and impressive monument to its fame, the
Great Mosque of the Umayyads, built by the Caliph al-Walid after 706 on
the site of the Cathedral of St John the Baptist (earlier Temple of
Hadad). Many dynasties were competing for control of Syria, Tulunid, Ikhshidid,
Fatimid, Hamdanid and Seljuq dynasties from their power bases in Cairo
and Mosul. During these centuries of struggle, Damascus was walled for
protection of communities separated as quarters. The Muslim resistance to the Crusades began the reversal of this
decline. It brought a concentration on Damascus as a bastion of the
Muslim cause and thus of Sunny orthodoxy. To this era belongs the
reconstruction of the defenses of the city including the major
gateways, the Citadel and its surrounding walls. Damascus was taken by Conrad, king of the Germans, in the second
Crusade in 1148. Under the Zengids, Nūr al Din took the city more by
charm than by arms in 1154. During his reign, but particularly under
his successor, Saladin 1176 - 93, Damascus again became a political
center of note and its economy recovered much of its vigor. This was
the great age of the Madrasa, the number more than quadrupling in the
13th century in order to reinforce Sunny orthodoxy. After the Mamelukes, the Ottoman Turks conquered Syria and incorporated
it into their Empire. This is the era that most of the wealthy families
of Ottomans have built great and fancy houses such as al Azem Palace
that belongs to Assaad Pasha al Azem, the Governor of Damascus (18th century). The 19th century was more troubled with local resentment against the
Ottomans rising. During the French Mandate, the center of gravity of
Damascus was about to move to the newly-built Merje Square. Finally,
Syria was liberated and got to be the "Syrian Arab Republic" in 1946. The population was still about 52,000 by the 16th century, and grew to become 90,000 by the end of the 18th century, expanding only slowly for the first half of the 19th century, to become over 2.5 million by the end of 1990s. Damascus
- Umayyad Mosque: Lying at the east end of Suq al Hamidiyeh, it is a place of magnificent
beauty. This site has been marked by sacred enclosures as far back as
the second millennium BC. This cult center was first used as a temple (9th century BC) dedicated to the worship of Hadad, who is the Aramean deity representing sun and thunder. Later on, in the 1st century AD, it was taken by the Romans to make it larger Temple of God of the Gods, Jupiter. When the Roman capital moved from Rome to Constantinople in 330,
Christianity began to spread in the empire and was soon considered the
official religion. It was then that the Emperor Theodosius (ruled 193 -
211) abolished pagan worship and made it the cathedral of the city,
thus it was dedicated to John the Baptist. With the taking of Damascus by the Arabs in 636, Christians were
generally allowed to continue to use their churches and Muslims were
settled in new areas of the city. During the first 70 years, the
Muslims had built a mud brick structure against the southern wall so
that they could pray. Afterwards, Christians became few and Muslims
were increasing, so it was changed into a mosque under the rule of the
Caliph al-Walid (ruled 705 - 715). The renovation work was done by
Architects from Constantinople, Egypt, and Damascus itself. It now holds the Shrine of John the Baptist's head, and there are many
rumors to explain how it came to be here. One is that Herod sent it to
Damascus so that the Romans could be sure of his execution; while
another is that when the Arabs took over the church, John the Baptist's
blood bubbled and when the church was being demolished his head was
found underneath it with skin and hair. The plan of the mosque is quite simple; there is a magnificent
courtyard which is heavily decorated by mosaics. In the middle of the
courtyard are the Dome of the hours, the ablutions fountain and the
beautifully decorated Dome of the treasure. This mosque is one of the few mosques that has three minarets, Minaret of the Bride (9th and 12th centuries), Minaret of Qayetbey (15th century), and the Minaret of Issa (Jesus) (13th century). Damascus
- Citadel: Given its setting on flat ground, hemmed in by cluttered urban
surrounds, the fortifications never presented the same forbidding
front. This citadel stands at the northwest corner of the Old City. It
is much smaller than that of Aleppo, and is the only citadel in Syria
that is on the same level as the rest of the city. The Roman cast rum or camp was here. Still, there's no firm evidence it
was used  as military base in Roman times. Most of the construction is
from the Ayyūbid and Mameluke periods but heavy use since then has not
been kind to the fabric. The Sultan al Adel used this fortification to
preserve Damascus (1207) against the Crusaders and Mongols in the 13th
century. Then Damascus had become the key center of Arab resistance to
the Crusader presence, a role built up particularly under the
leadership of Saladin (1176 - 93). In 1260, however, it was destroyed by the first Mongol invasion. It was
rebuilt by the Mameluke Sultan Baybars, who made sure that the original
16 towers and walls were rebuilt. However, it was to be heavily knocked
down by the second Mongol invasion in 1400 by Timurlenk (Tamerlane).
The Ottomans did not really pay much attention to it and it was only
slightly repaired, though they used it as military base. The citadel was only abandoned as a prison
in 1985. At the present it's under heavy reconstructions and excavation work,
which will hopefully uncover its mysterious history. Damascus - Suqs: Suq Al Hamidiyeh: Most of the suq is arched over with high iron ribs with corrugated
metal. This bazaar has been rebuilt several times, most recently in the
13th century. It is built on the site of an ancient Roman fortress.
Some of these remains can still be seen as you walk through the suq. It
has an entrance to one of the most remarkable Islamic institutions in
Damascus, the Maristan Nūr al-Din (Hospital of Nūr al-Din). The Hamidiyeh is a suq for general goods where a lot of souvenirs can
be bought. Women's clothing (gallabiyas), gold lame toreador pants,
nargilehs (hubble-bubble pipes), jewelry, chessboards and inlaid mosaic
boxes are the most popular among tourists. It's still alive maintaining its purpose and continuing to be a great place for souvenir shopping. Suq Midhat Pasha: This suq (known as Suq al Taweel - in Roman, Via Recta) was the main
link between east and west Damascus. It is parallel to Suq al-Hamidiyeh
and runs from Bab Sharki (Eastern Gate) to Bab al-Jabieh (Gate of the
Water Trough). This is where the Roman gate of Jupiter once stood. When
it was taken over by the Greeks and Alexander the Great, the "old city"
was re-designed into the Hippodamian grid pattern, following the ideas
of Hippodamus. Under Roman rule, Via Recta was widened and became a
colonnaded thoroughfare. These columns are still recognizable at the
moment. The Mosque of Hisham (built in 1427), with fine stalactite design, is a
bit further on. On the eastern side (Bab Sharki) you will find a Roman
arch, which was found by workmen under the French Mandate. The
Greek Orthodox Patriarchal church of Virgin Mary is to the north of the
arch, this piece of land has been the site of a church going as far
back as the Byzantine Empire. This area is the Christian quarter of
Damascus, where Christians were allowed to have their churches during
the Arab invasions. It
was rebuilt in 1878 by the governor of Damascus, Midhat Pasha. The most
interesting vestige in this suq is the Arabic style house known as
Maktab Anbar. Suq Al Harir (Silk Bazaar) This suq which is situated near the Umayyad mosque was built by Darwish
Pasha in 1574. It joins Al Hamidiyeh suq on one side and suq al
Khayateen (tailors bazaar) on the other. In this suq is also Madrasa
Jaqmaqiye (the Museum of Arabic Epigraphy) built in 1418 - 20 by the
Mameluke governor of Damascus, Jaqmaq al Argunsaei, who later became
Sultan of Cairo in 1438 - 52. The mausoleum of Nūr al Din Zengi is
located between these two Suqs. It was originally housed in Madrasa
Aziziye which has disappeared in most, leaving an isolated arch and the
burial chamber. Suq Al Bzouriyeh (Spices Bazaar) This is the suq that extends from Suq Midhat Pasha to the Azem palace.
It is famous for its small spice and soap shops and for the al- Nūri
bath - one of the few baths remaining from the 12th century. There is
also Khan Assaad Pasha in the suq. Damascus - Azem Palace and Khans: This old palace goes back to show us the Ottoman residences of
Damascus. The Azem Palace was built in the 18th century as a palatial
residence for Assaad Pasha al-Azem, Ottoman governor of Damascus for 14
years. It is considered a great example of Damascene houses.  The
governor had diverted the waters of Barada to his gardens and summoned
most carpenters and masons in Damascus. He also ordered for Roman
columns from Bosra to be brought in along with the ancient paving of
Banyas. It is divided into separate quarters, one for the kitchens, one for the
haremlek (women section), where the governor's family used to live in
private, and the third was the selamlek where the governor and other
male members of the family would receive guests and conduct their
business. Along the south side of the selamlek is a liwan that is very
deep into the wall to free it from sunlight during the day. Next to
this liwan is a room where the governor would receive his guests, there
is a beautiful fountain at the center of its marble floor. The selamlek
is, for the most part, used as the Museum of Popular Arts and
Tradition. Each room is designed and decorated to show you some of the
typical Damascene traditions, including preparation for Hajj and
preparation for marriage. It covers the main concentration of traditional khans - the warehouses
for the receiving, storing and sending of trade goods and the provision
of accommodation to traders. The palace is surrounded with many Khans such as Khan al-Gumruk, Kan
al-Haramain, Hammam al-Qishani, Hammam Nūr al-Din, Khan al-Harir and
Khan Assaad Pasha. Damascus
- National Museum: The National Museum of Damascus is one of the world's great collections of archaeological and historical material. The museum was founded in 1919 and was originally set up, along with
the Arab Academy, in the Madrasa al-Adeliye. In 1936, the east wing of
the present complex was built. From 1936 to 1952, the building's
entrance was embellished by the reconstructions of the gateway from
Qasr al-Heir West, an Umayyad desert palace of the eighth century. It would be impossible to do it justice in a few words. This museum
contains a world-class archaeological and historical collection. The
archaeological and historical collections of the Museum are arranged in
four Departments: Pre-historic, Ancient Syria, Classical and Arab
Islamic Antiquities. Later a Contemporary Art Department was opened. The façade of this museum comprises two semi-cylindrical towers
enclosing a rectangular portal, the latter surmounted by a large blank
Syrian arch, familiar in the local repertoire for several centuries. It contains rooms devoted to Ras Shamra (Ugarit) with small clay
tablets of what is known to be the oldest Alphabet in the world, the
Ugaritic Alphabet. It also contains the ivory head of an unknown
prince, a collection of cylinder seals, and Mycenaean pottery imported
from Greece. Another room is devoted to Mari, the Bronze Age sight on
the Euphrates. Here one will find the 3rd Millennium treasure of King
Cansud. Further on, you will find a room concentrating on finds from
Raqqa, the Abbassid city on the Euphrates. Another hall contains
Islamic jewelry, coins and armor, and the final hall in the Byzantine
and Islamic Departments is the Damascus Salon, a wood-and-marble
paneled room from an 18th-century palace. As for the other two Departments, there are a few rooms exhibiting
pottery, sculptures and glassware ranging from the Phoenicians to the
classical periods. There are rooms concentrating on the Hauran and
Jebel al Arab, where most objects are made of Basalt. Another hall
contains classical statues carved in ivory, bronze, and marble, which
were found at Palmyra. Further on lies the Palmyra room and adjacent to
that is the Dora Europos room. The most popular part of the museum is the 2nd century AD Synagogue
that has been reconstructed. Its walls are covered with Talmudic
injunctions and paintings of human figures that are in scenes from the
Scriptures. Damascus - The Tekkiye Mosque Complex: East of the National Museum, and just over a kilometer west of the Old
City lies the Tekkiye mosque complex. The complex was intended to
service the great annual pilgrimage to Mecca whose custody was one of
the most important duties of the Governor of the vilayat (provinces) of
Damascus and the income from which was one of the city's major sources
of prosperity. The complex was built on the site of Qasr al Ablaq, a Mameluke palace
built by Baybars. It was built at the order of Suleiman the Magnificent
(the Great Sultan Suleiman I), was planned by the Architect Sinan and
was built mostly by Christian masons and architects who had converted
to Islam. The complex consists of three main parts: - The mosque itself is the finest Ottoman monument in the city. - The buildings that surround the mosque's courtyard were also built
and planned by Sinan. They were built also as accommodation for the
Dervishes, who are known for their religious chants and whirling. It
was used later as a khan to house pilgrims who were on their way to
Mecca. - On the east side is a Koraanic School called the Selimiye Madrasa,
which was added under Suleimans successor, Sultan Selim II between 1566
and 1574 (a decade after the Tekkiye and it's not Sinan's work). The
prayer room of the Madrasa is still used as a school to teach Koran.
The buildings round the school are currently being used by craftsmen,
who sell products such as glass, copper, jewelry, inlaid boxes and
carpets. East of the Tekkiye complex lies the Military Museum, this houses old
weaponry and combat tools. This weaponry ranges from 13th century
weapons used against the Crusaders and Mongols to modern Russian
weaponry. The
Straight Street / Via Recta (modern Suq Bab
Touma): Straight street or in Roman, Via Recta, was
the main link between east and west
Damascus. When it was taken over by the
Greeks and Alexander the Great, the "old
city" was redesigned into the Hippodamian
grid pattern, following the ideas of
Hippodamus. This reflected the Greek sense
of order. Under Roman rule, Via Recta was
widened and became a colonnaded
thoroughfare. These columns are still
recognizable at the moment. Starting from the western section of this
Street you will be passing through  the Arab
Gate of the Water Trough, Bab al-Jabiye.
This is where the Roman gate of Jupiter once
stood. The Mosque of Hisham (built in 1427),
with fine stalactite design, is a bit
further on. It is believed that the theatre
built by Herod the Great in the 1st century
BC was in this area. Going further into the
covered section of the street you will find
two khans (Khan Djaqmaq, and Khan al-Zait),
the former is a Mameluke structure built in
1420, the latter was originally a
caravanserai for olive oil. On the eastern side you will find a Roman
arch, which was found by workmen under the
French Mandate. It is thought to have been
part of a 3rd century AD Tetrapylon at the
intersection of the Via Recta. The Greek
Orthodox Patriarchal church of Virgin Mary
is to the north of the arch, this piece of
land has been the site of a church going as
far back as the Byzantine Empire. This area is the Christian quarter of
Damascus, where Christians were allowed to
have their churches during the Arab
invasions. To the south is the Jewish
quarter (although Christians now mostly
inhabit it). Further on lies St. Paul's
chapel, which is where St. Paul fled by
being dropped in a basket through a window
in the wall. The end of Straight Street is
where Bab Sharki lies, the Roman gate of the
Sun. The House of Hananiya is nearby. Hananiya is
the one who restored Paul's sight in Acts
9:17. Old Churches: St. Paul's Church: It commemorates the memory of St. Paul,
whose name was Saul of Tarsus, charged by
the Romans to persecute the Christians. As
he approached the village of Daraya, a burst
of blinding light took his sight away, and
he heard Jesus Christ ask him "Saul, why do
you persecute me? This was a vision of
faith. He was taken unconscious to Damascus,
attended by Hananiya, Christ's disciple, and
became one of the staunchest advocates of
Christianity. His Jewish peers decided to
kill him, but he hid in a house by the city
wall. The church is located at the site of
his escape. He traveled to Antioch, Athens,
and Rome, after a brief stay in Jerusalem,
and continued to teach the gospel until he
died. St. Ananias' Church:  Ananias was a disciple of Jesus, and is
traditionally listed as one of the Seventy
Disciples whose mission is recorded in Luke
10. He also was the man reported in the
Bible to have been sent by God to heal
Paul's blindness and join him with the
Church. He restored his eye-sight and
baptized him. He became the first bishop of
Damascus, and was stoned to death in 40.
Al Maryamieh; the Greek Orthodox
Patriarchate of Antioch and all the East: The seat of the patriarchate was formerly in
Antioch, in what is now Turkey. Now it is in
Damascus, Syria, located on the "street
called Straight." The current patriarch is
His Beatitude Patriarch Ignatius IV (Hazim)
of Antioch and all the East. |
