A few things you should know about Damascus; Damascus

Damascus is definitely a place to see. Put it on your schedule, please, it worths 100 %! It is the oldest city worldwide continuously inhabitated since the year 10 000 B.C. There is no mistake, I am not kitting, it is not a joke. At those prehistoric times many other old people were migrants and barbarian, while Damascus could show the beginnings of an urban life. Really amazing and impressive.

Night view from Mount Qassioun. Notice the green light, which are minarettes.

Night view from Mount Qassioun. Notice the green lights, which are minarettes.

Nowadays Damascus is not a megacity, but could become. It hosts aproximately 4 000 000 inhabitants, but its population doubled within 20 years, jeopardizing the souks and the Old Town! All the people are very friendly and proud about their city, being totally entitled for that in my opinion. They have a glorious history behind: Alexander The Big was there, Cyrus was there, the holly Prophet Mohamed refused to enter the city souks, as they looked close to paradise. In the Middle Age Damascus was the capital of the Ummayad Empire, stretching from Spain to India , and reached the peak of its glory.

The amazing Ummayad Mosque is a must see in Damascus and a peak of oriental art and architecture

Damascus was grounded first as a desert oasis (Gotha) on the banks of Burada River. To taste the fantastic cultural mix of this city, note please a simple fact: The Ummayad Mosque ( which a must see in Damascus) was before a byzantine church, but even before a Roman temple of Jupiter. It is nowadays an unique piece of Muslim art and one of the biggest mosques outside Mecca and Medina; for sure the entry worths much more than the cheap fee of 4 $.

The souq Al Hammidiya is a shopping paradise

Eating on the streets in Damascus is very good, cheap and won’t cause any harm. Try the souqs for that, and besides good street food you are going to find restaurants and so many shops, making from Damascus a totally shopping paradise. Many of the stores are dependant on foreign tourists, and are always ready to bargain the best possible deals. Damascus is the right place to experience the oriental art of drinking cofee or tea for a few hours, assorted with the water pipe.