Damascus
The walled Old City of Damascus is the historic heart of one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, and has been a UNESCO World Heritage…
The walled Old City of Damascus is the historic heart of one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1979. Its plan still follows the Roman city, with Straight Street running from Bab al-Jabiya in the west to Bab Sharqi in the east, and it holds monuments from every period of Islamic Damascus, from the Umayyad Mosque to Ayyubid madrasas, Mamluk mosques and Ottoman palaces and khans. The old city is best explored on foot through its covered markets, such as Souq al-Hamidiyya and Souq al-Buzuriyya, its quarters of courtyard houses and its gates, many of which have their own listings on Muslim Maps. Most visitors begin at the Citadel and the western entrance of the Umayyad Mosque and walk east towards Bab Touma and Bab Sharqi.