Damascus
Damascus (/dəˈmæskəs/ də-MASK-əs, UK also /dəˈmɑːskəs/ də-MAH-skəs; Arabic: دِمَشق, romanized: Dimašq) is the capital of Syria, the oldest capital in the world and, according to some, the fourth holiest city in Islam. Known colloquially in Syria as aš-Šām (الشَّام) and dubbed, poetically, the "City of Jasmine" (مَدِيْنَةُ الْيَاسْمِينِ Madīnat al-Yāsmīn), Damascus is a major cultural center of the Levant and the Arab world.
Damascus
دِمَشق | |
|---|---|
Umayyad Mosque General view of Damascus • Mount Qasioun Maktab Anbar • Azm Palace Sulaymaniyya Takiyya | |
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Flag Seal | |
| Nicknames: | |
Damascus Location of Damascus within Syria Damascus Damascus (Eastern Mediterranean) Damascus Damascus (Asia) | |
| Coordinates: 33°30′47″N 36°17′31″E | |
| Country | Syria |
| Governorate | Damascus Governorate, Capital City |
| Municipalities | 16 |
| Government | |
| • Governor | Mohammad Tariq Kreishati |
| Area | |
| • Capital city | 105 km2 (41 sq mi) |
| • Urban | 77 km2 (29.73 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 680 m (2,230 ft) |
| Population (2022 estimate) | |
| • Capital city | 2,503,000 |
| Demonyms | English: Damascene Arabic: دِمَشقِيّ, romanized: Dımaşkî |
| Time zone | UTC+3 |
| Area code(s) | Country code: 963, City code: 11 |
| Geocode | C1001 |
| ISO 3166 code | SY-DI |
| Climate | BWk |
| HDI (2021) | 0.612 – medium |
| International airport | Damascus International Airport |
| Website | www |
| Official name | Ancient City of Damascus |
| Type | Cultural |
| Criteria | i, ii, iii, iv, vi |
| Designated | 1979 (3rd session) |
| Reference no. | 20 |
| Region | Arab States |
Situated in southwestern Syria, Damascus is the center of a large metropolitan area. Nestled among the eastern foothills of the Anti-Lebanon mountain range 80 kilometres (50 mi) inland from the eastern shore of the Mediterranean on a plateau 680 metres (2,230 ft) above sea level, Damascus experiences an arid climate because of the rain shadow effect. The Barada River flows through Damascus.
Damascus is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. First settled in the 3rd millennium BC, it was chosen as the capital of the Umayyad Caliphate from 661 to 750. After the victory of the Abbasid dynasty, the seat of Islamic power was moved to Baghdad. Damascus saw its importance decline throughout the Abbasid era, only to regain significant importance in the Ayyubid and Mamluk periods. Today, it is the seat of the central government of Syria. As of September 2019, eight years into the Syrian civil war, Damascus was named the least livable city out of 140 global cities in the Global Liveability Ranking. As of June 2023, it was the least livable out of 173 global cities in the same Global Liveability Ranking.