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Capital city of Syria
Photo: See above., CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Damascus (دمشق Dimashq) is the capital and largest city of Syria. A city of immense historical importance, Damascus was the capital of the Umayyad Caliphate during the Islamic Golden Age. As a city of immense religious importance, Damascus is home to the Street Called Straight, where the Apostle Paul (Saul) converted to Christianity; the Minaret of ʿĪsā, where Muslims believe ʿĪsā (Jesus) will return to the Earth to herald in the End of Days; and the Umayyad Mosque, where the relics of John the Baptist (Yaḥyā ibn Zakariyā) are kept. Damascus is the City of Jasmine and is a major cultural center in both the Islamic and Arabic worlds, and in safer times has been a major tourist destination. Since the government change in 2024, Damascus and experiencing a resurgence in tourism and a lot of services and hotels are back to operating as the situation continues improving.
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Roman temple, built in the 1st century BCE.
الْجَامِع الْأُمَوِي
Built in 1749, it includes a museum describing the life of royal families.
Medieval fortified palace and citadel, now partly ruined.
تمثال صلاح الدين الأيوبي
Unveiled in 1993, marking the 800th anniversary of Saladin's death.
Largest caravanserai in the Old City of Damascus, built in 1758.
خَان الْحَرِير
كنيس الراكي
Last remaining functioning synagogue in Damascus. Built in the 19th century, it has been renovated.
كَنيسَةُ الْقِدِّيسِ حَنَانِيَا
Said to be the home Ananias of Damascus who baptized Saul, which came to be Paul the Apostle. Excavations have revealed a 5th- or 6th-century underground church.
Syriac Orthodox cathedral.
Resting place and grave of the medieval Muslim Ayyubid Sultan Saladin, built in 1196.
كَاتِدْرَائِيَّةُ سَيِّدَةِ النِّيَاحِ لِلرُّومِ الْمَلَكِيِّينَ فِي دِمَشْقَ
Melkite Greek Catholic cathedral.
الكَنِيسَة المَرْيَمِيَّة
كَاتِدرَائِيَّة مَار بُولُس
بَـاب الـصَّـغِـيْـر
بَابُ تُومَا
Meaning the Gate of Thomas, celebrating Saint Thomas the Apostle, one of the twelve apostles of Jesus Christ.
بَابٌ شَرْقِيٌّ
The Eastern Gate, this is the only gate built during Roman times that still stands.
بَابُ كِيسَانَ
المتحف الوطني بدمشق
التَّكِيَّة السُّلَيْمَانِيَّة
جَامِع الْأَقْصَاب
Ayyubid-era mosque, completed in 1234.
Out in the suburbs but accessible by minibus or taxi. It's about US$7 to get in and well worth it. It was built with the help of the North Korean Government and the influence shows. There is an exhibit of military hardware outside. English-speaking guides are available. Many big galleries contain murals commemorating the life of former president Hafez al-Assad. Other exhibits include paintings, which represent the history of Syria with a mixture of Arab and Syrian nationalism.
محطة الحجاز
No longer an active railway station, this historic building remains an important landmark in the city. Since it clousure around 2008 there has been temporary exhibitions but its future remains unclear.
نصب السيف الدمشقي
Widely considered as the symbol of the city, the monument is meant to be a reminder of "the victories, strength and achievements of the Syrian people".
ضريح الجندي المجهول
War memorial dedicated to the Syrian soldiers killed during battle.
Ancient synagogue built in 720 BC. It was partly destroyed in 2014.
بكداش
The oldest ice cream parlor in the Middle East, open since 1885. They are most famous for the Booza, a pistachio-covered ice cream with an elastic texture made of mastic and sahlab.
This restaurant offers the basics in Middle Eastern cooking, including mezze and a variety of grilled meats. There is a separate family section for diners and women. Alcohol is not served, and credit cards are not accepted.
This is a very cozy restaurant that serves pizza baked in wood-fired oven. The interior decoration is very charming and warm. The restaurant speciality is wood fired authentic Italian pizza, and serves salads, appetizers, pasta dishes and desserts as well. No alcohol. Also delivers.
Leila's Restaurant and Terrace has rooftop seating with a gorgeous view of Umayyad Mosque. The restaurant serves traditional Arabic cuisine. Alcohol is served, although noted listed on the menu so ask the waiter for availability.
A favorite with locals and tourists, and offers the Syrian classics. It is located in the courtyard of a beautiful Damascene house.
The restaurant offers a combination of Syrian and French classics. While alcohol is served, credit cards are not accepted. Arabesque is on the more elegant side, so semi-formal dress may be more appropriate.
This contemporary restaurant offers a wide array of sandwiches, salads and fresh fruit juices. French is more likely to be spoken than Arabic. The interior is filled with Scandinavian decor.
شرقي
مَقْهًى الْهَافَانَا
Established in 1945, this café was for a long time the main meeting place of the cultural elite in Damascus.
Friendly and cute guest house with a nice courtyard, common area, kitchen and good 24h wifi. In a great neighborhood just outside the old city.
It has an attractive courtyard, and clean rooms. Breakfast is included in the price. Some of the rooms that share a bath are a bit of a hike from the bath and shower rooms. No alcohol allowed on the premises. The design of the hotel is beautiful but staff can be very rude and don't expect to be made to feel welcome.
Also known as Ghazal Hotel, this hotel is a newcomer in the Saroujah budget hotels. It has a very attractive, typical Damascus courtyard. For breakfast, they serve the usual range of teas and coffees and good water pipe free of charge. You can bring alcohol to drink in the courtyard. Rooms and facilities are new. Several new, clean bathrooms with hot water and also a hostel portion in the same structure. There is safe for valuables. Owners are helpful and service-minded, but they speak less English than their competitors and don't arrange tours or otherwise on a regular basis (but could still probably help out if you ask). English spoken enough to arrange rooms, get/give directions and special circumstances. For foreign students of Arabic, the hotel staff are very accommodating and surprisingly insightful with the limited English they speak. If you are a light sleeper, you should avoid rooms close to the kitchen, bathrooms and reception area. The rooms facing onto the courtyard are peaceful.
Some of the rooms on the upper floors lack heaters and can be very cold in the winter unless the door to the common space is left open. The courtyard is smaller than in Al-Rabie, but the staff is nice and friendly. Showers are in the basement. Helpful staff that can arrange tours and otherwise cater to tourist needs. No alcohol allowed on the premises. Reservations needed. Scam warning: their email has been hacked. If someone responds to your email asking for money up front,do not send it! Al Haramain is not a low budget hotel, so check prices before booking.
In a good location, 10–15 minutes' walk from the Old Town in one direction and the National Museum in the other.
This family-run 60-room hotel remains a very popular, secure and central place to stay for travellers of all sorts, from businessmen to backpackers. The Al Majed Restaurant, open 24 hours, is on the top floor of the Hotel with a variety of dishes, from traditional Middle Eastern dishes to Continental cuisine.
This hostel has a unique location, with some rooms in a tower on the city wall. While the location is excellent and the rooms are decent. Laundry service with an automatic washer is available. Satellite television is available in the common area but there is no on-site Internet access. The website has both a printable map with directions and GPS coordinates.
Offers various-sized apartments, suitable for all numbers of persons. Each apartment has its own balcony with breath-taking views of the mountains.
Has air conditioned rooms (singles, doubles) with satellite TV, telephone and mini-bar. You can ask for a car to pick you up from the airport. The courtyard contains fountain and is full of plants.
rents a rooms for students studying in Damascus in a beautiful, traditional Arabic house in the heart of the Old City of Damascus. The house includes seven bedrooms, two bathrooms, two kitchens, a beautiful courtyard and a rooftop terrace with a great view over Old Damascus. Each bedroom is furnished with a TV, bed, wardrobe, dresser and heater (air-con in some rooms). The kitchens are fully equipped (gas stove, microwave, kettle, oven etc.) and the modern bathrooms have hot water 24 hours a day. Washing machine, internet access (dial-up) and fixed telephone (landline) are also available.
In the Old City, near the St. Thomas gate, on one of those two-metre-wide pedestrian-only streets that are so common in the older neighbourhoods. The Old Damascus has about a dozen rooms and used to be a typical Arab home of the sort common among prosperous merchants in the early 1900s. A Syrian-Arab family owns and operates the hotel.
The hotel has 25 air-conditioned rooms (doubles, twins, and triples) with satellite TV, telephone and mini-bar. Safe deposit box at the reception. Staff are available to assist guests 24 hours a day. Summer terrace looking out over Damascus city.
Offers long- as well as short-term stays. The 400-year-old house has been renovated. The two-storey house prides has 27 furnished rooms restored in Ottoman decorative styles. With wireless internet access, laundry facilities and a fully equipped kitchen. The house has two open courtyards with view of Qasiun mountain.
Syria's national hotel chain, and one of the largest business-class hotels in the city.
فندق فور سيزنز دمشق
The Four Seasons, in the city centre, offers many services, such as spa, baby-sitting, and fitness facilities. This hotel houses the Al Halabi restaurant, which features the Aleppo cuisine of northern Syria.
Offers all the services of a four-star international hotel; Presidential suite, bathrooms are provided with jacuzzi, comfortable rooms equipped with the modern technology services; communication facilities including free high-speed internet (wireless in the lobby and wired in the rooms). Additional facilities include an international restaurant, bar and café.
Offers all the services of a five-star hotel, double king-sized beds, modern equipment, terrace cafe, basement cinema cafe, reading lounges, restaurant, salon, VIP area, Wi-Fi.
سُوق ٱلْحَمِيدِيَّة
By train
As of early 2025, all long-distance train services to Damascus are still suspended, including the once-weekly sleeper trains from Istanbul and Tehran.
By car
Service Taxis are available to Amman and Irbid in Jordan. Depending on the political situation, these also service Beirut and other points in Lebanon, as well as points in Iraq.
By bus
Damascus is well served by buses internally in the country.
By foot
A very good idea is to go on foot especially for a sightseeing, and it's the only way to get around in Old Damascus.
By car
It isn't a very good idea to rent a car in Damascus. There is almost always a traffic jam, especially in summer, and parking tends to be difficult too; although that isn't the situation in suburbs.
By bus
Micro buses, also known as servees, are one of the main sources of transportation in Damascus. You can go from one place to another in Damascus with one or at most two journeys.
By taxi
Taxis are plentiful in Damascus, making them a great mode of transportation.
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