Damascus
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The UK Foreign Office currently advises against travel to all or parts of Syria. This guide is for a safer time. Check the latest travel advice.
At a glance
- Country
- Syria
- Region
- Damascus Governorate
- Population
- 2 million
- Best time to go
- April to May, September to October
- Main airport
- Damascus International (DAM)
- Coordinates
- 33.51°N, 36.28°E
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Overview
Damascus is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, its walled Old City a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Roman columns, Umayyad mosques, Ottoman caravanserais and covered souqs are layered on top of each other.
Its courtyard houses, coffee shops and sweet shops give it an intimacy that big monuments alone cannot. Travel is not advised at present; this guide is written for a future, safer time.
Things to see
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Photo: Bernard Gagnon, CC BY-SA 3.0 Umayyad Mosque
One of the oldest and grandest mosques in the world, with golden mosaics and a vast marble courtyard.
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Photo: Vyacheslav Argenberg, CC BY 4.0 Old City
Lanes of ancient houses, churches and mosques inside the walls, best explored slowly on foot.
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Photo: Bernard Gagnon, CC BY-SA 3.0 Souq al-Hamidiyah
A long covered market under an iron roof, leading to the Roman columns at the mosque's gate.
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Photo: krebsmaus07, CC BY 2.0 Azm Palace
An eighteenth-century Ottoman governor's palace with striped stone courtyards and fountains.
Tickets and tours -
Photo: Detroit Photographic Company, Public domain Straight Street
The ancient Roman road crossing the Old City, mentioned in the Bible.
Things to do
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Photo: Bakdash.JPG : Ankara derivative work: Ankara ( talk ), CC BY 3.0 Bakdash ice cream
Watch staff pound stretchy, mastic-scented ice cream topped with pistachios in this historic parlour in the souq.
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Photo: Dosseman, CC BY-SA 4.0 Visit a hammam
Bathe in a centuries-old bathhouse such as Hammam Nur al-Din in the souq.
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Photo: Munfarid1, CC BY-SA 4.0 View from Mount Qasioun
Head up the mountain at dusk to see the city lights stretch out below.
Where to stay
Old City
Boutique hotels in restored courtyard houses offer the most atmosphere.
Hotels in Old CityBab Touma
The Christian quarter, with restaurants and guesthouses near the eastern gate.
Hotels in Bab ToumaCentral Damascus
Larger modern hotels outside the walls, close to the business district.
Hotels in Central Damascus
Getting around
The Old City is best walked. Taxis cover the wider city; travel with trusted local contacts.
The airport is roughly 25 kilometres south-east of the centre, about half an hour by car.
When to go
Spring and autumn are warm and pleasant. Summers are hot and dry, while winters are cool with occasional snow.
Plan your trip to Damascus
Guide last checked October 2026. Opening times and prices change, so check before you go.