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Damascus
Damascus ( , ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in the Levant region by population, largest city of Syria. It is the oldest capital in the world and, according to some, the fourth Holiest sites in Islam, holiest city in Islam. Known colloquially in Syria as () and dubbed, poetically, the "City of Jasmine" ( ), Damascus is a major cultural center of the Levant and the Arab world. Situated in southwestern Syria, Damascus is the center of a large metropolitan area. Nestled among the eastern foothills of the Anti-Lebanon mountain range inland from the eastern shore of the Mediterranean on a plateau above sea level, Damascus experiences an arid climate because of the rain shadow effect. The Barada, Barada River flows through Damascus. Damascus is one of the List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, 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. Afte ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Umayyad Mosque
The Umayyad Mosque (; ), also known as the Great Mosque of Damascus, located in the old city of Damascus, the capital of Syria, is one of the largest and oldest mosques in the world. Its religious importance stems from the eschatological reports concerning the mosque and historic events associated with it. Christian and Muslim tradition alike consider it the burial place of John the Baptist's head, a tradition originating in the 6th century. Two shrines inside the premises commemorate the Islamic prophet Muhammad's grandson Husayn ibn Ali, whose Battle of Karbala, martyrdom is frequently compared to that of John the Baptist. The site has been used as a house of worship since the Iron Age, when the Aram-Damascus, Arameans built on it a temple dedicated to their god of rain, Hadad. Under Roman Syria, Roman rule, beginning in 64 CE, it was converted into the center of the imperial cult of ancient Rome, imperial cult of Jupiter, the Roman god of rain, becoming one of the largest templ ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Syria
Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, is a country in West Asia located in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Levant. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to Syria–Turkey border, the north, Iraq to Iraq–Syria border, the east and southeast, Jordan to Jordan–Syria border, the south, and Israel and Lebanon to Lebanon–Syria border, the southwest. It is a republic under Syrian transitional government, a transitional government and comprises Governorates of Syria, 14 governorates. Damascus is the capital and largest city. With a population of 25 million across an area of , it is the List of countries and dependencies by population, 57th-most populous and List of countries and dependencies by area, 87th-largest country. The name "Syria" historically referred to a Syria (region), wider region. The modern state encompasses the sites of several ancient kingdoms and empires, including the Eblan civilization. Damascus was the seat of the Umayyad Caliphate and ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Damascus International Airport
Damascus International Airport () is the international airport of Damascus, the capital of Syria and the home base of the national flag carrier airline, Syrian Air. Damascus International Airport serves as a primary gateway to Syria and is one of the largest airports in the country along with Aleppo International Airport and Latakia International Airport. Inaugurated in the mid-1970s, it also was the country's busiest airport. In 2010, an estimated 5.5 million passengers used the airport, an increase of more than 50% since 2004. The ongoing Syrian civil war, civil war has caused many airlines to terminate their flights to and from Damascus, cutting much of the city's population off from international flights. History Establishment and early years In 1965 the construction of the airport was entrusted to a group of French companies (Société de construction des Batignolles, SCB, Compagnie générale de la télégraphie sans fil, CSF, SPIE SA, Spie and Cegelec), led by the S ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Damascus Governorate
Damascus Governorate ( ') is one of the fourteen governorates (provinces) of Syria. Completely surrounded by the Rif Dimashq Governorate, it consists only of the city of Damascus, the capital of Syria. The governorate's area is around 107 km2, encompassing the area of the city of Damascus, while the population is around 2,503,000. Municipalities of Damascus Governorate Geography Damascus occupies a strategic location on a plateau which rises 680 m (2,230 ft) above sea level and about 80 km (50 mi) inland from the Mediterranean, sheltered by the Anti-Lebanon mountains, supplied with water by the Barada River. The Anti-Lebanon mountains which mark the border between Syria and Lebanon, block precipitation from the Mediterranean sea, so that the region of Damascus is sometimes subject to droughts. However, in ancient times this was mitigated by the Barada River, which originates from mountain streams fed by melting snow. Damascus is surrounded by the Ghouta ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sulaymaniyya Takiyya
The Sulaymaniyya Takiyya (; ) is a '' takiyya'' ( Ottoman-era Arabic name for a mosque complex which served as a Sufi convent) in Damascus, Syria, located on the right bank of the Barada River.. Commissioned by the Ottoman sultan Suleiman the Magnificent, the western building of the complex was built, following the plans of Mimar Sinan, between 1554 and 1559. Another building was added eastwards from it in 1566 to be used as a madrasa (which became known as the Salimiyya Madrasa, named after Suleiman's son Selim II, although this building too may have been commissioned by Suleiman before his death). Although ''not'' the first Ottoman building in Damascus (that is considered to have been the Salimiyya Takiyya in as-Salihiyya), the Sulaymaniyya Takiyya is considered to have marked the introduction of the Ottoman architectural style to Damascus. In the centuries following its construction, the Sulaymaniyya Takiyya became an important stop on the "Syrian route" of pilgrims to Me ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mount Qasioun
Mount Qasioun () is a mountain overlooking the city of Damascus, Syria. It has a range of restaurants, from which the whole city can be viewed. Due to its high elevation, several communications and broadcasting networks constructed relay stations at the summit for the city's communications. As the city has expanded over the years, some districts have been established at the foot of the mountain. Its highest point is .Profile lib.utexas.edu. Accessed 8 April 2024. Etymology The term Qasioun might mean "hard and dry" in , which is the characteristic of the bare rocky mountain that has no grass, greenery, or water. History ...
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Azm Palace
Al-Azm Palace ( ) is a palace in Damascus, Syria, built in 1749. Located north of Al-Buzuriyah Souq in the Ancient City of Damascus, the palace was built in 1749 to be the private residence for As'ad Pasha al-Azm, the governor of Damascus; during the Mandate for Syria and the Lebanon, French Mandate for Syria and the Lebanon, it housed the French Institute. After being purchased by the Syrian government from the Al-Azm family and undergoing several reconstruction works, the palace now houses the Museum of Arts and Popular Traditions. History The palace was built during the Ottoman Empire, Ottoman era over the former site of a Mamluk Sultanate (Cairo), Mamluk palace as a residence for the governor of Damascus, As'ad Pasha al-Azm during the reign of Sultan Mahmud I. Serving as a joint residence and guesthouse, the palace was a monument to 18th-century Arab architecture. The palace was built by 800 workers in a span of three years, and the building was decorated with highly sophisti ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
