Damascus

The name of Damascus first appeared in the geographical list of Thutmose III as tjmsqw in the 15th century BC.

Damascus was built on a plateau 680 m above sea level and is about 80 km inland from the Mediterranean.

Carbon-14 dating suggests that the site of Damascus may have been occupied since around 6300 BC.

The Old City of Damascus retains the rectangular shape established by the Romans, with its two main axes known as the Decumanus Maximus and the Cardo.

The Grand Mosque of Damascus, originally a Christian cathedral, was completed in 715.