DAMASCUS

Damascus, Syria. Arabic Dimashq city, capital of Syria. Located in the southwestern part of the country, it has been called the pearl of the East. Its Arabic name (colloquially ash-Sham, meaning the northern, as located from Arabia) derives from Dimashka, a word of pre-Semitic etymology, suggesting that the beginnings of Damascus go back to a time before recorded history. Many scholars believe that, among the ancient cities of the world, Damascus is perhaps the oldest continuously inhabited. Over the centuries, Damascus has been conqueror and conquered, wealthy and destitute, and capital of empire. Its life has been nourished periodically by immigrants from its hinterland and from the Mediterranean Basin and Southwest Asia. Often a focus of contention by powers of East and West, Damascus' fortunes have frequently been linked to those of distant capitals. Now a burgeoning metropolis of the Middle East, it retains, as it has through centuries of triumph and disaster, an indomitable spirit and a not inconsiderable charm. Arabic Dimashq, city, capital of Syria. Located in the southwestern part of the country, it has been called the pearl of the East and was the capital of the Islamic Caliphate from AD 661 to 750. Its origins can be traced to the 3rd millennium BC, and it has been known by its present name since at least the 15th century BC. Many scholars believe it to be the world's oldest city. Situated at the base of Qasiyun Mountain, among the orchards of Al-Ghutah oasis, Damascus is open to the surrounding plain in all directions except on the west side, where it is bordered by mountains. The city has grown up along the slope of Qasiyun Mountain, but its main expansion has been to the northeast and south, where the terrain is gentler. Although Damascus is only 50 miles (80 km) east of the Mediterranean Sea, the blockage of moisture-laden westerly winds by the Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon mountains results in a subdesert climate. Al-Ghutah oasis, fed by the Barada River, which cuts the city in two, supports temperate and subtropical vegetation in the surrounding area. Fruits (including olives and grapes), cereals, and legumes are cultivated, and there is extensive truck gardening. Cows, goats, and sheep are raised for food. Damascus' handicraft industries produce mother-of-pearl mosaics, inlaid woodwork, silk brocades (damask), copper goods, blown glass, and cabinetry. Textiles are also important. Modern industries include food and leather processing, printing, and the manufacture of furniture, clothing, and shoes. Damascus plays a large role in transit trade among Middle Eastern cities and distributes imported goods to other parts of Syria. The city has a large number of retail shops and small tradesmen, attributable to emigration from the countryside. The Old City of Damascus lies to the south of the river and contains the principal mosques, khans (caravansaries), and markets. Particularly noteworthy are the Great Mosque of Damascus (or Umayyad Mosque; begun c. 705) and the citadel (rebuilt in 1219). A modern city plan dating from 1929 fostered the development of modern residential neighbourhoods such as Abu Rummanah. Government ministries are scattered to the west of the Old City, and many are located at fashionable Marjah Square. Though they are no longer being built, houses with patios and outdoor water fountains, typical of the Old City, are still common. The city's educational and scientific institutions include the University of Damascus (1903); the Damascus National Museum (1921), which oversees foreign archaeological missions in Syria; the Arab Academy (1919); and the Az-Zahiriyah (National Library, 1880). The modern Assad Library, completed in 1984, is a major Middle Eastern research centre. Intracity transport is provided by buses, taxis, and automobiles. Highways connect the city to Aleppo and to such foreign cities as Amman, in Jordan, and Beirut, in Lebanon. Damascus has an international airport about 20 miles (32 km) east of the city. Area city, 41 square miles (105 square km). Pop. (1989 est.) 1,361,000. Additional reading General works include Anne-Marie Bianquis, Damas et la Ghouta, in La Syrie d'aujourd'hui, ed. by Andr Raymond (1980), pp. 359384; N. Elisseff, Dimashk," in Encyclopaedia of Islam, new ed., vol. 2, pp. 277291 (1965); Christina Phelps Grant, The Syrian Desert: Caravans, Travel, and Exploration (1937); Jean Sauvaget, Les Monuments historiques de Damas (1932), useful for the archaeological plan of the city; and Colin Thubron, Mirror to Damascus (1967, reissued 1990). Climate and geography are addressed in Ren Dussaud, Topographie historique de la Syrie antique et mdivale (1927); and Richard Thoumin, Gographie humaine de la Syrie Centrale (1936). History is treated in the following works: Philip K. Hitti, Damascus: The Imperial Capital, in his Capital Cities of Arab Islam (1973), pp. 6184; Ira M. Lapidus, Muslim Urban Society in Mamluk Syria, in A.H. Hourani and S.M. Stern (eds.), The Islamic City: A Colloquium (1970), pp. 195205; Nicola A. Ziadeh, Damascus Under the Mamluks (1964); and Wayne T. Pitard, Ancient Damascus: A Historical Study of the Syrian City-State from Earliest Times until Its Fall to the Assyrians in 732 BCE (1987). John F. Devlin Lois Chapman Houghton The Editors of the Encyclopdia Britannica