The old city of Damascus, medieval Islamic, presents a high degree of conservation of buildings, souks and city walls, which deserve a visit of several days. Of the wall built by the Romans, highlights some of their doors, such as Bab al-Farag, Bab al-Salaam and Bab Touma. A lovely walk along the river Barada, which bathes the Syrian capital, takes you between these two doors.
Things to do
The Souq al-Hamidiyya is the most colorful and busy in Damascus. It is a kind of Parisian boulevard covered by a high canopy of iron and where there are shops and seats of spices, clothes, jewelry and articles of all kinds. A place to purchase but also for walking for the local people, nice people with whom it's easy to talk.
The Hejaz railway station (journey of pilgrims in Arabic), midway between the souk and the National Museum deserves a visit for its history and its impressive stained glass windows. From here the trains started carrying pilgrims to Mecca.
The National Museum of Damascus is a must to understand the importance of Syria as a cradle of civilizations. In its magnificent rooms are from the first brace of the Ugaritic alphabet to royal tombs of Roman times and the caravans of the desert or an impressive synagogue dating from the second century brought from the desert. The call room wooden displays Islamic art. And in the gardens visitors can walk among statues of different periods. Indeed, a journey of learning the past.
Some of the old houses of Damascus are preserved today and open their doors to visitors. Eg Beit Jabra, perhaps most conspicuously of all, now converted into a restaurant, or the more modest and Beit Aqqad, former residence of a family of textile merchants, and today is the Danish Institute, near the Straight street. Built in wood carvings, all surrounding a beautiful courtyard.
