UNESCO World Heritage Site

Ancient City of Damascus

Ancient City of Damascus is a cultural UNESCO World Heritage Site in Syrian Arab Republic, inscribed in 1979.

Founded in the 3rd millennium B.C., Damascus is one of the oldest cities in the Middle East. In the Middle Ages, it was the centre of a flourishing craft industry, specializing in swords and lace. The city has some 125 monuments from different periods of its history – one of the

Founded in the 3rd millennium B.C., Damascus is one of the oldest cities in the Middle East. In the Middle Ages, it was the centre of a flourishing craft industry, specializing in swords and lace. The city has some 125 monuments from different periods of its history – one of the most spectacular is the 8th-century Great Mosque of the Umayyads, built on the site of an Assyrian sanctuary.

Country
Syrian Arab Republic
Region
Asia
Category
Cultural
Inscribed
1979
UNESCO reference
20
Area
86.12 ha

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Counts are based on Zikzak's current UNESCO World Heritage dataset, sourced from UNESCO. Last updated 7 August 2026. UNESCO insights

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