World Heritage Identification Number: 20
World Heritage since: 1979
Category: Cultural Heritage
Transboundary Heritage: No
Endangered Heritage: Yes
Country: 🇸🇾 Syrian Arab Republic
Continent: Asia
UNESCO World Region: Arab States
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The Ancient City of Damascus: A Timeless Testimony of History and Culture
The Ancient City of Damascus, located in modern-day Syria, stands as one of the oldest continually inhabited cities in the world, boasting a rich tapestry of history, culture, and architectural marvels that span over four millennia. This ancient metropolis, inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979, offers a unique glimpse into the myriad civilizations that have shaped its development throughout the ages.
More to come…UNESCO Description of the World Heritage Site
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.
Encyclopedia Record: Old city of Damascus
The old city of Damascus is the historic city centre of Damascus, Syria. The old city, which is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, contains numerous archaeological sites, including some historical churches and mosques. Many cultures have left their mark, especially Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine and Islamic. In 1979, the historical center of the city, surrounded by walls of Roman era, was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. In June 2013, UNESCO included all Syrian sites on the list of World Heritage in Danger to warn of the risks to which they are exposed because of the Syrian Civil War. Within it lies the monumental Umayyad mosque, one of the largest and oldest mosques in the world.Additional Site Details
Area: 86.12 hectares
(ii) — Significant interchange of human values
(iii) — Unique or exceptional testimony to a cultural tradition
(iv) — Outstanding example of a type of building or landscape
(vi) — Directly associated with events or living traditions
Coordinates: 33.5108333333 , 36.3097222222
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© Francesco Bandarin (Minor retouching done by Robert Prazeres), CC BY-SA 3.0 igo Resized from original. (This derivative is under the same CC BY-SA license.)
