"Ash-Sham" a Damascus Travel Page by xristos83

Damascus is considered to be the oldest city in the world that is still inhabited. Although much of the city is modern and the historic center is in need of restoration, history still looms wherever you go. As the capital of Syria, there are also tons of things to see concerning Syria's modern history. I recommend taking a walk around the area in which the Ministery of Interior and the American Embassy are located. Bashir Al-Assad's house is not too far from there, but the mukhabaraat will stop you from getting to close (we told them that we were lost going up the mountain). The old souq is huge which will last at least a day to explore, but if you are heading to Aleppo afterward i'd recommend that you wait to buy things there (they're cheaper and the Aleppo souq in my opinion is better and less hassle). Damascus is worth much more than a couple of days in order to explore not only the old town but also to live life in the modern vibrant capital.