The Umayyad Mosque (705-715 CE) Contains the Largest Surviving Byzantine Floor Mosaic in the World and Houses Shrines to Both John the Baptist and Hussein ibn Ali; Saladin Died in Damascus in 1193 Having Recaptured Jerusalem From the Crusaders After 88 Years; the Assad Regime Fell on December 8, 2024 After 53 Years of Family Rule When Bashar al-Assad Fled to Russia
The Umayyad Mosque (705-715 CE) housing the largest surviving Byzantine mosaic and shrines to both John the Baptist (Christian and Muslim saint) and Hussein ibn Ali (Shia martyr); Saladin's tomb in the Umayyad Mosque garden where he died in 1193 after reconquering Jerusalem; the Street Called Straight mentioned in Acts 9:11 as the location of Paul's recovery after the Damascus Road conversion; the Assad regime falling December 8, 2024 after 53 years; the Azm Palace (1749) and its distinctive ablaq black-and-white masonry; and the Damascus practical guide for 2025 post-regime-change travel.
Krak des Chevaliers Was Never Taken by Direct Assault in 127 Years of Hospitaller Control and T.E. Lawrence Called It Perhaps the Best Preserved and Most Admirable Castle in the World; the World's First Coffee Houses Opened in Damascus Around 1530 CE and the Al-Nufara Coffee House Outside the Umayyad Mosque Has Been Operating Since the 16th Century; the Assad Regime That Survived 13 Years of Civil War Collapsed in 11 Days in December 2024
Krak des Chevaliers never taken by direct assault in 127 years, only falling when Baybars I reportedly used a forged letter; T.E. Lawrence calling it perhaps the best preserved and most admirable castle in the world; Damascus's first coffee houses opening around 1530 CE with the Al-Nufara operating outside the Umayyad Mosque since the 16th century; the Assad regime collapsing in 11 days after surviving 13 years of civil war; the bukra fil mishmish (when apricots ripen) Arabic idiom equivalent to when pigs fly; and the Syria complete visitor guide for 2025.
The Umayyad Caliphate at Its 8th Century Peak Extended from the Atlantic Coast of Iberia to the Indus River Making It One of the Largest Empires in History; ISIS Executed 82-Year-Old Archaeologist Khaled al-Asaad in Palmyra After He Refused to Reveal Where Treasures Were Hidden; Aleppo Soap (Ghar Soap) Is the Oldest Continuously Produced Soap in the World and the Original Model for Castile and Marseille Soap
The Umayyad Caliphate at its 8th century peak spanning from Atlantic Iberia to the Indus River; ISIS executing 82-year-old archaeologist Khaled al-Asaad who refused to reveal Palmyrene treasure locations; Aleppo soap (Ghar soap) as the oldest continuously produced soap and model for Castile and Marseille soap; the Hama massacre killing up to 40,000 civilians in 1982; the Syrian Civil War producing 6.8 million refugees (world's largest refugee population); and the Damascus vs Aleppo comparison of political versus commercial city.
Kaiser Wilhelm II Donated a Marble Sarcophagus to Saladin's Tomb in Damascus in 1898 Calling Saladin a Knight Without Fear or Blame; Damascene Damask Fabric is Named Directly for the City and Was the Most Valuable Export of Medieval Damascus; Ibn Battuta Called Damascus One of the Four Earthly Paradises Alongside Samarkand, Shiraz, and Baghdad
Kaiser Wilhelm II donating a marble sarcophagus to Saladin's tomb in 1898 and calling Saladin a knight without fear or blame; Damascene damask fabric named directly for the city as the most valuable export of medieval Damascus traded by Venetian and Genoese merchants; Ibn Battuta describing Damascus as the most beautiful city in the world and calling the Ghouta one of the four earthly paradises; the Bosra Roman Theatre preserved inside a 12th-century Arab citadel; the hakawati storyteller at the Al-Nufara coffee house outside the Umayyad Mosque; and the Trump administration's 2019 recognition of Israeli annexation of the Golan Heights.
Turkey Hosts 3.6 Million Syrian Refugees Making It the Country with the Largest Refugee Population in the World; the Dura-Europos Synagogue (245 CE) in Damascus Museum Contains the Largest Collection of Figural Paintings in Ancient Jewish Art Contradicting Assumptions About Aniconism; T.E. Lawrence Blew Up the Hejaz Railway Dozens of Times But Felt He Had Betrayed the Arabs When the Sykes-Picot Agreement Divided Their Promised Kingdom
Turkey hosting 3.6 million Syrian refugees as the world's largest refugee hosting nation; the Dura-Europos Synagogue (245 CE) containing figural narrative biblical paintings that fundamentally changed understanding of ancient Jewish art; T.E. Lawrence's guilt over the Sykes-Picot betrayal of Arab independence; Syria's pre-war 1.5 million Christians (10% of population) with 40-60% emigrating during the Civil War; the Antioch church as one of five original Christian patriarchates and where followers of Jesus were first called Christians; and the Damascus photography guide including the souk bullet-hole shaft-of-light effect.
Aramaic Was the Lingua Franca of the Middle East for 1,400 Years from 700 BCE to 700 CE and Three Villages Near Damascus (Malula, Bakh'a, Jubb'adin) Still Speak a Western Aramaic Dialect Today; the Hammam Nur al-Din in Damascus Built in 1172 CE Is One of the Oldest Functioning Public Baths in the World; the Hejaz Railway Reduced the 40-Day Camel Journey from Damascus to Medina to 3 Days Before T.E. Lawrence Destroyed It in 1916-1918
Aramaic as lingua franca for 1,400 years with three villages near Damascus (Malula, Bakh'a, Jubb'adin) still speaking a native Western Aramaic dialect; Hammam Nur al-Din (1172 CE) as one of the oldest functioning public baths in the world; the Hejaz Railway (1900-1908) reducing Damascus to Medina from 40 days by camel to 3 days before T.E. Lawrence destroyed it; the Chapel of Ananias being 7m below current street level as one of the oldest Christian worship spaces in use; the Bosra Roman Theatre entirely enclosed in a 12th-century Arab citadel; and the Damascus 3-day itinerary with Malula and Bosra day trips.