DAMAS'CUS (Arab. Dintislok-esh-Shdin). The capital and largest city of Syria, Asiatic Turkey (Slap: Turkey in Asia, G 6). It is situated in a plain at the eastern base of the Anti-Libanus, 53 miles southeast of Beirut. The city with its beautiful surroundings and its abundant supply of water has since the earliest times been re garded by the cabs as the most beautiful spot in the world, and is supposed to have served as a model for the paradise described in the Koran. The appearance of Damascus from a distance is impressive, but upon a closer inspection it is, like most Oriental cities, disappointing. It is about five miles in circumference and is sur rounded by partly ruined wails, pierced by seven gates. The streets, with the exception of the 'Straight Street,' on which Saint Paul is sup posed to have lived, are crooked and narrow. The houses are generally built in the Moorish style and not infrequently combine a splendidly decorated interior with a plain and sombre ex terior. The walls fronting the street are usually without windows: the courts in the houses of the wealthy residents are adorned with splendid marble fountains, fine trees, and flowers. Damas cus derives its water-supply, by an excellent system of canals, conduits, and pipes, from the Barada, the Abana of the Old Testament, which traverses the city from west to east and divides the newer portion of the city on the north from the ancient walled city with its sectarian quar ters on the south.
Of the seventy-one large mosques of Damascus that of the Ommiads is the most important. It is supposed to have been originally a heathen tem ple converted into a Christian church at the end of the fourth century. It then contained what was believed to he the head of John the Baptist, and was named the Church of Saint John. The site of the church was later acquired by the sixth Onuniad Caliph, who erected on it a mosque of fabulous splendor, according to the description of the Arabic writers. After the conquest of Damascus by Timur the mosque was despoiled. It covers a site of 143 X yards, and has the shape of a basilica divided by columns 23 feet high, ornamented, as also arc the walls, with inscrip tions from the Koran. The architecture belongs to different periods; only a small portion of the original structure has survived. The dome, 120 feet high, is flanked by three minarets, one 250 feet high. Other noteworthy mosques are the Sinaniyeh with its striking green-tiled minaret, and the Tekkiyell, with its graceful minarets and dome, founded in 1516 on the river bank to the west of the city frt?a refuge for indigent pilgrims. There are also numerous beautifully ornamented chapels. The Chapel of Abraham in the northern suburb of Burzeh, the leper hospital in the house of Naaman, the house of Ananias, the place of Saint Paul's conversion near the east gate, and the point where he was lowered from the stalls are traditionally sanctified localities. The Eng lish cemetery on the southeast contains the grave of Buckle the historian, who died here in 18(12.
Damascus was once a famous seat of learning, and contained numerous schools in which gram mar, theology, and jurisprudence were taught. The higher schools, with a few exceptions, are now dosed. and Damascus as a centre of culture has been surpassed by Cairo. Elementary education is provided to some extent by the missionary schools, and a number of higher schools are con ducted by the French orders.
The municipal affairs are administered by a council in which Christians as well as Jewish residents are represented. Damascus is the seat of the \Vali or Governor of Syria, and of the commander of the Syrian troops. The chief manufactures consist of silver and gold articles, stuffs interwoven with silver and gold thread$, and inlaid furniture. The manufacture of the blades for which Damascus was famous has ceased. The commercial importance of the city rests chiefly on the transit trade, which, however, has considerably declined since the construction of the Suez Canal. The bazaars of Damascus are numerous and well kept, but they are generally poorly stocked, and the magnificent khans formerly thronged by merchants are now but indifferently attended. The exports consist chiefly of wool, hemp, grain, and animal prod ucts, grapes, and dried fruit. Damascus is con nected by rail with its port, Beirut, and a rail way line extends southward to El Muzerib. in the Hauram. It is visited monthly by caravans from Aleppo. The population is estimated at 154.000. and is very heterogeneous in its composition. About three-quarters is Mohammedan, while the rest consists of Christians belonging to different churches. The Jews number about 8000. The United States is represented by a consular agent.
The foundation of Damascus is attributed by Josephus to Uz, the son of Aram. The city was the seat of a kingdom at the time of the Hebrew monarchy. Subjugated by David, it soon regained its independence and even recovered sufficiently to attack the Kingdom of Israel, weakened by internal strife. In the second half of the eighth century B.C. Damascus was conquered by Assyria and its people carried away to the land of the conquerors and replaced by colonies from Assyria. After the death of Alexander the Orbit, Damascus became part of the Kingdom of the Selenebhe. Conquered by Pompey in B.C. 64, it became :1 dependency of Rome, under which it enjoyed local autonomy and regained a part of its former prosperity. It was during this period that Christianity was intro duced into Damascus, and the city became the seat of a bishopric. In 635 it was taken by the Mohammedans, under whose rule it was for a time (previous to the founding of Bagdad) the residence of the Caliphs and was greatly adorned and fortified. After an unsuecessful siege by the Crusaders under Baldwin in 1148, Damascus wa-s taken by Nureddin in 1154, and, at the death of the latter, passed into the hands of Saladin, NY o died there in 1193. The victory of Tamer lane over the Egyptians at Damascus in 1401 placed the city in the hands of the Mongol conqueror. who after exacting a large tribute from its residents slaughtered most of them and pillaged and burned the city. It was soon re built, and in 1516 wrested from Egypt by the Turk4 under Selim I. Retaken by the Egyptians under Ibrahim Pasha in 1832. Damascus re mained under the rule of Egypt until 1841, when, together with Syria. it was restored to Turkey. An uprising of the Moslem population in 1860 resulted in the destruction of the Christian quarter, and the massacre of about 6000 Chris tians. Consult: Porter, Fere Years in Damascus (London, 1870) ; Macintosh, Damascus and Its People (London, 1882).