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Name
Damascus (Dimashq or
as-Sham in Arabic). Dimashqa was mentioned in the hieroglyphic tablets
of Egypt in the 15th century BC.
Location
Approx. 210 km from the
Hotel.
History
Damascus, the city
claims to be the oldest continuously in habited in the world where the
temple of Jupiter once stood and earlier still an altar to Hadad, god
of storm, rain and fertility. The Byzantines converted Jupiter’s
temple into the church of St.John, but now the call to prayer floats
out from the 8th century Great Mosque of
the Umayyads. For thousands of years this has been the holiest place
in what claims to be the world’s oldest continuously inhabited city,
venerated for its Muslim, Christian and
pagan stones.
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