Damascus

The capital city of Syria, Damascus is one of the great historic cities of the Middle East and is considered one of the oldest, if not the oldest, capital in the world with a history going back thousands of years.

It has a rich history, having been an important city to many empires throughout time, and countless ruling dynasties have called the city home.

At one point, Damascus was renowned as an important cultural and economic center in the Middle East and historic buildings dotted the city.

However, in recent years, the city has fallen into drastic decline and lost much of its historic splendor due to the Syrian Civil War and the conflict with ISIS. 

Despite this, it still maintains an important role as the seat of power of the Syrian government.

Do Jewish and Muslim leaders engage in metaphysical battles on the astral plane?

This desecration in Damascus, Syria occurring just before Rav Vital’s yahrzeit cannot be dismissed as mere coincidence. This as a deliberate act perpetrated by those who harbor ill will toward Jews.

 A SyrianAir Airbus A320-200 waits to take off to Aleppo, on the tarmac of Damascus International Airport, 2020
 Marc and Debra Tice, parents of US journalist Austin Tice, talk during a news conference in Beirut, Lebanon December 4, 2018.

Syrian intelligence documents confirm Austin Tice imprisoned by Assad regime - report

 People celebrate after US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday he would order the lifting of sanctions on Syria, in Damascus, May 13, 2025.

Saudi Arabia eyes Syria with new investment as Gaza remains in rubble - analysis

 Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shibani stands next to US envoy for Syria Thomas Barrack as he raises the American flag at US ambassador's residency in Damascus, Syria May 29, 2025.

US raises flag in Damascus: New envoy signals shift in US–Syria relations post-Assad - analysis


US envoy says Syria-Israel peace is possible in Damascus trip

"Syria and Israel are a solvable problem. But it starts with a dialogue," Barrack told a small group of journalists in Damascus.

 Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa meets with U.S. Ambassador to Turkey and special envoy to Syria Tom Barrack in Istanbul, Turkey, May 24, 2025.

Trump Tower project in Syria: Symbolic or strategic? - analysis

Some are skeptical about a $200 million tower in Damascus with the Trump name, while others believe it could herald a new era of stability and economic development in Syria.

 Syiran President Ahmed al-Sharaa and US President Donald Trump.

Britain holds first high-level military talks with Syria since 2011

Syrian Defense Minister Gen. Marhaf Abu Qasra met with an official British delegation led by political advisor Charles Smith in Damascus.

 A meeting between British political advisor Charles Smith (L) and Syrian Defense Minister Gen. Marhaf Abu Qasra (R) in Damascus, May 15, 2025.

Can the UAE pave the way to Israel-Syria dialogue? - analysis

The UAE is not the only country with interests in ending the Israel-Syria tensions.

 Syria's interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa speaks during a Ministerial formation of the government of the Syrian Arab Republic, in Damascus, Syria March 29, 2025.

Syria looks to rebuild as Damascus hosts major trade exhibitions

The Damascus fairs mark the country’s largest economic event in years, and a cautious appeal to international investors.

 A trade fair at the Damascus International Fairgrounds.

Royal Jordanian resumes direct flights to Aleppo after 14-year pause

The return to Aleppo comes on the heels of Royal Jordanian’s earlier resumption of flights to Damascus in January, which have since expanded to 11 weekly departures.

Planes that belong to the Royal Jordanian Airlines and other companies are parked at the Queen Alia International Airport in Amman, Jordan February 23, 2020.

Locals repair desecrated tomb of Syrian Rabbi Chaim Vital

Footage filmed by a Syrian Jew showed that the pit was filled with sand and covered with cement. 

 The open grave of Rabbi Chaim Vital, after it was desecrated, Damascus, April 26, 2025.

Held at gunpoint, with minutes to leave: How Syria evicts Alawites from their homes

MIDDLE EAST AFFAIRS: Armed individuals evicted people without a court order, prevented them from taking their belongings, and then moved in.

 SINCE SYRIA’S President Ahmed al-Sharaa seized power in December, hundreds of Alawites have been forced from their private homes in Damascus by the security forces. Here, a man marches with a sign depicting a collage of pictures of victims of the recent wave of sectarian violence, targeting Syria’s

Five additional Syrian-Druze civilians evacuated for medical treatment in Israel, IDF confirms

They were evacuated to the Ziv Medical Center in Safed after sustaining injuries in Syrian territory.

 Members of the Druze community carry flags as they run towards the border fence between Syria and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, near the Druze village of Majdal Shams, in this June 16, 2015

Israel carries out strikes on two Syrian cities

Israel's repeated strikes on Syria act as a warning to the new Islamist rulers in Damascus, which Israel views as a potential threat on its border.

 IDF operates in southern Syria, April 5, 2025.

Israel at War Day 573: What's happening in Israel, Gaza, West Bank?

40-year-old woman injured on way to shelter during Yemen missile sirens • Gaza flotilla claims drone attack

  IDF soldiers operate, eliminate Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorist in Gaza, April 21, 2025.