Damascus

American  

[duh-mas-kuhs] / dəˈmæs kəs /

noun

1. a city in and the capital of Syria, in the SW part: reputed to be the oldest continuously existing city in the world.

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Damascus British  

/ dəˈmɑːskəs, -ˈmæs- /

noun

1. Arabic names: Dimashq, Esh Sham. the capital of Syria, in the southwest: reputedly the oldest city in the world, having been inhabited continuously since before 2000 _bc Pop: 2 317 000 (2005 est)

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Damascus ¹ Cultural  

1. An ancient city in Syria (and still its capital today). The Apostle Paul, then an official called Saul, was on his way from Jerusalem (see also Jerusalem) to Damascus to arrest Christians (see also Christian). He underwent a dramatic conversion on the road, in which he fell from his horse, saw a dazzling light, and “heard a voice saying unto him, ‘Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? … I am Jesus, whom thou persecutest.’”

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Damascus ² Cultural  

1. Capital of Syria and largest city in the country, located in southwestern Syria; the country's administrative, financial, and communications center.

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Discover More

The “road to Damascus” is an image for a sudden turning point in a person's life.

Inhabited since prehistoric times, Damascus is widely regarded as the world's oldest city.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Damascus

In a suburb of Damascus, I joined Fatima Saleh Eid at an open-air market for her weekly shop.

From BBC ● Oct. 30, 2026

Was it excessive for Jews to buy land, at fair or often inflated prices, from absentee landlords in Beirut and Damascus who were glad to sell malarial swamps?

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 19, 2026

On 11 August 2012, Tice celebrated his 31st birthday at a rebel safehouse on the western edge of Damascus, a few miles from Assad's presidential palace.

From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026

Damascus and government forces withdrew from the city, leaving a fragile ceasefire in place.

From Barron's

As a teenager Mahmoud began crewing on shipping routes between Lebanon and Syria, on large sail-powered cargo boats, bringing timber to Damascus and other cities along the coast.

From "Zeitoun" by Dave Eggers

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