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.

---

Damascus British  

/ -ˈmæs-, dəˈmɑːskəs /

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)

---

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.’”

---

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.

---

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

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa has made it clear Damascus was seeking to avoid becoming involved.

From BBC • Mar. 20, 2026

Torn between the two cities, Alarnab said he longed to one day rebuild his home in Damascus.

From Barron's • Mar. 2, 2026

As a college student in Damascus, Mrie stumbled into her first democratic protest more out of curiosity than conviction.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 24, 2026

“They have some sort of very limited experience and infrastructure set up for this,” said Alexander McKeever, an independent analyst based in Damascus.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 20, 2026

It definitely went back at least as far as Damascus, but before that was anyone’s guess.

From "Night Owls" by A.R. Vishny