Encyclopaedia Islamica

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Damascus
(34,189 words)

Damascus, the capital city of the Syrian Arab Republic and the centre of a province by the same name in the south-west of Syria.

Introduction

Etymology

There are numerous stories, many of a mythical character, about the founding and naming of Damascus. As regards the historical record, in the Tell el-Amarna tablets of Egypt, which date back to 14th century BCE, the city is named Ta-ms-qu and in the clay tablets of Ebla …

Cite this page
Mohammad Reza Naji, Translated by Mushegh Asatryan, Ahmad Pakatchi, Translated by Alexander Khaleeli and Russell Harris, “Damascus”, in: Encyclopaedia Islamica, Editors-in-Chief: Farhad Daftary. Consulted online on 11 December 2023 <http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/1875-9831_isla_COM_037162>
First published online: 2018
First print edition: 20180110



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