Damascus

Situated in southwestern Syria, Damascus is the center of a large metropolitan area. Nestled among the eastern foothills of the Anti-Lebanon mountain range 80 kilometres (50 mi) inland from the eastern shore of the Mediterranean on a plateau 680 metres (2,230 ft) above sea level, Damascus experiences an arid climate because of the rain shadow effect. The Barada River flows through Damascus.

Damascus is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. First settled in the 3rd millennium BC, it was chosen as the capital of the Umayyad Caliphate from 661 to 750. After the victory of the Abbasid dynasty, the seat of Islamic power was moved to Baghdad. According to some, Damascus is the fourth-holiest city in Islam. The city saw its importance decline throughout the Abbasid era, only to regain significant importance in the Ayyubid, Mamluk and Ottoman periods.

Today, it is the seat of the central government of Syria. During the Syrian civil war, Damascus was named the least livable city out of 140 global cities in the Global Liveability Ranking.