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CulturalRef. 20In danger since 2013

Ancient City of Damascus

Cultural World Heritage property in Syria, inscribed in 1979 under criteria (i), (ii), (iii), (iv), (vi).

Ancient City of Damascus, Syria
Photo: Bernard Gagnon · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
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State Party
Syria
Year of inscription
1979
Criteria
iiiiiiivvi
Area of property
86 ha
Location
Damascus
What it is
old town
Component parts
4 (serial property)
Reference
WHC 20 · Wikidata Q3678596

Why it is on the List

(i)A masterpiece of human creative genius.(ii)Shows a major exchange of ideas — in architecture, technology, art, town planning or landscape design — over time or across a cultural area.(iii)A unique or exceptional witness to a cultural tradition or a civilisation, living or vanished.(iv)An outstanding example of a building type, ensemble or landscape that illustrates a significant stage in human history.(vi)Directly linked to events, living traditions, ideas, beliefs or artistic and literary works of outstanding universal significance.
nearby

Closest World Heritage sites

Straight-line distance between the recorded coordinates.

Anjar, Lebanon42 kmAnjarLebanon · 1984CulturalBaalbek, Lebanon56 kmBaalbekLebanon · 1984CulturalByblos, Lebanon91 kmByblosLebanon · 1984CulturalOuadi Qadisha (the Holy Valley) and the Forest of the Cedars of God (Horsh Arz el-Rab), Lebanon92 kmOuadi Qadisha (the Holy Valley) and the Forest of the Cedars of God (Horsh Arz el-Rab)Lebanon · 1998CulturalTyre, Lebanon107 kmTyreLebanon · 1984CulturalAncient City of Bosra, Syria112 kmAncient City of BosraSyria · 1980Cultural
Syria

More sites in Syria

All 6
1979

Also inscribed in 1979

All of 1979

Data: Wikidata (CC0) · danger list as published in 2026 · independent atlas, not affiliated with UNESCO or Petit Futé.