Jim Robinson, age 13, of Wilmington, Del., for his question:
HOW OLD IS THE CITY OF DAMASCUS?
Damascus, the capital of Syria, is one of the oldest and most important cities in the Middle East. The city was probably founded before 2000 B.C. Aramaeans from the Syrian Desert were the first to live there.
The city grew in importance until it became the caravan center of Syria after about 1000 B.C. Since the A.D. 600s, many Muslims who make the hajj or pilgrimage to Mecca have started their long journey from Damascus.
Suleiman I, the Turkish ruler of Damascus in the 1500s, built a beautiful mosque and inn called the Tekkiya. Turkish pilgrims lived there while they waited for the hajj. Today it is used as a college mosque.
For a short time after World War I, Damascus was the capital of an Arab kingdom. When Syria became a French mandate of the League of Nations in 1920, French troops occupied Damascus. The Syrians clashed violently with the French for many years.
In 1925 and 1926, French forces shelled the city. At the end of World War II, Damascus became the capital of the Republic of Syria. Then Damascus became the provincial capital of Syria in 1958, when Syria became a province of the United Arab Republic.
In 1961, Syria withdrew from the United Arab Republic in a bloodless rebellion. Damascus became the capital of the Republic of Syria once again.
Most of the people in Damascus and in Syria depend on farming for a living. The textile industry is Damascus' largest single industry.
Damascus lies in a beautiful oasis, or fertile area in the desert. The Barada River and several canals supply it with water. The oasis spreads eastward from the foothills of the Anti Lebanon Mountains into the Syrian Desert.
Damascus enjoys a pleasant climate most of the year, but the khamsin, a desert wind, sometimes makes the city hot a`nd dusty.
Located at an altitude of about 2,250 feet, Damascus combines both the old and the new. The new sections of the city are spacious and contain many modern buildings. But some ancient streets are narrow and crowded.
The bazaars, or open shops and markets, are usually roofed with tin.
Some of the old stone houses look like prisons from the outside. But they are beautifully decorated inside and often have enclosed gardens.
There are many mosques in Damascus. These are the Muslim houses of worship. The Great Mosque of the Omayyad rulers is the most famous in the city. It was originally a Byzantine church. Artists covered the inside walls with beautiful mosaics. Pilgrims still visit the tomb of Saladin, one of the city's most famous rulers.
For centuries Damascus has been famous for its skilled craftsmen. These artists have made excellent inlaid metalwork, silk brocades, steel sword blades and wooden mosaics.