What is the capital of Syria?
Damascus sits on a plateau 680 metres above sea level in south-western Syria, in the eastern foothills of the Anti-Lebanon range and about 80 kilometres inland from the Mediterranean, with the Barada River running through it.
Damascus is the capital and seat of government of Syria. Syria itself has an estimated population of 25,620,427 (2025).
Damascus is also the largest city in Syria, which is the usual arrangement, though it is far from universal: see the countries where capital and largest city differ.
Damascus at a glance
| Metropolitan area | 2,799,960 (2024 estimate) |
|---|---|
| Country | 🇸🇾 Syria |
| Founded | around 3000 BC |
| Largest city in Syria | Damascus |
| Time zone | UTC+03:00 (AST) |
| Currency | Syrian pound (SYP) |
About Damascus
The site was first settled in the 3rd millennium BC.
Damascus is the oldest capital city in the world, and one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities anywhere.
Syrians know it colloquially as ash-Sham, and it is called poetically the City of Jasmine.
Its arid climate is a rain shadow effect: the mountains between the city and the sea take the rainfall out of the air before it arrives.
City facts sourced from Wikipedia: Damascus.
Frequently asked questions
What is the capital of Syria?
Is Damascus the largest city in Syria?
Where is Damascus located?
What time zone is Damascus in?
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Capitals of neighbouring countries
See the full profile of Syria on its country page, or browse every capital city.
Capital and country data from open datasets; city and metropolitan populations are hand-curated per city and cited where they are shown. Populations of countries come from the World Bank (SP.POP.TOTL). Full sources and vintage on the data page. Last updated . Report a correction.