DAMASCUS
In the heart of the oasis of the Ghouta, surrounded by mountains and irrigated by the Barada River, Damascus is a privileged site of residence in Syria. The view of Damascus seen from the top of the Qassioun Mountain, or the vision of this antique town in its frame of greenery, when one comes from Beirut, will remain an unperishing souvenir for the traveller.
With Samarkand,.it's the city that has been the most often celebrated by the poets and the men of letters of all time. The name itself represents the mystery and opulence of 'The Thousand and One Nights'. 

Closer in time, it evokes the same adventure with the Image of Lawrence of Arabia eating the grapes of Damascus.The more that one discovers this city, the more that one falls under its charm. On a background of omnipresent sound, a multitude of narrow streets modestly hiding little palaces or houses of wood dating back to the middle-ages, not forgetting the exuberant souks which delight our senses: so many colors, smells and noises! It's a multi-millenium city that one must see at least once in a life-time. Continuously inhabited since the millenium, Damascus is one of the oldest cities in the world. A prosperous city from the 2nd millenium, the Aramaeans made it the capital of a powerful kingdom until the 1st millenium. In 732 BC, the Assyrians take possession of the city.

When Nabuchodonosor conquers Syria and Palestine in 572 BC, the country falls under the thumb of Babylon, followed by the Achemenid Persians. After the conquest of the country by Alexander the Great, its urbanism and organization are designed according to the Hellenistic plan: roads at right angles and the building of a palace, a theatre, an agora, baths and a temple dedicated to Zeus. In 84 BC, tired of the quarrels with the Seleucids, the Damascenes ask the help of Aretas, Nabatean king. Rome also interferes and Pompei finally settle in Damascus in 64 BC. From this moment on, Damascus takes advantage of the "PaxRomana". Made wealthy by the restarting of commerce, the city beautifies itself: its ramparts, ornated with seven doors, are built at last. An aqueduct distributes water from the Barada to the houses and to the thermal baths of the town. The cardo, today known under the name of "Straight Street" or "Via Recta", appears.
Saul of Tarse, persecutor of the Christians, converts to Christianity in Damascus and becomes Saint Paul.
In 117, the emperor Hadrian honors the city with the title of metropole. Damascus becomes the capital of Phoenician Syria in 195 and rises to the rank of "colonia" in 244, thanks to the Roman Emperor Philip the Arab.
In the course of the 3rd century, the manufacturing industry develops (arms, textiles: cotton and silk, glass) and during the Byzantine period, from the 4th to the 6th century, the construction of the cathedral of Saint John the Baptist is effectuated on the site of the temple of Zeus. Numerous churches are also erected, such as Saint Mary and Saint Thomas.

The 7th century witnesses several upheavals:
- In 613, the taking of Damascus by Sassanid Persians and the deportation of its inhabitants.
- In 636, Damascus under siege for six months, surrenders to Khaled Ibn El Walid and becomes Muslim.
- In 661, the Sultan Moawiya, founder of the Omayyad dynasty, makes Damascus the capital of the empire. It remains so until 750. The Omayyad century (661-750) corresponds to the blossoming of Islamic art of which unfortunately remains only the famous Omayyad mosque erected on the site of the Saint John the Baptist Cathedral. Its plan constitutes the prototype of the, "so called", Arab mosque.
In 750, the Abassids drive out the Omayyads and transfer their capital to Baghdad. In spite of this, Damascus conserves an important regional prestige. The Seljuqs take their turn as masters of the city building the citadel, which, not only serves as a royal residence, but also as a fortress. In 1154, Nour Ed Din renders Damascus its title of capital. Saladin, who governs it afterwards in 1174, stops the Crusaders from taking possession. In spite of the Mongol incursions of 1260 and 1400, the Mamelukes in power take up the construction and the restoration of numerous monuments. The Ottoman period, (from 16th to the 18th century), after a period of political instability, is marked by a commercial "renaissance"; Damascus is blossoming and getting wealthy. The houses become more beautiful and districts, like Midan, are created. Damascus follows the decline of the Ottoman Empire and it's not until the19th century, that it once again finds its splendor, thanks to Governors Midhat Pacha and Nazem Pacha. They reorganize the city most notably by building the districts of Marjeh, and Mouhajerine and by enlarging the souks. These works were completed during the French occupation from 1920 onwards.

Some monuments to visit in Damascus:
- The Omayyad Mosque, The Mausoleum of Saladin, The Tekiyeh Souleymanieh and its Khan, The Church of St Ananias, The Azem Palace, The Street called Straight.

Other places of interest:
- The National Museum, The Old Town, Damascus viewed from the top of Mount Qassioun, Straight street, The Hamidieh souk, The Nour Ed- Din hammam.

SURROUNDING DAMASCUS
The Tomb OF Abel
Abel, assassinated by his brother Cain, was reportedly buried on the summit of a mountain on the way to Bloudan, about 20 Km from Damascus. A place of Druze worship was erected on the spot to mark the tomb of humanity's first murder victim.

The Tomb of Sayyeda Zeinab
Here lays the fourth daughter of Ali, the son-in-law of the prophet Mohammed. The tomb, a place of pilgrimage for the Shiites, distinguishes itself from other Syrian monuments by the magnificence of the setting. It is entirely decorated with Persian style turquoise earthenware and its dome is covered with golden leaves.

Seydnaya
Here one not only finds the vines of the wine spoken of in the Bible, but also a convent built in 547 housing one of the four icons made by the apostle Luke featuring the Virgin Mary.

Dumeir
In 84 AD, the Nabateans built an altar here dedicated to the Semite God Baal
Shamin. During the Roman period, the village took the name of Thelsae. In 245
AD, Philip the Arab had the temple of Zeus Hypsistion built here which was
fortified by the Muslims.

Yabroud
This site, inhabited for tens of thousands of years, belonged to Agrippa 2nd, who received it from the emperor Claude in 53 AD. The Byzantines used some of the elements of the temple of Jupiter to construct a church that, today, houses a beautiful collection of icons.

Deir Mar Mousa (Nabeck)
Here one can admire a monastery and a chapel dating back to the 6th century AD and abandoned in the 17th century AD. It was probably founded by Saint Mousa (Moses), the Ethiopian. Apart from the frescoes realized in the 7th century AD, others painted in the 11th century bring much charm to this antique place of worship hidden in the Syrian Mountains.

ALEPPO
Syria's second city, but nonetheless rich and cosmopolitan. Aleppo has always had an important political and economical role. It disputes with Damascus the title of the "the world's oldest continuously inhabited city". The first human community at the origin of Aleppo lived in a place commonly known as El Maghayer, meaning "the caves", near to Aleppo .It figures under the name of "Halab" from the 3rd and 2nd milleniums in the archives of Ur and of Mari. In 1780 it becomes the capital of a prosperous but coveted kingdom: The Yamhad, Egyptian, Babylonian and Hittite texts of the 17th century BC, also attest to the importance of this remote age.

Undergoing Hittite domination in the 17th century BC then Mitanian domination in the 14th century BC, the city refalls into the Hittite belt towards 1370 BC. In the 9th century BC, Aleppo is an Aramaean capital then the Assyrians (738), the Babylonians (6th century BC) and the Persians all take turns in conquering the city. Re-baptized "Beroia" and constructed according to a Hippodamian plan when the Seleucids hellenize Syria, it remains in the shadow of Antioch, the capital of the empire. From 64 to the 2nd century AD, it is a Roman town. From the 4th to the 6th century a Byzantine town, and finally from 637 a Muslim town. Under the Abbassids, in 944, a Muslim chief, Saif Ed Daouleh makes it the capital of the principality of Hamdanit.
From 964, Aleppo was taken and nearly destroyed by the emperor Nicephore Phocas. A period of troubles begins by ending with the Bedouin dynasty of Mirdassis (1023-1079), however, Saladin who achieves the unity of Egypt and Syria, takes possession of Aleppo in 1183 and puts Aleppo in charge of the Jihad against the Crusaders. His son organizes the building of the wall of stones, which, to this day still surrounds the citadel.
Al Zahir Ghazi orders the building of almost thirty "Madrasa" (Koran schools), mosques (of which the Great Mosque), "khanqas" (places for mystics), souks, caravansary and also restores the canalization. After an exceptionally prosperous period under the Ayyubids, Aleppo suffers hard the consequences of the pillages by the Mongols. The Mamelukes take advantage of this weakness and take possession of the town. It is not until 1516 that Aleppo once again finds its commercial dynamism with the Ottoman domination. From 1535, France, England and Denmark open their counters to Aleppo, which makes the town prosperous and cosmopolitan. In 1946, on the creation of the Syrian Arab Republic, Aleppo returns into the shadow of its capital, Damascus.

Some monuments to visit in Aleppo:
The Citadel
Madrasa, Halawiyeh, and Madrasa El Firdoss
The Great Mosque.

Other places of interest:
The Museum
The Market
The Old Town
Jdeideh, the Armenian quarter

SURROUNDING ALEPPO
Ebla
The site, also known under the name of Tell Mardikh, dates back to the 4th millenium BC. The center of Ebla, the acropolis, progressively took importance until it became the capital of a powerful kingdom to the north of Syria. Its walls housed at this time some 30 000 people. Between 2400 and 2250 BC, the royal palace "G" was constructed. Ebla knew a period of glory that attracted much lust, like when it was pillaged and burned towards 2250 BC by Naram Sin. The town, reborn from the ashes, restarts commercial activity and grows in spite of a second destruction in 2000 BC. Temples and three palaces where built. Ebla becomes politically weaker during the Assyrian domination and in 1625 BC, the Hittites ravage it. Ebla never recovers. Little by little its inhabitants desert the town and it falls into oblivion....

Maarat En-Numan
Maarat En-Numan for a long time carried the name of Arra. It was then a Greek-Roman town, which was taken and destroyed by the Byzantine emperor Nicephore Phocas in 968. In 1099, Maarat En-Numan witnessed a terrible event that marked the Crusaders just as much as the "Saracen" episode: On the road to Jerusalem, the Crusaders stopped and massacred 20 000 people. With Christmas approaching, pushed by hunger, they committed acts of cannibalism on the bodies. It was not until 1135 that they left the site driven out by Zhengi the Turk. Later, the Muslims built mosques, of which the Great Mosque, and khans with and on top of the remnants of the old town. To visit: The Khan Murad Pasha today converted into a museum of Roman and Byzantine mosaics.

The "Dead Cities"
An extraordinary site: 700 towns spread over a perimeter of 2 000 Km2. To qualify them as "dead" seems displaced when one contemplates them today. It seems, in fact, as if their inhabitants have just left the site, so much the conservation is exceptional, thanks to the quality of the stone. From the 1st to 6th centuries, the region distinguished itself by its olivaries. They were developed and especially popular, thanks to the system of "murgasa"
Which, consists in offering a peasant some capital and land that he must cultivate until production. Then, the owner recuperates half of the land and the peasant keeps the other half. From the 6th century onwards, the Byzantine-Persian wars ruin this micro-economy.
With the Muslim conquests in the 7th century, the villages, no longer able to trade with the Christian West, abruptly lose their population.

Saint -Simon
In Arabic, "Qalaat Seman", this site bears the name of the ascetic Saint- Simon (4th century AD) who spent forty-two years of his life here, isolated on the top of a column that was several times made higher (reaching up to about 20 metres). His reputation was such that he was known as far away as the occident. After his death, the hill where he had lived became a much- frequented place of pilgrimage. In the 5th century, a "martyrium" was built: an immense cruciform church, with in the middle, the remains of the column of Saint-Simon. Chapels, a monastery and a baptistery were erected around the church, as well as "hotels" to welcome the pilgrims.

The Byzantines occupied and fortified the site in the 10th century before it was once again abandoned. It is to be noted that at the foot of the hill of Saint-Simon, a village: Deir Semaan, relayed to the monastery by a processional road, also housed many pilgrims.

Kirkbizeh
This ancient Christian village is built around a house dating from the 3rd century, transformed into a church the following century. It contains relies of one of the first martyrs. The first Christians clandestinely celebrated their masses here until the Edit of Milan (313).

Qalb Lhoze
Qalb Lhoze signifies in Arabic "the heart of an almond". Behind this charming name lies a little village and above all a remarkable basilica having probably served as a model for the churches of the region. This church built towards 450 is dedicated to Saint-Michael and Saint-Gabriel.

El-Bara
El-Bara is one of the greatest "dead cities" both in size and importance. In fact it remained for a long time a first class center of communication, but the prosperity of the town leant also on a dynamic agriculture and also on the fact that it housed an important religious center. The Crusaders arrived here in 1023 but their presence would be short lived: they were expulsed in 1098 following the massacres committed in Maarat En Numan. Today, a cathedral, four churches (5th and 6th centuries), tombs with pyramidal roofing (5th century), wine-presses, two store houses and a rich Roman villa (3rd century) transformed into a convent, bear witness to the glory of this by-gone age .

Sergilla
Modest but well conserved, this village, apart from its private habitats and agricultural villas, includes a necropolis, a church, thermal baths, wine-presses and an "androon" where the local officials met up.

Ain Dara
Occupied since the 1st millenium until the time of the Seljuqs, the town became a small Aramaean kingdom towards 1190 BC, a Neo-Hittite civilization develops building the temple of Ishtar between the 10th and 9th century BC. Ain Dara, destroyed in the 7th century BC and rebuilt in the 4th century BC, prospers during the Roman period then slowly withers after the Muslim conquest.

Cyrrhus
Cyrrhus carries the name of a Macedonian town: Cyrrhos. Capital of the Cyrrhestic,
(Province of the Seleucid kingdom), the town served as a shield against invasions.
It was also the crossroad of the northern roads and the home of a flourishing agriculture. Occupied from the 2nd century AD, it served as a base for the military campaigns carried out against the Armenians of the north. In the 3rd century AD, its role of caretaker of the border was appropriated by Hierapolis (Membij). It was then twice occupied by Persians until Theodoret of Cyr (423 to 450 AD) renovates and fortifies it in line with his border work project aimed at containing the Persian attacks. Thus, under the name of Hagiopolis, the town knows a regain of activity, especially religious: pilgrims come in great numbers to render hommage to Saint-Cosmas and Saint-Damian. Troubles disrupt northern Syria in the 6th and 7th centuries resulting in a reduction of activity that only accentuates under the successive dominations (Latin, Armenian and Arab), until the 13th century when Cyrrhus falls into oblivion.

Membij
Under the name of Hierapolis, its fame spreads over the Roman Empire, hellenized by Seleucos Nicator during the 3rd century BC, the town developed around the Atargatis cult, (the Mesopotamanian goddess), at Atargatis and at Haddad. A local dynasty "sponsored" this cult during the Persian period so successfully that Hierapolis became the most important religious center in Syria. This popularity only became greater when the Emperor Heraclius came to the town in search of the 'True Cross" that was stolen by the Persians during the pillaging of Jerusalem in 614 AD. The Muslims and the Zengids succeeded one another (11th and 12th centuries AD), the Crusaders made raids in 1110, 1119 and 1124, and finally Nur Ed Din built a "Madrasa" in the town in 1156.

Halabiye - Zenobia
Previously a Roman garrison town bearing the name of Birtha, it took the name of Zenobia (a tribute to the Queen of Palmyra), after the victory of Odenathus over the Persians in 270 AD. During the 3rd century Diocletian reestablished the limes and fortified Zenobia. Justinian restored the town in the 4th century and later the Arabs constructed a fortress.

Zalabiye
The town is opposite Halabiye, on the other side of the Euphrates. In fact, these two towns are situated at the most-narrow point of the Euphrates. The function of Zalabiye was to control the river and to assist the pilgrims visiting the tomb of Saint- Serge in Rassafa. Zalabiye was largely destroyed because of an earthquake, erosion and the re-use of some of the stones for the ballast of the railway.

Rassafa
Even though already known at the time of the Assyrians and cited in the Bible, Rassafa only had its glory from the Byzantine period when it became an important center of pilgrimage. Sergius, a Roman soldier converted to Christianity, and who according to the legend, was decapitated for refusing to make a sacrifice in the honor of Jupiter, became a martyr and a saint. He gave his name to the town: Sergiopolis (5th century). Justinian improved the fortifications of the town in the 6th century, an act that did not stop the Persians from possessing it the following century. Hisham, an Omayyad Caliph from the 8th century, restored the town and adorned it with a palace and.a burial- place! Later, the town suffered pillages committed by the Abassids, an earthquake and the deportation of its inhabitants to Hama by the Sultan Baybars. The Mongols finished making Rassafa what we call today a "dead city".

PALMYRA
What surprise, but also what delight to discover after hours of driving through an immense rocky expanse, the drop of water, the- pearl in the desert. Magnificent remnants lost in the middle of the desert, this oasis never fails to make one dream. People from all over the world come to admire the sun go down on this large village that once, 

the capital of an empire, made Rome tremble. Its name, Tadmor, appears for the first time in the Mesopotamian texts dating back to the 2nd millenium BC. The Greeks made it a town organized according to Hellenistic conceptions and re-baptized it Palmyra. Tribes of various origins (Aramaeans, Iranians, Arabs, Phenicians, etc..) at that time, constituted the essential of the population (3rd century BC), until 64 BC when Pompei installs himself in Syria.Under Tibere (from 14 to 37 AD), the site is definitively controlled by Rome. Palmyra, profiting under the "Pax Romana" and perceiving "customs duty" for all products imported into its empire and transiting through the town (obligatory stop-over on the silk road), becomes considerably more wealthy. The emperor Adrian, visiting in 129 AD gives back Palmyra its status of a free town. The town therefore receives taxes from Rome and in doing so becomes even richer. The majority of the monuments that can still be admired today date from this period: The temple of Baal Shamin, The Agora, The Great Colonnade. In 212 AD, Caracalla (of Syrian origin) allows Palmyra to attain the title of "colonia" or colony of the Roman Empire.
Its role extends to the defense of the "limes" against the threats of the Persians.The weakening of the Roman empire shows in the fact that Palmyra progressively manages to widen its zone of influence, but this success displeases its leaders. After an audacious victory over the Persians in 260, the King Odenat proclaims himself the "King of Kings".
Assassinated, his famous widow, Zenobia, pushes their son, Wahaballat, onto the throne and in his name throws herself into reckless conquests. Finding herself at the head of an empire stretching from Egypt to Anatoly, she embodies a challenge for Rome, who reacts in the person of Aurelian. In 271, Palmyra being under siege submits, but Zenobia flees. She is captured as she prepares to cross the Euphrates and was probably taken to Rome.
Her end remains uncertain. Two years later, following a rebellion by its inhabitants, Palmyra is pillaged and destroyed, with its people massacred by Aurelian. Palmyra never again finds its past splendor. The remnants of churches and the mention of a Palmyran bishop in the list of priests present at the Council of Nicee (325 AD) attest to an occupation of the town during the Byzantine period. In the 17th century AD, the Druze Emir Fakhr Ed Din builds a castle hanging over the site of Palmyra: it is often spoken of as "the Arab Castle". In becoming Muslim, Palmyra retakes her old name of Tadmor. The stones of numerous edifices are re-used in the construction of private habitats and in 1132,
The temple of Bel was transformed into a fortress and the "cella"into a mosque.

Monuments to visit in Palmyra:
The Temple of Bel, The Great Colonnade, The Temple of Nabu, The Thermal Baths,
The Agora, The Tetrapyles, The Theatre, The Temple of Baal Shamin, The Funeral temple, The Tombs.

Also to visit:
The museum, The dried out sulfuric water spring of Afqa, and The- quarry (where the stones of the columns were cut.)

SURROUNDING PALMYRA
The Castle Qasr El-Hir Ash-Sharqi
It was constructed in 728 AD, during the Omayyad period, under the reign of the Caliph Hisham. Over the 850 hectares of ground in the surrounding area, limited by a wall of bricks of twenty-two kilometers, agriculture was made possible, thanks to an irrigation system. This desert observation post constituted a place of rest where one hunted for leisure. It also allowed the control of the traffic of goods coming from Persia. The Abbasids also occupied it before it became definitively abandoned after the Mongol invasions (13th century AD).

The Castle Qasr El-Hir Al-Gharbi
The Palmyrans were the first to establish themselves on this site in the 1st century AD, but it was abandoned after their revolt in 273 AD. The Byzantines and their local ally, the tribe of the Ghassanides, recuperated the site in 559 AD and built a monastery here. The Omayyad Caliphs, natives of the Arabian desert, made of it a place of relaxation and leisure and built a hunting "lodge" (the initiative of Caliph Hisham in 727 AD). 

In practice, the castle served to consolidate their ties with the tribes and affirm their position at the limits of the kingdom. The Ayyubids and the Mamelukes occupied the site until the Mongol invasion after which the site was deserted.

BOSRA
Bosra is situated on a basaltic plateau in the heart of the fertile region of the Hauran. Its black rocks, employed in construction for many centuries, give much originality to the entire region. Moreover, the solidness of the basalt has allowed the erected monuments to face admirably the ravages of time. 

Mentioned for the first time in the Egyptian archives in 1350 BC, under the name of Busrana, the town seriously develops from the 2nd century BC. It becomes the regional capital of the Nabatean, a title that will be officially awarded to it in the 1st century BC under Rabbel 2. In 106 AD, Trajan annexes the Nabatean and chooses Bosra as the capital of the "Provincia Arabia", Situated on the principal axe of communication, the "Via Nova Trajana" imposes itself as the obligatory point of passage and no less than 5 000 Roman soldiers install themselves there. With bigger and more beautiful public edifices organized around a "cardo" and a "decumanus", the town is re-baptized "Nova Trajana Bostra" by Trajan between 98 and 117 AD and during the same century, a large theatre seating 17 000 is built, remaining practically intact to this day. From the beginning of the 3rd century AD, Christianity, in its moment of great expansion, changes the urban landscape: numerous churches and a cathedral dedicated to the saints Sergius, Bacchus and Leonce are built. A Roman basilica is transformed into a church called the Convent of Bahira, the Monk This monk, reputed in Islam, recognized in the child Mohammed, the future prophet.
After the Muslim conquest of Bosra in 632, the region serves as a battle- field for the Muslims and the Byzantines who fight for the control of Syria. Thirty-six mosques, of
Which the El Omar Mosque, are constructed and many Christians convert to Islam. The Seldjuqs, governing the town from the end of the 11th century AD reestablish prosperity and protect the town from the Crusaders. Fortified by Nour Ed Din, the Ayyubids make
an authentic citadel out of the Roman theatre which was later conquered by the Mongols. Baybars restores it in 1261. The road leading to Mecca being modified (partly due to the raging brigand- ages in the Hauran), Bosra's importance declines to such an extent that it becomes a mere village. This agricultural region, traditionally prosperous, only really recuperates its activity from 1886 when thousands of Druzes install themselves in Bosra.

SURROUNDING BOSRA
Sweida
In spite of the fact that the antique village is actually concealed under modern constructions, one can still visit superb mosaics and sculptures exposed in the town's museum and admire the four columns of the Nabatean temple as well as the remains of a
Large basilica, dating back to the 4th century AD.

Qanawat
Qanawat was founded towards the 1st century BC. Its name is mentioned in the Bible when, under the reign of Herod Agrippa, the region was victim of bandits. It then became a region of conflict between the Nabateans and the Jewish Kingdom. Town of the Decapolis from the time of Pompei until the beginning of the 2nd century AD, Septimus
Severus gives it the name of "Septima Canatha" and of Syrian "Provincia". The town attains the level of "Provincia Arabia". Before the town falls into the hands of the Muslims in 637, Christianity develops (4th and 5th century AD), and two basilicas were erected as well as a collection of buildings called "serail", a Byzantine religious complex built around an "atrium".

Shahba
First Hellenistic until the 4th century BC, then Nabatean to the 1st century AD, Shahba transforms itself into a model Roman town.

In 244 AD, Philip the Arab, descendent of this small village, becomes Roman emperor and decides to reorganize its city-plan. He decorates the town with new monuments (triumphal arch, theatre, thermal baths, palaces, agoras, temples, etc.) and re-baptizes it Philippopolis. It is to be noted that four frescoes of great beauty (4th century AD) found "in situ" are exposed in the town's museum.

Ezraa
Here one finds a Greek Orthodox Church that figures amongst the oldest still in use in Syria. Erected in 515 AD on the site of an ancient temple, it is the oldest basilica in the world built according to an octagonal plan and crowned with a dome. Two hundred meters away, one finds a second church (Greek Catholic) called the Church of Saint-Elias dating from 542 AD. It is cruciform and east- west oriented. Originally its dome was made of wood. Still in the region, one can visit the remnants of habitats dating back to the Roman period.

Deraa
Today the capital of "Mohafazat" (administrative region), Deraa has an antique theatre and the Al Omar Mosque.Lawrence of Arabia was made prisoner here by a Turkish garrison during an intelligence mission in 1918.

Salkhad
If one refers to the geographer Abo Il Fida (16th century AD), Salkhad was the last town before the desert on the track to Baghdad. In 1073, the Fatimids built a fortress and in 1214 - 1247 the Ayyubid citadel was constructed on the crater of a volcano, the cone making up an exterior defense. It allowed the region to the south of Damascus to be protected from possible attacks from the Crusaders present in Jerusalem. This stronghold was renovated in 1277 by the Mameluke sultan Baybars. After the Ottoman occupation, the town was abandoned and fell into oblivion until the last century when Druzes from Lebanon found refuge here.