Question · About the country
How old is Damascus?
The short answer
Damascus is among the oldest continuously inhabited cities on earth, with settlement evidence in its oasis going back several thousand years and continuous urban occupation established for at least three millennia. The popular claim that it is the single oldest city, or the oldest capital, is contested rather than proven, because the answer depends on how you define continuous occupation.
5 min read Last reviewed September 2026 Part of the History pillar
Quick facts
- Continuous urban occupation: at least 3,000 years
- Settlement evidence in the oasis: several thousand years
- First written reference: Egyptian records, second millennium BC
- Old City walls: Roman foundations, later rebuilt
- Still the capital: yes, and has been for most of its history
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The full guides
Last reviewed September 2026. Dating claims for the world's oldest cities are contested among archaeologists. Where a claim is disputed we say so rather than repeating the tidier version.