A few short hours spent walking through old Damascus gives history buffs a chance to visit what locals refer to as an ‘open-air museum’, with centuries of preserved architecture lying at the heart of the capital.

Old Damascus is famous for buildings and remains that date back hundreds of years from when the Roman and Ottoman Empires once presided.

At the start of the tour, visitors walk around al-Azem Palace that was built and named after the Damascus governor Asaad al-Azem in 1749, with rooms containing Islamic art, weaponry, and period pieces.

Despite old Damascus being targeted during a period of unrest, what survived the ten-year-war still attracts tourists to this day. 

One Syrian citizen, Abu Ahmad, finds that nowadays it’s cheaper to visit a historical landmark than going to a restaurant with his family. 

“We come here to see monuments and it is cheaper and better than restaurants,” he said.

Although old Damascus represents only 5 percent of the capital, it includes more than 25 historic places that are listed as UNESCO world heritage sites in addition to hundreds of old churches and mosques. © Reuters