Damascus is the capital of Syria, the oldest capital in the world and, according to some, the fourth holiest city in Islam. It is colloquially known in Syria a and titled the “City of Jasmine” Damascus is a major cultural center of the Levant and the Arab world. Damascus, Arabic Dimashq, city, capital of Syria. Located in the southwestern corner of the country, it has been called the “pearl of the East,” praised for its beauty and lushness; the 10th-century traveler and geographer al-Maqdisī lauded the city as ranking among the four earthly paradises.