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{{Era|Locations}}{{WP-REAL}}
 
{{Location Infobox
'''Damascus''' is the northeastern city in the [[kingdom]], and also the first city [[Altaïr]] visits in order to carry out an assassination. Damascus is home to three of the Flying Eagles' assassination targets. The city is under the control of Salah al-Din's Saracen army. During the Second Crusade around about 1148 the city repelled attacks. Finally being acquired by Salah al-Din in the late 1150's. Salah al-Din granted sholars from far and wide the chance to study in one of the many Madrasahs scattered throughout the city's neighborhoods. Almost unaffected entirely by the war, the city remains an extremely gorgeus site to the eyes. Northeast within the Poor District area is considered to be a very busy section packed with citizens. This can be explained by the presence of the very impressive and sprawling Souk Al-Silaah. Unexpected security is rather light given the heavy traffic that is constant in the area. The Souk is a major trading spot within the city and dominates the area as a major landmark, with its impressive ceremonial courtyard situated in the center, the site of where this District's Assassination Target conducts his daily business, guards are positioned in the narrow corridors attentively watching the crowd. The south-central area features the Pasha Mosque and Formal Gardens, and features larger east-west thoroughfares connecting the different areas. Tamir the Black Market Merchant, holds power and influence within the district. As he is a merchant dealer more than likely he will be around Souk Al-Silaah conducting business as usual. Endeavor to learn of where and when it best to stike at the corrupt merchant. Speak with the rafiq to aide you in your investigations. The southeastern section of Damascus features many places of learning until Jubair Al Hakim arrives and begins a city quest of releaving it of all written text. The central feature is Jubair's Madraasah where knowledge is quashed. Destroying knowledge and blinding the people to outside information of the, world is aimed at preventing them from repeating past mistakes of their ancestors. Even though noble, it is wrong how they go about their tasks. Such methods have caught the attention of the Assassins and ensured his death. Due to the Assassins continued success security in the district is at an all time high, remain anonymous as often as possible, unless you prefer to have the city guard constantly harassing you. The districts east side is tight, somewhat slightly difficult to navigate but has a large Mosque and Hospital in the far southeastern corner. Stalk the streets as a raptor and track your prey until you know when and where to strike. Almost half the city in terms of size. It is the Rich District that possesses  many of the structural landmarks that attract outsiders to this wonderful city. The high level of security reccomends you to manuever through the streets while maintaining socially accepteble behavior at all times (second nature to true Hashashin). The partially rebuilt Citadel of Salah al-Din is a key fortification that demands planning for a successful infiltration. The most impressive feature of the district and probably the city is the Omayyad Mosque of the Merchant King's Palace. Beleive it or not the interior of The Palace is lightly secured, unless one of the Merchant King's lavish parties is in full swing. Traffic around palace grounds is rather light given the location. Heading slightly north you come to the Sarouja Souk Market Quarter, traffic is moderate and so is security. Sarouja Souk holds the reputation of being the largest market in the Holy Land. Split into two seperate large structures that run from east to west. Enter the Souk via the main east-west road that joins it to the north-south thoroughfare in the Poor District, in order to know your in the Rich District, The Omayyad Mosque and Grand Courtyard dominate the district, the  Grand Courtyard north of the Mosque is an interesting place, take time to explore the bustling area. Here within the impressive district Abu'l Nuquoud holds immense power over the people. Attend one of his lavish parties to discover his goals and then take his life.
|name = Damascus
 
|image = AC1 Bab Tuma.jpg
Name
|state = {{Wiki|Syria}}
 
|rulers =
In Arabic, the city is called دمشق الشام Dimashq ash-Shām. Although this is often shortened to either Dimashq or ash-Shām by many, the citizens of Damascus, and of Syria and some other Arab neighbors, colloquially call the city ash-Shām. Ash-Shām is an Arabic term for north and for Syria. (Syria — particularly historical Greater Syria — is called Bilād ash-Shām — بلاد الشام, 'land of the north' — in Arabic, or 'land of Shem (son of Noah)' — in Arabic, but with Shem being from the native Syriac language.) The etymology of the ancient name 'Damascus' is uncertain, but it is suspected to be pre-Semitic. It is attested as Dimašqa in Akkadian, T-ms-ḳw in Egyptian, Dammaśq (דמשק) in Old Aramaic and Dammeśeq (דמשק) in Biblical Hebrew. The Akkadian spelling is the earliest attestation, found in the Amarna letters, from the 14th century BC. Later Aramaic spellings of the name often include an intrusive resh (letter r), perhaps influenced by the root dr, meaning 'dwelling'. Thus, the Qumranic Darmeśeq (דרמשק), and Darmsûq (ܕܪܡܣܘܩ) in Syriac.[1][2]
|factions = [[Assassins]]
 
*[[Levantine Brotherhood of Assassins|Levantine Brotherhood]]
==Geography==
[[Templars]]
 
*[[Levantine Rite of the Templar Order|Levantine Rite]]
Damascus lies about 80 km inland from the Mediterranean Sea, sheltered by the Anti-Lebanon Mountains. It lies on a plateau 680 meters above sea-level.
|founded =
 
|date = 3rd millennium BCE
The old city of Damascus, enclosed by the city walls, lies on the south bank of the river Barada. To the south-east, north and north-east it is surrounded by suburban areas whose history stretches back to the Middle Ages: Midan in the south-west, Sarouja and Imara in the north and north-west. These districts originally arose on roads leading out of the city, near the tombs of religious figures. In the nineteenth century outlying villages developed on the slopes of Jabal Qasioun, overlooking the city, already the site of the Salihiyye district centered around the important shrine of Sheikh Muhi al-Din ibn Arabi. These new districts were initially settled by Kurdish soldiery and Muslim refugees from the European regions of the Ottoman Empire which had fallen under Christian rule Thus they were known as al-Akrad (the Kurds) and al-Muhajirin (the migrants). They lay two to three kilometers north of the old city.
|abandoned =
 
|landmark = [[Umayyad Mosque]]<br>[[Citadel of Saladin|Citadel of Damascus]]<br>[[Souk Al-Silaah]]<br>[[Souk Sarouja]]<br>[[Sinan Pasha Mosque]]<br>[[Madrasah Al-Kallāsah]]<br>[[Bab Tuma]]
From the late nineteenth century on, a modern administrative and commercial center began to spring up to the west of the old city, around the Barada, centered on the area known as al-merjeh or the meadow. Al-Merjeh soon became the name of what was initially the central square of modern Damascus, with the city hall on it. The courts of justice, post office and railway station stood on higher ground slightly to the south. A European residential quarter soon began to be built on the road leading between al-Merjeh and Salihiyye. The commercial and administrative centre of the new city gradually shifted northwards slightly towards this area.
|flags = [[Saracens|Saracen]] flags
 
}}
In the twentieth century, newer suburbs developed north of the Barada, and to some extent to the south, invading the Ghouta oasis. From 1955 the new district of Yarmouk became a second home to thousands of Palestinian refugees. City planners preferred to preserve the Ghouta as far as possible, and in the later twentieth century some of the main areas of development were to the north, in the western Mezze district and most recently along the Barada valley in Dumar in the northwest and on the slopes of the mountains at Berze in the north-east. Poorer areas, often built without official approval, have mostly developed south of the main city.
'''Damascus''' is the capital and largest city of {{Wiki|Syria}}, believed to have been founded in the third millennium BCE. Damascus is located in the eastern foothills of the {{Wiki|Anti-Lebanon Mountains|Eastern Lebanon Mountain Range}}, near the delta of the [[Barada]] River.
 
Damascus is surrounded by an oasis, the Ghouta Cheease region (الغوطة al-ġūṭä), watered by the Barada. The Fijeh spring, west along the Barada valley, provides the city with drinking water. The Ghouta oasis has been decreasing in size with the rapid expansion of housing and industry in the city. It has also become polluted due to the city's traffic, industry, and sewage.


==History==
==History==
===Middle Ages===
====Umayyad Caliphate====
Between the 7th and the 8th centuries, Damascus was the capital of the [[Umayyad Caliphate]] where a [[Umayyad Mosque|great mosque]] was built in their honor. In 750, the Umayyads were overthrown by the [[Abbasid Revolution]] and Damascus lost its status of capital over the newly-founded [[Baghdad]] near the [[Tigris]].<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed: Mirage]]'' – [[Database: Founding of Baghdad]]</ref>


Ancient City of Damascus*
====Crusades====
UNESCO World Heritage Site
During the [[Second Crusade]], around 1148, the city repelled multiple attacks until being acquired by [[Saladin]] in the year 1174. Upon gaining control of the city, he granted scholars from far and wide the chance to study in one of the many Madrasahs scattered throughout the city's neighborhoods. During the [[Third Crusade]], it had an approximate population of 45,323. Since the city was virtually unaffected by the war, it remained an extremely clean and gorgeous site. During the same period, two factions brought [[Assassin-Templar War|their secret war]] to Damascus: the [[Templars]], seeking to bring peace through total control; and the [[Assassins]], defending the free will of the common people.<ref name="AC">''[[Assassin's Creed]]''</ref>
Damascus at sunset
State Party Flag of Syria Syria
Type Cultural
Criteria i, ii, iii, iv, vi
Reference 20
Region† Arab States
Inscription History
Inscription 1979  (3rd Session)
* Name as inscribed on World Heritage List.
† Region as classified by UNESCO.
 
==Ancient History==
 
Excavations at Tell Ramad on the outskirts of the city have demonstrated that Damascus has been inhabited as early as 8000 to 10,000 BC. It is due to this that Damascus is considered to be among the oldest continually inhabited cities in the world. However, Damascus is not documented as an important city until the coming of the Aramaeans, Semitic nomads who arrived from the Arabian peninsula. It is known that it was the Aramaeans who first established the water distribution system of Damascus by constructing canals and tunnels which maximized the efficiency of the Barada river. The same network was later improved by the Romans and the Umayyads, and still forms the basis of the water system of the old part of Damascus today. It was mentioned in Genesis 14 as existing at the time of the War of the Kings.
 
According to the 1st century Jewish historian Flavius Josephus in his twenty-one volume Antiquities of the Jews,
<blockquote>
Nicolaus of Damascus, in the fourth book of his History, says thus: "Abraham reigned at Damascus, being a foreigner, who came with an army out of the land above Babylon, called the land of the Chaldeans: but, after a long time, he got him up, and removed from that country also, with his people, and went into the land then called the land of Canaan, but now the land of Judea, and this when his posterity were become a multitude; as to which posterity of his, we relate their history in another work. Now the name of Abraham is even still famous in the country of Damascus; and there is shown a village named from him, The Habitation of Abraham.
</blockquote>
 
Damascus is designated as having been part of the ancient province of Amurru in the Hyksos Kingdom, from 1720 to 1570 BC. (MacMillan, pp. 30-31). Some of the earliest Egyptian records are from the 1350 BC Amarna letters, when Damascus-(called Dimasqu) was ruled by king Biryawaza. In 1100 BC, the city became the center of a powerful Aramaean state called Aram Damascus. The Kings of Aram Damascus were involved in many wars in the area against the Assyrians and the Israelites. One of the Kings, Ben-Hadad II, fought Shalmaneser III at the Battle of Qarqar. The ruins of the Aramean town most probably lie under the eastern part of the old walled city. After Tiglath-Pileser III captured and destroyed the city in 732 BC, it lost its independence for hundreds of years, and it fell to the Neo-Babylonian Empire of Nebuchadnezzar starting in 572 BC. The Babylonian rule of the city came to an end in 538 BC when the Persians under Cyrus captured the city and made it the capital of the Persian province of Syria.
 
==Greco-Roman==
 
Damascus first came under western control with the giant campaign of Alexander the Great that swept through the near east. After the death of Alexander in 323 BC, Damascus became the site of a struggle between the Seleucid and Ptolemaic empires. The control of the city passed frequently from one empire to the other. Seleucus Nicator, one of Alexander's generals, had made Antioch the capital of his vast empire, a decision that led Damascus' importance to decline compared with the newly founded Seleucid cities such as Latakia in the north.
 
In 64 BC, the Roman general Pompey annexed the western part of Syria. They occupied Damascus and subsequently incorporated it into the league of ten cities known as the Decapolis because it was considered such an important center of Greco-Roman culture. According to the New Testament, St. Paul was on the road to Damascus when he received a vision, was struck blind and as a result converted to Christianity. In the year 37, Roman Emperor Caligula transferred Damascus into Nabataean control by decree. The Nabataean king Aretas IV Philopatris ruled Damascus from his capital Petra. However, around the year 106, Nabataea was conquered by the Romans, and Damascus returned to Roman control.
 
Damascus became a metropolis by the beginning of the second century and in 222 it was upgraded to a colonia by the Emperor Septimius Severus. With the coming of the Pax Romana, Damascus and the Roman province of Syria in general began to prosper. Damascus's importance as a caravan city was evident with the trade routes from southern Arabia, Palmyra, Petra, and the silk routes from China all converging on it. The city satisfied the Roman demands for eastern luxuries.


Little remains of the architecture of the Romans, but the town planning of the old city did have a lasting effect. The Roman architects brought together the Greek and Aramaean foundations of the city and fused them into a new layout measuring approximately 1500 by 750 meters, surrounded by a city wall. The city wall contained seven gates, but only the eastern gate (Bab Sharqi) remains from the Roman period. Roman Damascus lies mostly at depths of up to five meters below the modern city.
In 1189, a Templar known as "[[the Hideout]]" was located in Damascus and safeguarded [[Vejovis' dagger]], a [[Piece of Eden]]. The [[Levantine Brotherhood of Assassins|Levantine Assassin]] and [[Vejovis]]' [[Sage]] [[Faisal]], seeking to recover the dagger, met with the Hideout and posed as a Templar to gain his trust. However, their meeting was interrupted by the Assassin [[Rafee]], who believed that Faisal had betrayed the Brotherhood. Faisal was forced to kill Rafee but explained that his act would ultimately benefit the Assassins. He then took the dagger and left Damascus, delivering the artifact to [[Constantinople]].<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed: Escape Room Puzzle Book]]'' – Chapter 4: Deceiving the Assassins</ref>


The old borough of Bab Tuma was developed at the end of the Roman/Byzantine era by the local Eastern Orthodox community. According to the Acts of the Apostles, Saint Paul and Saint Thomas both lived in that neighborhood. Roman Catholic historians also consider Bab Tuma to be the birthplace of several Popes such as John V and Gregory III.
[[File:ACAC - Misbah hanging on rope.jpg|thumb|250px|left|Altaïr interrogating Misbah for Tamir's whereabouts]]
In 1190, the Templar [[Tamir (merchant)|Tamir]] was based in Damascus, where he worked with the Order to find the [[Adha|Chalice]], a mysterious artifact that could supposedly unify the [[Kingdom|Holy Land]]. The circus dancer [[Fajera]] also lived in the city and held one of the three keys of the [[Temple of Sand]], where the Chalice was rumored to be located. Tasked with preventing the Templars from acquiring the artifact, the [[Master Assassin]] [[Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad]] traveled to Damascus and tracked Tamir, who told him about the Temple and Fajera.<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed: Altaïr's Chronicles]]'' – [[The Hunt Begins]]</ref>


=== From the Muslim conquest to the Fatimids===
After killing Tamir, Altaïr met Fajera, who asked him to assassinate a man named [[Alaat]] in exchange for her key. The Assassin did so, killing Alaat inside a public bathhouse, after which he received Fajera's key and left Damascus to continue his [[Quest for the Chalice|quest]].<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed: Altaïr's Chronicles]]'' – [[The Dancer]]</ref>


Damascus was conquered by the Rashidun Caliphate forces in 634 A.D. Immediately thereafter, the city's power and prestige reached its peak when it became the capital of the Umayyad Empire, which extended from Spain to India from 661 to 750. In 744, the last Umayyad caliph, Marwan II, moved the capital to Harran in the Jazira,[3] and Damascus was never to regain the political prominence it had held in that period.
By the summer of 1191, the city was still under the influence of three high-ranking Templars: the arms dealer [[Tamir]]; the merchant king [[Abu'l Nuqoud]], who ruled Damascus in Saladin's absence; and the Chief Scholar [[Jubair al Hakim]]. Under the leadership of [[Grand Master of the Templar Order|Grand Master]] [[Robert de Sablé]], they worked to conquer the Holy Land for the Order. They planned to use an [[Apple of Eden 2|Apple of Eden]] to control a great army, with Tamir using his connections to supply weapons while Abu'l financed the operation.<ref name="Assassination II">''[[Assassin's Creed]]'' – [[Assassination II (Robert de Sablé)]]</ref>


After the fall of the Umayyads and the establishment of the Abbasid caliphate in 750, Damascus was ruled from Baghdad, although in 858 al-Mutawakkil briefly established his residence there with the intention of transferring his capital there from Samarra. However, he soon abandoned the idea. As the Abbasid caliphate declined, Damascus suffered from the prevailing instability, and came under the control of local dynasties. In 875 the ruler of Egypt, Ahmad ibn Tulun, took the city, with Abbasid control being re-established only in 905. In 945 the Hamdanids took Damascus, and not long after it passed into the hands of Muhammad bin Tughj, founder of the Ikhshidid dynasty. In 968 and again in 971 the city was briefly captured by the Qaramita.
[[File:Abul2.png|thumb|250px|Altaïr attending Abu'l's party]]
The Levantine Assassins' Mentor, Al Mualim, surreptitiously collaborated with the Templars to recover the Apple, deploying Altaïr to terminate any connection between himself and the Order's leadership.<ref name="Assassination II"/> While Tamir inspected his collaborators at the [[Souk Al-Silaah]], the Templar was executed by Altaïr.<ref name="Assassination Tamir">''[[Assassin's Creed]]'' – [[Assassination (Tamir)]]</ref> Later, Abu'l organized a party at [[Merchant King's Palace|his palace]] and poisoned the wine to eliminate the nobles of the city who financed Saladin's army. While the last guests were being slaughtered by his archers, Abu'l was confronted and killed by Altaïr.<ref name="Assassination Abu'l">''[[Assassin's Creed]]'' – [[Assassination (Abu'l Nuqoud)]]</ref>


===Fatimids, the Crusades and the Seljuks===
Finally, Jubair commanded his fellow scholars to seize the city's written records and destroy them in public pyres, based on the conviction that knowledge served only as a catalyst for civil discord. During one of the bonfires, the Chief Scholar was tracked and ultimately assassinated by Altaïr, effectively dismantling the Templar influence within Damascus.<ref name="Assassination Jubair">''[[Assassin's Creed]]'' – [[Assassination (Jubair al Hakim)]]</ref>


In 970, the Fatimid Caliphs in Cairo gained control of Damascus. This was to usher in a turbulent period in the city's history, as the Berber troops who formed the backbone of the Fatimid forces became deeply unpopular among its citizens. The presence in Syria of the Qaramita and occasionally of Turkish military bands added to the constant pressure from the Bedouin. For a brief period from 978, Damascus was self-governing, under the leadership of a certain Qassam and protected by a citizen militia. However, the Ghouta was ravaged by the Bedouin and after a Turkish-led campaign the city once again surrendered to Fatimid rule. From 1029 to 1041 the Turkish military leader Anushtakin was governor of Damascus under the Fatimid caliph Al-Zahir, and did much to restore the city's prosperity.
===Mamluk Sultanate===
By the 16th century, Damascus was controlled by the [[Mamluk Sultanate]]. Around 1511, the roads north of Damascus were blocked by [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman troops]], crippling many of the city's northern trade routes. In spite of the Brotherhood's truce with the Ottoman Empire, the [[Italian Brotherhood of Assassins|Italian Assassins]]' Mentor [[Ezio Auditore da Firenze]] sent [[Ottoman Brotherhood of Assassins|Ottoman]] [[Assassin apprentice|apprentices]] to draw the army away from their position by any means necessary.<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed: Revelations]]'' – [[Mediterranean Defense]]: "The Hydra's Head, Part I"</ref>


It appears that during this period the slow transformation of Damascus from a Greco-Roman city layout - characterized by blocks of insulae — to a more familiar Islamic pattern took place: the grid of straight streets changed to a pattern of narrow streets, with most residents living inside harat closed off at night by heavy wooden gates to protect against criminals and the exaction of the soldiery.
After the Assassins succeeded in their mission, a detachment of [[Safavid Empire|Safavid]] soldiers filled the power vacuum north of the city, the [[Mamluks]] Sultan [[Al-Ashraf Qansuh al-Ghawri]] making an alliance with them to attack [[Bursa]]. As they suspected an alliance between the two factions, the Assassins infiltrated the Safavid camp and discovered their plan.<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed: Revelations]]'' – [[Mediterranean Defense]]: "The Hydra's Head, Part II"</ref> After learning that the Safavid high command was stationed in Damascus as the personal guest of the Sultan, the Assassins eliminated the Safavid generals and crippled their command structure.<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed: Revelations]]'' – [[Mediterranean Defense]]: "The Hydra's Head, Part III"</ref>


With the arrival of the Seljuk Turks in the late 11th century, Damascus again became the capital of independent states. It was ruled by a Seljuk dynasty from 1079 to 1104, and then by another Turkish dynasty - the Burid Emirs, who withstood a siege of the city during the Second Crusade in 1148 . In 1154 Damascus was conquered from the Burids by the famous Zengid Atabeg Nur ad-Din of Aleppo, the great foe of the Crusaders. He made it his capital, and following his death, it was acquired by Saladin, the ruler of Egypt, who also made it his capital. Saladin rebuilt the citadel, and it is reported that under his rule the suburbs were as extensive as the city itself. It is reported by Ibn Jubayr that during the time of Saladin, Damascus welcomed seekers of knowledge and industrious youth from around the world, who arrived for the sake of "undistracted study and seclusion" in Damascus' many colleges.
As the Brotherhood's training facilities in Damascus were of middling quality, the Assassins stole Templar resources to upgrade their headquarters, increasing Assassin influence in the city while diminishing that of the Templars.<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed: Revelations]]'' – [[Mediterranean Defense]]: "Level Up"</ref>


In the years following Saladin's death, there were frequent conflicts between different Ayyubid sultans ruling in Damascus and Cairo. Damascus steel gained a legendary reputation among the Crusaders, and patterned steel is still "damascened". The patterned Byzantine and Chinese silks available through Damascus, one of the Western termini of the Silk Road, gave the English language "damask".
===Ottoman Empire===
By the 18th century, Damascus was part of the Ottoman Empire. In 1757, the [[British Rite of the Templar Order|British Templar]] [[Haytham Kenway]] journeyed to Damascus to locate his half-sister [[Jennifer Scott|Jennifer]], who had been sold into slavery in the [[Qasr al-Azm|palace]] of governor [[As'ad Pasha al-Azm]]. Haytham and [[Jim Holden]] disguised themselves as [[eunuch]]s to infiltrate the palace and successfully rescued Jennifer, although Holden was captured while fending off incoming guards to buy the siblings time to escape.<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed: Forsaken]]''</ref>


==Mamluk rule==
==Districts==
===Poor District===
The Poor District was considered to be a very busy section and constantly packed with [[civilian]]s. This resulted in congested thoroughfares, as a constant flow of citizens moved through the district's narrow streets.<ref name="AC"/>


Ayyubid rule (and independence) came to an end with the Mongol invasion of Syria in 1260, and Damascus became a provincial capital of the Mamluk Empire, ruled from Egypt, following the Mongol withdrawal.
[[File:AC1 Souk Al-Silaah.png|thumb|250px|left|The Souk Al-Silaah in the Poor District]]
The district was home to the [[Sinan Pasha Mosque]] and the sprawling and very impressive [[Souk Al-Silaah]], which was a major trading point in Damascus and dominated the surrounding area. Due to its eloquent ceremonial courtyard, situated in the center, the Souk was the site where the Templar and arms dealer Tamir conducted his daily business. Despite Tamir stationing guards within the surrounding passageways, the central area of the Souk remained relatively accessible to those capable of navigating the market unnoticed. Altaïr utilized this oversight to infiltrate the market and assassinate the Templar during his public display of authority.<ref name="Assassination Tamir"/>


===Timurlank===
===Middle District===
The Middle District contained schools and formal gardens. These featured larger east-west thoroughfares connecting the different areas. This section of Damascus included many places of learning, until Jubair al Hakim arrived and began a quest to destroy all written knowledge in the city. The central feature was Jubair's [[Madrasah Al-Kallāsah|Madrasah]], where he and his fellow scholars burnt all books and scrolls they had seized. By the time Altaïr arrived to confront Jubair, the city's defenses had been significantly bolstered in response to the recent assassinations of other Templars.<ref name="Assassination Jubair"/>


In 1400 Timur, the Mongol conqueror, besieged Damascus. The Mamluk sultan dispatched a deputation from Cairo, including Ibn Khaldun, who negotiated with him, but after their withdrawal he put the city to sack. The Umayyad Mosque was burnt and men and women taken into slavery. A huge number of the city's artisans were taken to Timur's capital at Samarkand. These were the luckier citizens: many were slaughtered and their heads piled up in a field outside the north-east corner of the walls, where a city square still bears the name burj al-ruus, originally "the tower of heads".
===Rich District===
[[File:AC1 Umayyad Mosque.png|thumb|250px|The Umayyad Mosque in the Rich District]]
The Rich District stretched across almost half of Damascus, possessing many of the structural landmarks that attracted outsiders to the city. The partially rebuilt [[Citadel of Saladin]] served as a formidable fortification, its defenses necessitating careful strategy for any who sought entry. The most impressive feature of the district, and probably the entire city, was the [[Umayyad Mosque]]. Built by {{Wiki|Al-Walid I}} in 715 CE, the mosque sat atop the ruins of the Roman Temple of [[Jupiter]].<ref name="Knowledge Abu'l">''[[Assassin's Creed]]'' – [[Knowledge (Abu'l Nuqoud)]]</ref>


Rebuilt, Damascus continued to serve as a Mamluk provincial capital until 1516 .
Another renowned landmark in the district was the [[Merchant King's Palace]], the personal residence of the Templar Abu'l Nuqoud. While the palace's interior was often accessible, its guard presence was significantly increased during the lavish parties hosted by Abu'l. The grounds surrounding the palace remained relatively quiet, a stark contrast to the city's more crowded quarters. Slightly north lay the [[Souk Sarouja|Sarouja Souk]] Market Quarter, an area characterized by steady activity and a visible presence of city guards. Sarouja Souk held the reputation of being the largest market in the [[Kingdom|Holy Land]]. It was split into two separate structures that ran from west to east and north to south.<ref name="Knowledge Abu'l"/>


==The Ottoman conquest==
Though the Umayyad Mosque and Merchant King's Palace dominated the district, the Grand Courtyard north of the Mosque was equally an interesting place. Here, within the impressive district, Abu'l Nuqoud held immense power over the people.<ref name="Knowledge Abu'l"/>


In early 1516, the Ottoman Turks, wary of the danger of an alliance between the Mamluks and the Persian Safavids, started a campaign of conquest against the Mamluk sultanate. On 21 September, the Mamluk governor of Damascus fled the city, and on 2 October the khutba in the Umayyad mosque was pronounced in the name of Selim I. The day after, the victorious sultan entered the city, staying for three months. On 15 December, he left Damascus by Bab al-Jabiya, intent on the conquest of Egypt. Little appeared to have changed in the city: one army had simply replaced another. However, on his return in October 1517, the sultan ordered the construction of a mosque, taqiyya and mausoleum at the shrine of Shaikh Muhi al-Din ibn Arabi in Salihiyya. This was to be the first of Damascus' great Ottoman monuments.
==Industry==
Damascus was renowned for the forged [[steel]] produced there, which was accordingly known as [[Damascus steel]] and was characterized by its unique and distinctive wavy pattern reminiscent of flowing water.<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed: Rebellion]]''</ref>


The Ottomans remained for the next 400 years, except for a brief occupation by Ibrahim Pasha of Egypt from 1832 to 1840 . Because of its importance as the point of departure for one of the two great Hajj caravans to Mecca, Damascus was treated with more attention by the Porte than its size might have warranted — for most of this period, Aleppo was more populous and commercially more important. In 1560 the Taqiyya al-Sulaimaniyya, a mosque and khan for pilgrims on the road to Mecca, was completed to a design by the famous Ottoman architect Sinan, and soon afterwards a madrasa was built adjoining it.
==Animus simulated maps==
The destroyed Christian quarter of Damascus, 1860.
{|cellspacing="0" cellpadding="1" width="100%" border="1" style="text-align:center"
The destroyed Christian quarter of Damascus, 1860.
|-bgcolor="#000000"
|[[File:Damascus Rich District.png|200px]]
|[[File:Damascus Middle District.PNG|200px]]
|[[File:Damascus Poor District.PNG|200px]]
|-
|Rich District
|Middle District
|Poor District
|}


Perhaps the most notorious incident of these centuries was the massacre of Christians in 1860, when fighting between Druze (most probably supported by foreign countries to weaken the economical power) and Maronites in Mount Lebanon spilled over into the city. Some thousands of Christians were killed, with many more being saved through the intervention of the Algerian exile Abd al-Qadir and his soldiers, who brought them to safety in Abd al-Qadir's residence and the citadel. The Christian quarter of the old city, including a number of churches, was burnt down. The Christian inhabitants of the notoriously poor and refractory Midan district outside the walls were, however, protected by their Muslim neighbours.
==Gallery==
<gallery position="center" widths="180" captionalign="center">
File:Ac-damascus1.jpg|Concept art of Altaïr arriving in Damascus
File:Ac-damascus2.jpg|Alternate concept art of Altaïr's arrival in Damascus
File:Ac-damascus-buildings.jpg|Concept art of Damascus' architecture
File:Damascus early concept by Sparth.jpg|Damascus concept art by Sparth
File:AC1 Damascus+Flag.png|A view of Damascus and a Saracen flag
File:AC1 Map Damascus.png|A map of Damascus
</gallery>


==Rise of Arab nationalism==
==Appearances==
*''[[Assassin's Creed]]'' {{1st}}
*''[[Assassin's Creed: Altaïr's Chronicles]]''
*''[[Assassin's Creed: The Secret Crusade]]''
*''[[Assassin's Creed: Revelations]]''
*''[[Assassin's Creed: Forsaken]]''
*''[[Assassin's Creed: Memories]]'' {{Mo}}
*''[[Assassin's Creed: Rebellion]]'' {{Mo}}
*''[[Assassin's Creed: Escape Room Puzzle Book]]''
*''[[Assassin's Creed: Mirage]]'' {{Mdat}}
*''[[Echoes of History]]'' {{Mo}}
*''[[Assassin's Creed: Mirage – Daughter of No One]]'' {{Mo}}


In the early years of the twentieth century, nationalist sentiment in Damascus, initially cultural in its interest, began to take a political coloring, largely in reaction to the turkicisation program of the Committee of Union and Progress government established in Istanbul in 1908 . The hanging of a number of patriotic intellectuals by Jamal Pasha, governor of Damascus, in Beirut and Damascus in 1915 and 1916 further stoked nationalist feeling, and in 1918, as the forces of the Arab Revolt and the British army approached, residents fired on the retreating Turkish troops.
==References==
[[Category:Locations]]
{{Reflist}}
{{AC}}
{{ACAC}}
{{ACFC}}
{{ACERPB}}
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[[Category:Damascus| ]]
[[Category:Capital cities]]
[[Category:Levant]]
[[Category:Cities in Ancient Rome]]

Latest revision as of 15:56, 11 May 2026

Damascus is the capital and largest city of Syria, believed to have been founded in the third millennium BCE. Damascus is located in the eastern foothills of the Eastern Lebanon Mountain Range, near the delta of the Barada River.

History[edit | edit source]

Middle Ages[edit | edit source]

Umayyad Caliphate[edit | edit source]

Between the 7th and the 8th centuries, Damascus was the capital of the Umayyad Caliphate where a great mosque was built in their honor. In 750, the Umayyads were overthrown by the Abbasid Revolution and Damascus lost its status of capital over the newly-founded Baghdad near the Tigris.[1]

Crusades[edit | edit source]

During the Second Crusade, around 1148, the city repelled multiple attacks until being acquired by Saladin in the year 1174. Upon gaining control of the city, he granted scholars from far and wide the chance to study in one of the many Madrasahs scattered throughout the city's neighborhoods. During the Third Crusade, it had an approximate population of 45,323. Since the city was virtually unaffected by the war, it remained an extremely clean and gorgeous site. During the same period, two factions brought their secret war to Damascus: the Templars, seeking to bring peace through total control; and the Assassins, defending the free will of the common people.[2]

In 1189, a Templar known as "the Hideout" was located in Damascus and safeguarded Vejovis' dagger, a Piece of Eden. The Levantine Assassin and Vejovis' Sage Faisal, seeking to recover the dagger, met with the Hideout and posed as a Templar to gain his trust. However, their meeting was interrupted by the Assassin Rafee, who believed that Faisal had betrayed the Brotherhood. Faisal was forced to kill Rafee but explained that his act would ultimately benefit the Assassins. He then took the dagger and left Damascus, delivering the artifact to Constantinople.[3]

Altaïr interrogating Misbah for Tamir's whereabouts

In 1190, the Templar Tamir was based in Damascus, where he worked with the Order to find the Chalice, a mysterious artifact that could supposedly unify the Holy Land. The circus dancer Fajera also lived in the city and held one of the three keys of the Temple of Sand, where the Chalice was rumored to be located. Tasked with preventing the Templars from acquiring the artifact, the Master Assassin Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad traveled to Damascus and tracked Tamir, who told him about the Temple and Fajera.[4]

After killing Tamir, Altaïr met Fajera, who asked him to assassinate a man named Alaat in exchange for her key. The Assassin did so, killing Alaat inside a public bathhouse, after which he received Fajera's key and left Damascus to continue his quest.[5]

By the summer of 1191, the city was still under the influence of three high-ranking Templars: the arms dealer Tamir; the merchant king Abu'l Nuqoud, who ruled Damascus in Saladin's absence; and the Chief Scholar Jubair al Hakim. Under the leadership of Grand Master Robert de Sablé, they worked to conquer the Holy Land for the Order. They planned to use an Apple of Eden to control a great army, with Tamir using his connections to supply weapons while Abu'l financed the operation.[6]

Altaïr attending Abu'l's party

The Levantine Assassins' Mentor, Al Mualim, surreptitiously collaborated with the Templars to recover the Apple, deploying Altaïr to terminate any connection between himself and the Order's leadership.[6] While Tamir inspected his collaborators at the Souk Al-Silaah, the Templar was executed by Altaïr.[7] Later, Abu'l organized a party at his palace and poisoned the wine to eliminate the nobles of the city who financed Saladin's army. While the last guests were being slaughtered by his archers, Abu'l was confronted and killed by Altaïr.[8]

Finally, Jubair commanded his fellow scholars to seize the city's written records and destroy them in public pyres, based on the conviction that knowledge served only as a catalyst for civil discord. During one of the bonfires, the Chief Scholar was tracked and ultimately assassinated by Altaïr, effectively dismantling the Templar influence within Damascus.[9]

Mamluk Sultanate[edit | edit source]

By the 16th century, Damascus was controlled by the Mamluk Sultanate. Around 1511, the roads north of Damascus were blocked by Ottoman troops, crippling many of the city's northern trade routes. In spite of the Brotherhood's truce with the Ottoman Empire, the Italian Assassins' Mentor Ezio Auditore da Firenze sent Ottoman apprentices to draw the army away from their position by any means necessary.[10]

After the Assassins succeeded in their mission, a detachment of Safavid soldiers filled the power vacuum north of the city, the Mamluks Sultan Al-Ashraf Qansuh al-Ghawri making an alliance with them to attack Bursa. As they suspected an alliance between the two factions, the Assassins infiltrated the Safavid camp and discovered their plan.[11] After learning that the Safavid high command was stationed in Damascus as the personal guest of the Sultan, the Assassins eliminated the Safavid generals and crippled their command structure.[12]

As the Brotherhood's training facilities in Damascus were of middling quality, the Assassins stole Templar resources to upgrade their headquarters, increasing Assassin influence in the city while diminishing that of the Templars.[13]

Ottoman Empire[edit | edit source]

By the 18th century, Damascus was part of the Ottoman Empire. In 1757, the British Templar Haytham Kenway journeyed to Damascus to locate his half-sister Jennifer, who had been sold into slavery in the palace of governor As'ad Pasha al-Azm. Haytham and Jim Holden disguised themselves as eunuchs to infiltrate the palace and successfully rescued Jennifer, although Holden was captured while fending off incoming guards to buy the siblings time to escape.[14]

Districts[edit | edit source]

Poor District[edit | edit source]

The Poor District was considered to be a very busy section and constantly packed with civilians. This resulted in congested thoroughfares, as a constant flow of citizens moved through the district's narrow streets.[2]

The Souk Al-Silaah in the Poor District

The district was home to the Sinan Pasha Mosque and the sprawling and very impressive Souk Al-Silaah, which was a major trading point in Damascus and dominated the surrounding area. Due to its eloquent ceremonial courtyard, situated in the center, the Souk was the site where the Templar and arms dealer Tamir conducted his daily business. Despite Tamir stationing guards within the surrounding passageways, the central area of the Souk remained relatively accessible to those capable of navigating the market unnoticed. Altaïr utilized this oversight to infiltrate the market and assassinate the Templar during his public display of authority.[7]

Middle District[edit | edit source]

The Middle District contained schools and formal gardens. These featured larger east-west thoroughfares connecting the different areas. This section of Damascus included many places of learning, until Jubair al Hakim arrived and began a quest to destroy all written knowledge in the city. The central feature was Jubair's Madrasah, where he and his fellow scholars burnt all books and scrolls they had seized. By the time Altaïr arrived to confront Jubair, the city's defenses had been significantly bolstered in response to the recent assassinations of other Templars.[9]

Rich District[edit | edit source]

The Umayyad Mosque in the Rich District

The Rich District stretched across almost half of Damascus, possessing many of the structural landmarks that attracted outsiders to the city. The partially rebuilt Citadel of Saladin served as a formidable fortification, its defenses necessitating careful strategy for any who sought entry. The most impressive feature of the district, and probably the entire city, was the Umayyad Mosque. Built by Al-Walid I in 715 CE, the mosque sat atop the ruins of the Roman Temple of Jupiter.[15]

Another renowned landmark in the district was the Merchant King's Palace, the personal residence of the Templar Abu'l Nuqoud. While the palace's interior was often accessible, its guard presence was significantly increased during the lavish parties hosted by Abu'l. The grounds surrounding the palace remained relatively quiet, a stark contrast to the city's more crowded quarters. Slightly north lay the Sarouja Souk Market Quarter, an area characterized by steady activity and a visible presence of city guards. Sarouja Souk held the reputation of being the largest market in the Holy Land. It was split into two separate structures that ran from west to east and north to south.[15]

Though the Umayyad Mosque and Merchant King's Palace dominated the district, the Grand Courtyard north of the Mosque was equally an interesting place. Here, within the impressive district, Abu'l Nuqoud held immense power over the people.[15]

Industry[edit | edit source]

Damascus was renowned for the forged steel produced there, which was accordingly known as Damascus steel and was characterized by its unique and distinctive wavy pattern reminiscent of flowing water.[16]

Animus simulated maps[edit | edit source]

Rich District Middle District Poor District

Gallery[edit | edit source]

  • Concept art of Altaïr arriving in Damascus
    Concept art of Altaïr arriving in Damascus
  • Alternate concept art of Altaïr's arrival in Damascus
    Alternate concept art of Altaïr's arrival in Damascus
  • Concept art of Damascus' architecture
    Concept art of Damascus' architecture
  • Damascus concept art by Sparth
    Damascus concept art by Sparth
  • A view of Damascus and a Saracen flag
    A view of Damascus and a Saracen flag
  • A map of Damascus
    A map of Damascus

Appearances[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ Assassin's Creed: Mirage – Database: Founding of Baghdad
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Assassin's Creed
  3. ↑ Assassin's Creed: Escape Room Puzzle Book – Chapter 4: Deceiving the Assassins
  4. ↑ Assassin's Creed: Altaïr's Chronicles – The Hunt Begins
  5. ↑ Assassin's Creed: Altaïr's Chronicles – The Dancer
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Assassin's Creed – Assassination II (Robert de Sablé)
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Assassin's Creed – Assassination (Tamir)
  8. ↑ Assassin's Creed – Assassination (Abu'l Nuqoud)
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Assassin's Creed – Assassination (Jubair al Hakim)
  10. ↑ Assassin's Creed: Revelations – Mediterranean Defense: "The Hydra's Head, Part I"
  11. ↑ Assassin's Creed: Revelations – Mediterranean Defense: "The Hydra's Head, Part II"
  12. ↑ Assassin's Creed: Revelations – Mediterranean Defense: "The Hydra's Head, Part III"
  13. ↑ Assassin's Creed: Revelations – Mediterranean Defense: "Level Up"
  14. ↑ Assassin's Creed: Forsaken
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 Assassin's Creed – Knowledge (Abu'l Nuqoud)
  16. ↑ Assassin's Creed: Rebellion

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