One of the most interesting sights in Damascus is the magnificent Umayyad mosque. Initially a temple, then a church, it was converted into a mosque by architects from Constantinople and Egypt.

Damascus is a city rich in history. One of the oldest continually inhabited capitals in the world, Damascus has retained some of its geographical and historical sights, including the high wall which protected the old city.

Once home to people of ancient civilisation, today the city has a population of around 3.5 million and is the centre of Syrian economic activity.

Damascus is situated at about a two-hour drive from Beirut, the capital of Lebanon, the Jordanian border being at almost the same distance. It lies at the foot of Mount Kassiouna, a 1200-metre high mountain and the most ancient human settlements took place here.

Once outside the airport, we looked for the cab that was sent by the hotel where we had booked a room online. On our way, we found out that the hotel was 40 minutes away from the airport and the usual fare was £600-700. Used to dealing with the British pound, this gave us quite a jolt. But fortunately this was the Syrian pound, which is much cheaper. A good meal cost £4000 and mineral water bottle was for £25.

The cabs are old Morris taxis driven in Pindi in the '70s and '80s and are easily available and ones that are not in a good condition are available at cheaper rates. A big problem is that most drivers refuse to understand English, so that it becomes difficult to communicate with them. Sign language is a solution, although, admittedly, not a very good one.

There were no beggars roaming around and the law and order situation seemed well under control. In fact, some embassies are in the close proximity of the Umayyad Square where we were staying but there was no tight security around them; instead they were either right in the midst of a housing complex or in the building next to a signal.

The city of Damascus is divided into old and new Damascus, with Umayyad Square as one of the hubs of business activity. Old Damascus boasts of beautiful buildings that are a testimony to the grand years they have witnessed; some of them have been preserved quite well.

Hamidiya souk is history in itself; it has been reconstructed several times, and was last rebuilt in the 13th century. A 500-metre-long covered market with shops on both sides and a very wide lane in between is forever thronging with people out for shopping. The souk has shops of all variety, from gold to clothes to household items to handicrafts. One should make this visit a must and spend some time exploring.

New Damascus stands for modernisation, progress and improvement with its impressive boulevards, cinemas and theaters, hotels and cabaret shows. Unfortunately, sign boards all over the city are in Arabic, which can leave tourists handicapped, unless they are armed with relevant information and local maps.

Damascus also has a rich history when it comes to its mosques, hammams and graveyards. Every year, thousands of devotees visit the city to pay homage to personalities like Hazrat Bilal Habshi (the first to call the azaan), Hazrat Zain-ul-Abdin, Hazrat Zainab, Hazrat Umme Salma and Hazrat Umme Habiba.

The national museum of Damascus has an amazing collection, neatly dividing into two wings the west wing

comprises pre-classical and Arab Islamic collections, and the east wing exhibits Classical and Byzantine collections. The museum has also preserved Islamic jewellery, coins and armour, clearly indicating the transition that has taken place with time.

Perhaps one of the most interesting sights in Damascus is its Umayyad mosque known for its prominence and magnificence. The mosque was initially the temple of Hadad in the Aramaean era. Later it was converted into the temple of Jupiter in the Roman era, and then into a church in the Byzantine era. Finally it was  converted to a mosque during the Umayyad's rule by architects from Constantinople and Egypt and is heavily decorated in mosaic.

It has a huge courtyard that has the Dome of the hours, the ablutions fountain and the beautifully decorated Dome of the treasure. This mosque is one of the few that have three minarets Minaret of the Bride (built in 9th and 12th centuries), Minaret of Qat Bey (built in 15th century), and the Minaret of Jesus (built in13th century). The mosque boasts of the shrine of John the Baptist's head and the shrine of Hazrat Yahya as well. The famous hero Salahuddin Ayubi rests besides this famous mosque in his relatively small shrine. His is the only shrine marked in English as Saladdin Ayubi.

A travelogue would be incomplete without the mention of Taj Mahal restaurant, just the place if you are looking for desi food. On entering Taj Mahal, we were greeted by an Asian who said he was from Delhi and served us excellent pakoras as starters before moving on to the rest of the order. Taj Mahal's cosy environment and fine desi food is a big attraction for locals and foreigners who like food from the subcontinent.