It should be stated that the term Damascus has its etymological origin in the Greek, exactly in "Damaskos", which later derived Latin as "Damascus". Also, we must expose that it was used to give name to the city of Damascus, the capital of Syria, which is one of the oldest cities in the world.
The concept of Damascus It can be used in different ways. One of the most common uses is linked to a tree also called robe , which belongs to the family group of Rosaceae.
To this tree - of branches that lack thorns, heart-shaped leaves and white flowers - and their fruit They are known as damask. The scientific name of this plant native to China and of wide presence in countries as Syria , Armenia , Iran and Turkey is Armenian Prunus .
The damasks or bathrobes They are consumed all over the world. They can be eaten fresh, dried or after having undergone different processes. The fruit is also used to obtain oil, to manufacture facial masks and to produce a liquor called amaretto (which combines the bones or apricots with apricots).
Also called a damask a cloth of wool or silk that is characterized by its strength and the drawings that are formed by the warp and weft. This kind of tissue emerged in the Eleventh century in Middle East and then expanded to Europe .
Damascus Finally, it is the name of the capital of Syria . It is one of the oldest inhabited towns around the world, with a history over 4,000 years old. Its historical center, in fact, was declared World Heritage by Unesco .
In the Damascus Old Town you can see remains of the Roman wall that surrounded it next to eight of its doors, in addition to numerous monuments and buildings that are great exponents of the art Islamic .
Specifically, the eight doors are as follows: Bab al-Faraj (Gate of Liberation), Bab al-Salam (Gate of Peace), Bab al-Faradis (Gate of Paradise), Bab Tuma (Gate of Saint Thomas) , Bab al-Jabiya, Bab Sharqi (East Gate), al-Bab al-Saghir (Small Gate) and Bab Kisan.
Among the most significant monuments or enclaves of the Old City of Damascus we can highlight the ruins of the Temple of Jupiter, the Souk Al-Hamidiyah, the Caravasar or the Tomb of Saladin, among others.
However, there are many other attractions such as the Cathedral of St. George, the Straight Way or the Plaza of the Great Mosque of the Umayyads.
Of course, we cannot ignore the existence of a metal that bears the term in our name. We are referring to Damascus steel, which was used in the Middle East during the period between the twelfth and eighteenth centuries to make swords. Swords that became a benchmark worldwide because of the hardness they had.
At present, however, the aforementioned steel is used for what is the manufacture of knives that stand out for their quality.
