City of Damascus

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The City of Damascus The city of Damascus is in Syria and was founded in the 3rd millennium BC, which is about 5000 to 6000 years ago. It is said that during that time the city was always occupied by various empires and had never been abandoned. The sacred buildings in Damascus helped to make Damascus a historical city, but the famous buildings of modern day Damascus are the reason for its’ popularity today. Modern day Damascus has seen some changes within their city walls especially like the types of clothing, their education, and the food their citizens use. Since Damascus was founded in 3000 B.C., it has seen many take over’s, conquers, rebellions, and wars. The armies of Akkad first took it in 2400 B.C. it was then conquered by the Greek; Alexander the Great in 332 B.C., after which Muslims invaded in 663 A.D. After that the Ottoman’s from Turkey took over 1516 A.D., the Arabs rebelled with the help of the British in 1918. Syria became a French colony in 1920; they gained independence in 1946 from the French and began a war in 1948, along with Jordan and Egypt, with newly created Israel. Their wars seem never ending consequently even today. During the history of Damascus and its numerous take over’s various sacred temples have been built over previous temples. In the early first century of A.D. the Temple of Jupiter was built over the Aramean temple that was built for Hadad the god of storms and lightening in 1000 B.C. The Temple of Jupiter stood on a platform called a temenos. Almost the entire platform has disappeared, only parts of the outer wall still remain. It measured about 385 meters East to West and 305 meters North to South which was basically 2 football fields crossing each other. When Christianity took the temple it was destroyed and construction began on the church dedicated to St. John the Baptist. The church was an important
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