Old Damascus: Uncovering the City’s Hidden Character

Abstract

The city is a rich expression of cultural layering - a layered palimpsest of historical evolution. If we are to be part of this historical continuum- continuity through time, and avoid the ‘tabula rasa’ approach common to much of city redevelopment within the 20th and 21st centuries. To avoid an absence of meaningful assessment and understanding of context, appropriate scale, form, and cultural relevance, we must fully understand the evolutionary development of the city. As Béla Bartók observed “Only a fool builds in defiance of the past. What is new and significant must always be grafted onto old roots. The truly vital roots are those which can be chosen with great care from the ones that merely survive.” The primary objective of the report was to analyse the Old City of Damascus using a range of architectural and urban design techniques and analytical tools. This investigation was guided by a core hypothesis that the city’s morphological, functional, and developmental evolution has been fundamentally shaped by the interaction of social, ecological, political, and commercial factors. Such sustained adaptability has been manifested in the city’s principal urban patterns and elements, including walls, gates, edges, nodes, axes, and the urban fine grain, which have continuously responded to the requirements of safe and stable urban life across successive historical periods. Furthermore, Damascus’s distinctive geographical location, as a key node along historic international trade routes such as the Silk and Pilgrimage Roads, has played a crucial role in shaping its function as a significant regional and global centre within political, religious, and economic networks. This report presents a detailed methodology for undertaking a townscape analysis of the Old City of Damascus. As one of the world’s oldest continuously inhabited cities and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Damascus possesses a distinctive identity shaped by the accumulation of historical layers, religious landmarks, and organically evolved urban form. Characterisation in this study extends beyond description and requires informed judgement and critical evaluation. The report seeks to identify what is significant, typical, and distinctive within the city’s built form and spatial structure. To achieve this, it employs a range of townscape analysis methods to interpret Damascus’s historical evolution, urban fabric, and relationship to major historical events and collective memory. The methodological framework draws on the seminal contributions of Kevin Lynch, Gordon Cullen, and Aldo Rossi. This approach reflects the growing importance of townscape analysis in developing a structured understanding of place and in distinguishing those qualities that are significant, representative, and exceptional. While the analysis is grounded in rigorous methods, it inevitably involves a degree of interpretative judgement. A particular contribution of this report is the integration of two complementary theoretical frameworks. First, it draws upon townscape theory through the work of Kevin Lynch in The Image of the City (1960), which explored how people perceive and navigate urban environments through elements such as paths, edges, districts, nodes, and landmarks, and Gordon Cullen’s Townscape (1961), particularly his concept of Serial Vision, which examines the sequential visual experience of moving through urban space. Second, the report incorporates Aldo Rossi’s theory of collective memory from The Architecture of the City (1966), which conceives the city as a repository of memory and a material expression of societal history. Informed by this perspective, the research mapped the historical narratives that have shaped the functional, spatial, and architectural structure of Damascus. The study therefore combines detailed spatial analysis with an exploration of collective memory to provide a richer understanding of the city’s character and identity. Ultimately, the report aims to raise awareness of the interconnected factors that shape the character of place and that must be understood and integrated within urban analysis. It is hoped that the findings will provide fresh insights into the future of Damascus’s Old City and serve as a valuable resource for academics, practitioners, architects, planners, and urbanists seeking to understand, conserve, and enhance its unique urban character. Our sincere thanks go to all those who contributed to making this report possible. We gratefully acknowledge the support, guidance, and encouragement received, particularly the ideas and inputs provided by a wide range of individuals from academia, professional practice, and the public policy arena across the UK, Syria, and beyond. Many talented, creative, and dedicated individuals generously gave their time to participate in, encourage, and support the workshop and research activities throughout the project period