Ancient City of Damascus (UNESCO/NHK)

Founded in the 3rd millennium B.C., Damascus is one of the oldest cities in the Middle East. In the Middle Ages, it was the centre of a flourishing craft industry, specializing in swords and lace. The city has some 125 monuments from different periods of its history -- one of the most spectacular is the 8th-century Great Mosque of the Umayyads, built on the site of an Assyrian sanctuary.

Source: UNESCO TV / © NHK Nippon Hoso Kyokai
URL: whc.unesco.org/en/list/20/