Syria: Damascus – Christian Quarter
One of the oldest parts of Damascus and earliest Christian sites in the world lies in the eastern part of the old town near Bab Tuma Gate (one of the seven gates of the ancient city). There are several Christian and Armenian churches here, covering different branches of the religion. Many small mosques stand side by side with the Christian churches. The Damascus Straight Street aka Via Recta runs in a straight line for 1500 meters here, delineating the Christian Quarter from the other parts of the city, it dates back to Roman times. This is a relatively quite part of the old city, with many hotels and large residences and few souqs and noise (and checkpoints).
