National Museum of Damascus

About this place

The National Museum of Damascus is Syria's largest museum and its oldest cultural institution, covering more than 11 millennia of the country's history. Its most important pieces come from Mari, Ebla and Ugarit, three of the leading archaeological sites in Syria. It is the best single place to grasp the ancient past of the country on one visit. The museum was founded in 1919, during the short-lived Arab Kingdom of Syria under King Faisal. Its collections grew as excavations advanced across the country. In the 1930s the Dura-Europos synagogue, dated to 245 AD and known for its well-preserved wall paintings, was moved here piece by piece. The museum holds more than 5,000 cuneiform tablets, among them one bearing the Ugaritic alphabet, the first known alphabet written down on a clay tablet. You also see 2nd-century murals, elaborate tombs and the Lion of al-Lat, moved here from Palmyra. A rebuilt facade from an old palace frames the entrance, and inside is a Damascene room with a superb painted wooden ceiling. It stands west of the Old City, about 1.1 km in a straight line from the Citadel of Damascus, and is easy to reach from the city centre. We could not confirm which halls are open at present, so check before you go. The UK Foreign Office currently advises against all travel to Syria, and British consular help is not available there, so check official guidance before making any plans.