Al-Amara

Al-Amara (Arabic: العمارة‎‎), also known as Al-Amarah Juwaniyyah, is a prominent neighborhood in the old city of Damascus located a few meters away from The Grand Mosque of Damascus.

Damascus prides itself on being the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world. The history of Damascus goes back well into 8000 BC. In every corner of its ancient alleys there's a taste of every historical era there was to be found. Amara District is one of the oldest neighborhoods in the city.

Its name derives from the Arabic word “Amara” which means building, denoting its routes which date back to the founding of Damascus. The Great Mosque of Damascus with its stunning minarets can be spotted almost form every house in the district and the souks of the old city can be reached within minutes.

As soon as you dive into the old town from any of the entrances from the modern city, you dive into a maze of alleys, a labyrinth of small streets with arches, with shops, with mosques and churches, with arches and remnants of the old defensive wall, with restaurants hidden behind small doors. From every corner, the age of the houses dawns on you. It is actually quite easy to imagine that life might not even have been very different here many centuries ago.

Sometimes alleys are so tight that you can just walk inside without touching the walls. Some alleys are covered by vines, giving them a distinctly village-like appearance. Despite all the winding little streets, the many side streets and small squares, it is somehow impossible to get lost there - sooner or later you find yourself near one of the landmarks. Stepping back into modern-day Damascus with its traffic is like stepping forward into history.

As you stroll though the enchanting neighborhood only simple wooden doors separate you from numerous houses that resemble Arabian palaces with their fabulous facades and roomy entrances. What distinguish these houses from others is more than one thing, the paintings which decorate the walls of these houses are the first thing which make them museums or galleries. Damascene houses in Amara District which are typical of oriental architecture mirrors the social requirements, copes with Islamic traditions, and releases on the raw materials that are found in the Ghouta "farms and gardens that were surrounding Damascus" and overlooking the mountains.

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Wikipedia