Damascus’ Storied Past: Echoes of Roman Splendour.
Damascus, a city with a fascinating history, witnessed the Roman conquest in 64 BCE, marking the beginning of their enduring rule over the region. Although Antioch served as the administrative center of Syria under Roman control, Damascus experienced substantial development projects throughout the centuries.
These endeavours encompassed advancements in urban planning, the establishment of an aqueduct system to channel water from the Barada River into the city of Damascus, and the transformation of the Hellenistic Temple of Zeus into the Roman Temple of Jupiter. While only fragments remain from the Roman era, these remnants can still be discovered throughout the old city of Damascus, serving as poignant reminders of its storied past.
Among the most captivating vestiges are those associated with the former Temple of Jupiter, now known as the Umayyad Mosque of Damascus. In the first century, the temple complex underwent a lavish redevelopment. The project was helmed by local architect Apollodorus, who expanded the temple while preserving much of its original design. The temple boasted a spacious courtyard with a central cella housing an image of Jupiter.
Towering at each corner of the courtyard were structures utilized for Semitic rituals and high-altitude sacrifices. The temple was later restored and adorned during the reign of Septimius Severus (193-211 CE). At that time, the complex, encompassing extensive outer walls, surpassed the present-day mosque in size and stood as the largest temple in Roman Syria.
To the west of the current Umayyad Mosque in Damascus, remnants of the propylaeum, a grand entranceway to the Temple of Jupiter, can be found. Only the southern portion of this intricately adorned facade remains, originally featuring a large semi-circular arch framed by a triangular entablature. Supported by six columns nearly twelve meters tall and crowned with Corinthian capitals, it exuded grandeur.
Additionally, the foundations of the mosque’s exterior walls trace their origins back to the Roman period. Incorporated into the southern exterior wall is the preserved entrance of the temple’s southern side, which became obstructed when the prayer hall was realigned to face Mecca. This entryway’s elaborately carved lintel, sporting a Greek inscription from the Byzantine era, still survives. While the main entrance during the Roman period resided on the eastern side, little of that gateway endures. However, some remnants of the outer walls of the complex can be found further east, and additional fragments can be seen just west of Madrasa Abdullah al-Azem.
During the Roman era, Straight Street thrived as the city’s most significant thoroughfare, boasting a width of twenty-six meters. Over time, the street has undergone changes and encroachment, resulting in its current narrower form. Near the vicinity, remnants of Roman influence can still be found, notably the partially reconstructed Roman arch situated just east of the old city’s center. This arch once stood at the intersection of the decumanus and a prominent cross street, the cardo maximus.
Buried beneath street level for centuries, it was excavated and restored during the French Mandate. Estimated to have been constructed in the late second century, it may have formed part of a tetrakionion. Further east, the ancient city gate of Bab Sharqi, known as the “Gate of the Sun” to the Romans, retains much of its original Roman-era design. It features a triple-arched entrance, comprising a wide central passageway for carriages and two smaller side passageways for pedestrians.
Believed to have been originally built during the reign of Augustus in the first century, it underwent reconstruction under Septimius Severus or Caracalla in the late second or early third century. Sparse remnants of the original Roman aqueduct can be found west of the old city.