As one of the oldest cities in the world, possibly the oldest city Damascus is home to numerous different styles of architecture, but it much of the oldest parts have been long built on top of with the newer city. While Damascus thrived under the Roman Rule very little actually remains that can be seen. The city's foundation, along with the older Aramaean buildings and structures are deep under the later city. The eastern gate, long since called the Bab Sharqi is the only one of eight gates that dates from the Roman period.
The old city is surrounded by the wall, and there are eight gates that can be seen today. The other seven gates date from the later period under Muslim control of the city. However, the layout of the old city still shows the lines and layout of a classic Roman City. The familiar Islamic pattern of narrow streets is also present making for some stark contrasts; something that is common with city's of this much history. Within the city is the Umayyad Mosque , which is one of the largest and most prominent mosques anywhere in the world.
The modern city is a complete contrast as well. It is one of the most modern and advanced citys in the Middle East. The streets utilize a standard western grid and the buildings are mostly modern, but plain and simple when compared to other contemporary cities
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