Damascus ( ) is the capital and the second-largest city of
Syria after
Aleppo. It is commonly known in Syria as
ash-Sham ( ) and nicknamed as the
City of Jasmine ( ). In addition to being one of the
oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, Damascus is a major cultural and religious center of the
Levant. The city has an estimated population of 1,711,000 as of 2009.