In the original Assassin's Creed, Altaïr's first major target city is Damascus.
Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad begins the game as an Assassin operating during the Third Crusade. After his failed mission at Solomon's Temple, he is demoted and assigned a sequence of assassination investigations. Damascus is the first city he visits in that restored role, where he investigates the merchant Tamir.
The game also sends Altaïr to Acre and Jerusalem, so these cities are common mix-ups. Damascus is the capital of modern Syria and was historically an important political and commercial center in the medieval Middle East. The game's city districts combine historical inspiration with fictionalized missions and characters.
The original game was released in 2007 and established the series' recurring structure of gathering information before assassinating a target. Its modern-day storyline follows Desmond Miles, while Altaïr's missions are experienced through the Animus.