Syria contains Damascus, commonly described as the world's oldest continuously inhabited capital.
Damascus lies in southwestern Syria, near the eastern foothills of the Anti-Lebanon Mountains. Archaeological evidence shows settlement in the area for thousands of years, while its position beside the Barada River helped support agriculture and urban life in an otherwise dry region.
The city became especially important under the Aramaeans and later served as a major center under Roman, Byzantine, and Islamic rulers. It was the capital of the Umayyad Caliphate from 661 to 750, when the city stood at the heart of a vast empire.
Claims about the “oldest” city can vary because scholars distinguish between a continuously inhabited site, a city with an uninterrupted urban tradition, and a capital that has held that status for different periods. Damascus is nevertheless the standard answer for the oldest continuously inhabited national capital.