--- product_id: 65888862 title: "Damascus: A History (Cities of the Ancient World)" price: "KD 1.89" currency: KWD in_stock: false reviews_count: 6 url: https://www.desertcart.com.kw/products/65888862-damascus-a-history-cities-of-the-ancient-world store_origin: KW region: Kuwait --- # Damascus: A History (Cities of the Ancient World) **Price:** KD 1.89 **Availability:** ❌ Out of Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** Damascus: A History (Cities of the Ancient World) - **How much does it cost?** KD 1.89 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Currently out of stock - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.com.kw](https://www.desertcart.com.kw/products/65888862-damascus-a-history-cities-of-the-ancient-world) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description Buy Damascus: A History (Cities of the Ancient World) 1 by Burns, Ross (ISBN: 9780415413176) from desertcart's Book Store. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Review: if you only buy one book (and I didn't) - I have at least 50 books on Damascus/Syria and other than Bridget Keenen's book which has a fabulous gossipy style - ideal to read before bed, this is the most beautifully put together book on Damascus - fabulous photographs and real scholarship - you can almost smell it. Review: This is exactly what I hoped for in a history of an ancient city: Burns discusses not only the political and military events in the history of Damascus, but also the economic, cultural, social, and physical changes. In this way, the reader generally has, at any point in time, a good grasp of what the city's social and ethnic divisions were, of who were the political elites, of which neighborhoods and monuments existed and how they came to be, not to mention the varied (and sometimes sparse) sources we must rely on for this information and what limits they impose on our knowledge. The author's style is, in my opinion, easy-to-read and engaging, and despite its moderate length the book is deeply informative throughout. It's a perfect summarizing history, and an excellent read if you were to visit Damascus itself, as it will give you an excellent idea of what can and cannot be seen today of the city's past, and what its surviving monuments mean. However, it should be noted that the author chooses to end his narrative at the fall of the Ottoman Empire in WWI, and so if you're looking for a history of Damascus or Syria in the 20th century, you'll need something else. Otherwise, given the city's extremely long history, this doesn't come across as a real shortcoming. There are various useful black-and-white pictures throughout (mainly of monuments), and some great maps (again useful if you wished to visit the city's historical monuments). ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | 4,937,419 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) 4,845 in History of Civilisation & Culture 4,877 in Historical Study & Teaching 436,623 in Social Sciences (Books) | | Customer reviews | 4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars (8) | | Dimensions | 20.98 x 2.34 x 29.69 cm | | Edition | 1st | | ISBN-10 | 0415413176 | | ISBN-13 | 978-0415413176 | | Item weight | 680 g | | Language | English | | Print length | 408 pages | | Publication date | 15 Feb. 2007 | | Publisher | Routledge | ## Images ![Damascus: A History (Cities of the Ancient World) - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71vGDKozBCL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ if you only buy one book (and I didn't) *by S***O on 29 June 2010* I have at least 50 books on Damascus/Syria and other than Bridget Keenen's book which has a fabulous gossipy style - ideal to read before bed, this is the most beautifully put together book on Damascus - fabulous photographs and real scholarship - you can almost smell it. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Review *by B***Z on 14 June 2012* This is exactly what I hoped for in a history of an ancient city: Burns discusses not only the political and military events in the history of Damascus, but also the economic, cultural, social, and physical changes. In this way, the reader generally has, at any point in time, a good grasp of what the city's social and ethnic divisions were, of who were the political elites, of which neighborhoods and monuments existed and how they came to be, not to mention the varied (and sometimes sparse) sources we must rely on for this information and what limits they impose on our knowledge. The author's style is, in my opinion, easy-to-read and engaging, and despite its moderate length the book is deeply informative throughout. It's a perfect summarizing history, and an excellent read if you were to visit Damascus itself, as it will give you an excellent idea of what can and cannot be seen today of the city's past, and what its surviving monuments mean. However, it should be noted that the author chooses to end his narrative at the fall of the Ottoman Empire in WWI, and so if you're looking for a history of Damascus or Syria in the 20th century, you'll need something else. Otherwise, given the city's extremely long history, this doesn't come across as a real shortcoming. There are various useful black-and-white pictures throughout (mainly of monuments), and some great maps (again useful if you wished to visit the city's historical monuments). ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Review *by D***R on 2 March 2014* I bought this book because I wanted to learn more about Damascus during Roman and early Christian days. The book covers those periods very well, from Pompey's conquest of Syria in 64 B.C. to the fall of Damascus to the Persians in A.D. 612. The author's grasp of the social, economic, religious, political, and military influences during these periods is truly phenomenal. He also does a fabulous job of recreating and describing the layout and architecture of the city during the different periods, with great maps of the city in the various periods, and drawings showing recreations of important architectural features, as well as many photos of current features. Many of the maps are superimposed on the modern city plan for greater understanding of how the ancient city matches up with the modern city. All of this information is presented in a very readable and interesting way. I was so impressed, I couldn't help but read the rest of the book, which was just as excellent! The depth of scholarship underlying this book is evident at every turn of the page. Truly an outstanding and fascinating work. Highly recommended! --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.com.kw/products/65888862-damascus-a-history-cities-of-the-ancient-world](https://www.desertcart.com.kw/products/65888862-damascus-a-history-cities-of-the-ancient-world) --- *Product available on Desertcart Kuwait* *Store origin: KW* *Last updated: 2026-05-17*