Bilad ash-Shâm (Arabic: بلاد الشام ) is one of this area’s many names; another one is Levant, which is probably the least politically charged. This geographic area roughly comprises the following present-day countries:

• Syria
• Jordan
• Lebanon
• Israel
• Palestinian territories (sometimes with the exception of Jazira region in the northeast of modern Syria)

The name Bilad ash-Shâm (or Bilad al-Shâm) is etymologically of Arabic origin and means “land to the left hand”, which refers to the fact that for someone in the Hejaz (an area in Saudi Arabia comprising the holy places of Islam) facing the rising sun, the Bilad ash-Shâm would have been to the left, so Yemen correspondingly means “land to the right hand”. Using the name Bilad ash-Shâm suggests more than just a geographic region since the term is closely tied to the time under the Caliphate with Dimashq (Damascus) as capital.

Dimashq was first mentioned in Egypt in a record from before 1400 B.C.E.; Dimashqa was stated in a list of conquered territories. The name of the city (Arabic: Dimashq) is of pre-Semitic origin, which indicates that Damascus was founded before recorded history (earlier than 3000 B.C.E.). Damascus' inhabitants consider it the oldest, permanently inhabited city in the world. Modern-day archeologist, though, give this privilege to Hamah, an agricultural market city some 200 km north of Damascus. Throughout its history Damascus has been occupied and ruled by others.

• Assyria (8th century B.C.E.)
• Babylonia (7th century B.C.E.)
• Persia (6th century B.C.E.)
• Greece (4th century B.C.E.)
• Rome (1st century B.C.E.)
• Alexander of Macedon (333 B.C.E.)

Each of these occupying forces carried in their wake countless new settlers, and Aramaean, Greek and Roman quarters existed side by side, each with its own achievements in architecture and art.

From about 400 C.E. Bilad ash-Shâm experienced about 200 years of frequent military activities and became the battleground of the Persian wars. The arrival of the Muslim armies in 635 was therefore greeted with much relief, and Damascus opened its gates without any resistance. In 661 Damascus became the capital of the Umayyad empire, regained and even surpassed its former splendour. The Great Mosque of Damascus, built from 706 until 715, is still dominating the city and counts as one of the jewels of Islamic architecture.

Damascus' role as capital ended in 750, when the Abbasids moved their capital to Baghdad. The social cohesion became brittle, each of the ethnic or religious communities closed off its quarters with barricades and organised its own public services.

Credits:

Mainly "Bilad al-Shâm" and several other sources on the web
Map of Bilad ash-Shâm: Sementawy Horemheb
Background image: Mehdi Cyaxeres
Mosque: incois
Palmyra: Eric Lafforgue
Masthead background: 'Persian Garden', Sarmarcande Bahktiari's Kilim Bazaar
Text, other graphics and layout: Alal-Sin Malachus