What's on in Damascus, Syria through the year

Quiet — school holidays in 6 of the markets that fill it, one of its worst months for weather

• Holiday

  Ramadan

  18 Feb – 19 MarClosures

  The Old City is the place to be after sunset: Souq al-Hamidiyah stays open late and the courtyard restaurants serve one long sitting. Daytime is shut and slow. Source ↗

Busy — Ramadan, school holidays in 2 of the markets that fill it

Nothing new starts in February.

Still on: Ramadan (18 Feb – 19 Mar)

Peak crowds — Ramadan, Eid al-Fitr

• Holiday

  Eid al-Fitr

  20–22 MarRamadan & EidClosuresCrowded

  Three days of family visits and new clothes. The souks shut for the first of them and the parks on the lower slopes of Qasioun take the overflow. Source ↗

• Hazard

  Khamsin dust winds

  15 Mar – 31 May · usuallyDust season

  The spring southerly arrives with a jump in temperature and a sky the colour of weak tea, usually two or three days at a time before it clears. Source ↗

• Festival

  Easter in Bab Touma

  5–12 AprEaster & Holy WeekClosures

  The Christian quarter marks both Easters, and in most years the Western and Eastern Sundays fall a week apart. The sweet shops queue out of the door for a fortnight. Source ↗

Still on: Ramadan (18 Feb – 19 Mar)

Busy — school holidays in 3 of the markets that fill it, one of its best months for weather

Nothing new starts in April.

Still on: Eid al-Fitr (20–22 Mar), Khamsin dust winds (15 Mar – 31 May (usually)), Easter in Bab Touma (5–12 Apr)

Busy — school holidays in 2 of the markets that fill it, one of its best months for weather

Nothing new starts in May.

Still on: Khamsin dust winds (15 Mar – 31 May (usually)), Easter in Bab Touma (5–12 Apr)

Shoulder season — school holidays in 3 of the markets that fill it, an ordinary month

• Season

  The dry heat

  15 Jun – 5 Sep · usuallyExtreme heat

  Heat the city has always answered with courtyards and late nights. The Ghouta orchards and the hill villages above town take anyone who can get out for the weekend.

Quiet — school holidays in 5 of the markets that fill it, one of its worst months for weather

Nothing new starts in July.

Still on: The dry heat (15 Jun – 5 Sep (usually))

Busy — Damascus International Fair, school holidays in 4 of the markets that fill it

• Festival

  Damascus International Fair

  26 Aug – 4 SepMajor festivalCrowdedBook early

  The oldest trade fair in the region takes over the airport road for ten days at the end of August, and the central hotels go with it. Source ↗

Still on: The dry heat (15 Jun – 5 Sep (usually))

Busy — Damascus International Fair, school holidays in 3 of the markets that fill it

Nothing new starts in September.

Still on: The dry heat (15 Jun – 5 Sep (usually)), Damascus International Fair (26 Aug – 4 Sep)

Busy — school holidays in 3 of the markets that fill it, one of its best months for weather

Nothing new starts in October.

Shoulder season — an ordinary month

Nothing new starts in November.

Shoulder season — school holidays in 5 of the markets that fill it, an ordinary month

Nothing new starts in December.