Damascus, the city connected to St Pauls, has witnessed many Ups and Downs

Syrian rebels captured the palace of President Bashar al-Assad, wandering from one room to the other, posing for photo-shoots in the palatial building in the same way the rebels in Bangladesh had done a few days back with the residence of Prime Minister Sheikh Hassina.

News organisations reported that the rebels carried away furniture, ornaments and other precious possessions of the Assad family after the President fled the country following the entry of the rebels into historic city if Damascus.

Damascus is a historic city known for its rich antiquity. Situated in southwestern Syria, Damascus has been the centre of art, culture and learning even before the Christian era, dating back to the days of the Great Romans. St Paul’s, who is credited to have spread Christianity in the region, though himself a Roman, was connected to Damascus. Damascus, has been a holy city in Christianity because of its connection to St. Paul's conversion to Christianity. According to the Book of Acts in the New Testament, St. Paul was blinded by a vision from God while traveling on the road to Damascus. He was then led into the city and cured of his blindness by Ananias.

Today, it is the center of a large metropolitan area. Damascus is one of the oldest inhabited cities of the world, known for its seat of learning and grandeur. First settled in the 3rd millennium BC, the city had been the capital of the Caliphate for a long time after the evolution of the Islamic brotherhood in the 6 th century A.D. before the Islamic power moved to Baghdad.