A question on Damascus

Damascus is said to be one of if not the oldest city in the world, so why has it never reached it's potential? as in becoming an empire like Babylon or Akkad. so, why is it that Damascus never become a minor or great power before the BAC. and the same for Ugarit. it had the potential (being the economic partner of egypt and the hittites, on the coast) so why didn't these two Cities in ancient Syria become empires?
 
Damascus has no water access. Whether in the form of rivers, or ports. That's probably its largest problem.


ah yes, that is a problem...but considering a few other desert civilizations rise and damascus being on one of the most BA economic routes, you would expect them to be a little wealthy. they might not of had the population, but then again, no one really did for a while. but for ugarit, there really is no excuse, is there?
 
ah yes, that is a problem...but considering a few other desert civilizations rise and damascus being on one of the most BA economic routes, you would expect them to be a little wealthy. they might not of had the population, but then again, no one really did for a while. but for ugarit, there really is no excuse, is there?

To the east lies Mesopotania, to the west lies Egypt, to the north lies Anatolia. All these areas are better to set up a Empire.
 
To the east lies Mesopotania, to the west lies Egypt, to the north lies Anatolia. All these areas are better to set up a Empire.


better yes, but one must know that all three were desert regions and not to mention in the EBA, there weren't many civilizations around, meaning ugarit or damascus could simply expand quickly and then take cities after colonizing the region.
 
better yes, but one must know that all three were desert regions and not to mention in the EBA, there weren't many civilizations around, meaning ugarit or damascus could simply expand quickly and then take cities after colonizing the region.

They're not desert regions, Egypt are centered around a massive fertile river valley, Mesopotania are pretty rich agricultural land, Anatolia are a mix of agricultural land, forest and steppes. Aleppo on the other hand lies on a steppe with arid wasteland to the east, and mountains to the west, it's not just inferior place to he three other regions, it's massively so, and it much easier to attack and conquer than the other regions.
 
Welcome to the board!
They're not desert regions, Egypt are centered around a massive fertile river valley, Mesopotania are pretty rich agricultural land, Anatolia are a mix of agricultural land, forest and steppes. Aleppo on the other hand lies on a steppe with arid wasteland to the east, and mountains to the west, it's not just inferior place to he three other regions, it's massively so, and it much easier to attack and conquer than the other regions.
Why did Damascus only rise to importance during the Umayyad period?
 

Deleted member 97083

I could see a Nabataean-style kingdom popping up at Damascus, with extensive waterworks.

Or perhaps if the Egyptians had rescued the Neo-Assyrian Empire in its last years, making it into an Egyptian client state against the Neo-Babylonian Empire, then this reduced Assyrian Empire could move its capital to Damascus, later becoming its own empire again.
 
I could see a Nabataean-style kingdom popping up at Damascus, with extensive waterworks.

Or perhaps if the Egyptians had rescued the Neo-Assyrian Empire in its last years, making it into an Egyptian client state against the Neo-Babylonian Empire, then this reduced Assyrian Empire could move its capital to Damascus, later becoming its own empire again.


both seem good, though most likely, Assyria would bring their original capital back once they reconquered it meanwhile the Nabateans can take the southern levant, but they won't be able to invade Arabia (too much desert) and who knows what will be TTL's first battle.
 
what do you mean by this?

I mean the Umayyad was original the raiders which came from the desert and threaten Damascus. As such it was logical when the raiding tribes took control with the land, it was no longer threaten by the Nomadic tribes, until they people who had taken it over had become sedentary too, and new raiders came to dominate the desert.
 
I mean the Umayyad was original the raiders which came from the desert and threaten Damascus. As such it was logical when the raiding tribes took control with the land, it was no longer threaten by the Nomadic tribes, until they people who had taken it over had become sedentary too, and new raiders came to dominate the desert.


ah. alright then.
 
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