Damascus - Nightlife

Nightlife in Damascus is fairly quiet. Shopping in Souk al-Hamidiyeh (open until 2100) followed by a caf stop to smoke a nargileh (water pipe) and play backgammon, is a popular way to spend the evening. The an-Nofara, just beside the Umayyad Mosque, stays open late at night and has a traditional storyteller. Damascenes often head up Mount Qassioun at night to watch the city lights.

Plush hotels like the Cham Palace, Four Seasons and Sheraton all have bars and nightclubs, but the Christian Quarter, near Bab Touma, is where it's at, with a cluster of lively bars with dance floors and DJ beats.