Damascus.—Railway Stations. 1. Beramkeh or Baramki, near the hotels and the Serâi.—2. Meidân, near the Bauwâbet Allah, chief station of the Beirut line.—3. Kadem, for the Hejâz line (p. [469]; no cabs).—Cabs and tramway, see below.
Hotels. Hôt. Victoria, Hôt. d’Orient, Palace Hotel, all near the Beramkeh Station and the Serâi; Hôt. d’Angleterre, to the E. of the Serâi Square; pens. 10–15 fr. (or more when crowded), in the quiet season 6–10 fr.; good wine of the country (from Shtôra) 1½–5 fr.
Arabian Cafés, the largest and most interesting in the East, mostly on an arm of the Baradâ, in the Serâi Square, on the Beirut road, the Aleppo road, etc.—Visitors should beware of the cold night-air from the river after a hot day.
Cabs in the Serâi Square, 6–7 pias, per drive, or 10–12 pias. per hr. (always to be agreed upon beforehand); but more on holidays and in the height of the season.—Electric Tramway (3¼ M.) from the El-Meidân quarter viâ the Serâi Square to the suburb of Es-Sâlehîyeh (p. [489]).
Post Office and International Telegraph Office, Serâi Square.
Consuls. British, G. P. Devey, near the Beramkeh Station.—United States Consular Agent, N. Meshâka, in the Christian quarter.
Dragomans (Arabic terjumân), about 10 fr. a day during the season, desirable for new-comers (comp. p. xxvi), and essential in visiting the Omaiyade Mosque. Travellers should beware of trusting them with money or purchases.
Banks. Banque Ottomane, German Palaestina-Bank, both in the Sûk el-Asrunîyeh (p. [486]).—Photographs sold by Suleimân Hakîm, at the E. end of the Straight Street (p. [487]).—Baths. The Hammâm el-Khaiyâtin and the Hammâm ed-Derwîshîyeh or el-Malikeh, among others, are worth seeing.
Churches. English Church (St. John’s), of the London Jews Society, in the Hammâm el-Kari Quarter; Rev. J. E. Hanauer; Sun. service at 10.30. Also Edinburgh Medical, British Syrian Mission, Irish Presbyterian, and other missions, with excellent schools, hospitals, etc.—The Latins, the Greeks, and the Jews also have their own schools.