From Crisis to Resilience: Social Adaptation Strategies in Damascus Damascus, renowned as the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world, boasts a rich urban history extending over 5000 years. This historical background made Damascus a focal point in urban studies, characterized by a wide range of historical buildings that make up its cultural heritage. However, the ongoing situation in Syria has severely threatened these structures, which lead to great degradation and destruction. The preservation of historical buildings is crucial not only for maintaining the city's architectural legacy but also to support its socio-economic fabric, and to re-use of its places as it was before and in new ways.