Okay, let’s admit it up front: Damascus is a stretch for a simple two-day weekend. If you can wangle the long variety, though, there’s no more satisfying place to spend it. With 4,000 years of continuous habitation, that’s a millennium’s worth of history to explore for each day of your Friday-to-Monday stint. And now’s the time to do it.

Less than a decade ago, the Syrian capital was off the tourist map: there were few decent hotels, fewer signs to help navigate your way through the labyrinthine alleys of the old city, and a particularly unwelcoming secret police on the snoop. Since the more West-leaning Bashar al-Assad came to power, though, things are changing fast.

Within the gates (or babs) of the old city alone, there are currently about a dozen boutique hotels, converted from former private houses; by 2012, that number is due to triple.

New shops, bars and restaurants seem to pop up every week, and on the streets a new generation is espousing new attitudes: it’s not uncommon to see teenage girls walking arm in arm, one in cropped vest and jeans, her friend in a full-length chador. Change is everywhere, as the world’s oldest rough diamond is polished up.

The history: it’s on every street corner, from Roman ruins and Christian churches to medieval khans and 19th-century souks. The centrepiece of the old city is the incomparable Umayyad Mosque (£2; closed during Friday prayers; dress modestly), where you’ll find shrines to John the Baptist and Hussein, the Shi’ite imam.

On a site of worship for practically every creed over three millenniums, the 8th-century mosque is an architectural tour de force; its towering minarets, vast courtyard and decorative mosaics attract pilgrims not just to pray but to hang out and picnic in the shade.

Also on the to-do list is the atmospheric Azem Palace (9am-5.30pm; £2; closed Tuesdays). It is typical of the Ottoman style, with striking architecture using the stone layering, or ablaq — alternating black (basalt), white (limestone) and cream (sandstone) — that you see everywhere in Syria. Inside, you can follow the country’s social history and development through the richly decorated rooms of what was the former pasha’s residence.

The National Museum (9am-4pm, October to March; 9am-6pm, April to September; £4; closed Tuesdays) is a short hop from the old city in one of the many taxis. With centuries of history on display, the museum has statuary in abundance in the fountain-cooled gardens; most impressive inside are the 2nd-century synagogue frescoes, depicting scenes from the scriptures.

The shopping: many of the souks have remained unchanged for centuries. The copper and spice merchants still ply their wares to locals, while the unusual animal parts on display in the meat market are not for the faint-hearted. In the cool, covered Al-Hamidiyeh souk — a haven from the bristling heat, with good fresh-juice stalls — you’ll find handmade silk damask, carpets, silver filigree, carved wood, olive-oil soap (raved about by Pliny the Elder) and inlaid everything.

What’s particularly civilised about shopping in the souks, apart from the prices, is that vendors understand the word “no”. Not for them the follow-you-down-the-street-shouting “Give me best price” sales pitch: you can browse in unflustered peace.

There is a long tradition of glass-making here, Syrian glass was found at Pompeii, and they’re still at it today. For a hand-blown souvenir, Abou Ahmad’s workshop, on Sharia al Aiehda, is just beyond Bab Sharki (it’s a feat to find it — your hotel will help), where two men each blow 40 glasses a day. If you can take the heat from the furnace, have a go yourself.

For a piece of modern sculpture, head back through the gate; just off Straight Street (Via Recta in the Bible), in the Jewish quarter, the Mustafa Ali Gallery sells works by Syria’s best-known sculptor that now fetch thousands of pounds (mustafali.com).

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