Damascus University (Arabic: جامعة دمشق, romanized: Jāmiʾa Dimashq) is the largest and oldest university in Syria, located in the capital Damascus, with campuses in other Syrian cities. It was founded in 1923 as the Syrian University (Arabic: الجامعة السورية, romanized: al-Jāmiʾa al-Sūriyya) through the merger of the Medical School (established 1903) and the Institute of Law (established 1913). It adopted its current name after the founding of the University of Aleppo in 1958. Damascus University was one of the most reputable universities in the Arab World before the Syrian civil war started in 2011. The University of Damascus consists of several faculties, higher institutes, intermediate institutes and a school of nursing. One of the institutions specializes in teaching the Arabic language to foreigners, which as of 2005 was the largest institution of its kind in the Arab world. Source: Wikipedia (en)