▁with ▁extensive ▁M aml uk ▁rest or ations . ▁The ▁walls ▁are ▁partly ▁obsc ured ▁from ▁sight ▁by ▁the ▁urban ▁fabric ▁of ▁Dam asc us , ▁which ▁has ▁enc ro ached ▁upon ▁the ▁cit adel ▁during ▁the ▁ 1 9 th ▁and ▁ 2 0 th ▁centuries . ▁The ▁sh ops ▁along ▁the ▁north ▁side ▁of ▁the ▁Al - H am idi y ah ▁Sou q ▁are ▁built ▁against ▁the ▁cit adel ' s ▁southern ▁fa ç ade , ▁while ▁parts ▁of ▁the ▁eastern ▁def ences ▁are ▁also ▁obsc ured ▁by ▁buildings . ▁The ▁buildings ▁that ▁stood ▁against ▁the ▁western ▁and ▁northern ▁walls ▁were ▁cleared ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 0 s . ▁ ▁The ▁walls ▁and ▁to wers ▁of ▁the ▁cit adel ▁are ▁constructed ▁from ▁carbon ate ▁rocks ▁and ▁bas alt ▁that ▁were ▁quar ried ▁in ▁the ▁vic inity ▁of ▁Dam asc us . ▁ ▁Tow ers ▁Today , ▁the ▁cit adel ▁has ▁ 1 2 ▁to wers . ▁There ▁is ▁one ▁tower ▁on ▁each ▁corner , ▁three ▁in ▁between ▁along ▁the ▁north ▁and ▁south ▁walls ▁and ▁two ▁facing ▁east . ▁Origin ally , ▁the ▁cit adel ▁had ▁two ▁more ▁to wers ▁on ▁the ▁western ▁wall , ▁as ▁reported ▁by ▁European ▁trav ellers ▁until ▁ 1 7 5 9 . ▁The ▁earth qu ake ▁that ▁hit ▁Dam asc us ▁in ▁that ▁year ▁led ▁to ▁the ▁collapse ▁of ▁the ▁western ▁def ences ▁of ▁the ▁cit adel , ▁with ▁the ▁western ▁to wers ▁not ▁being ▁re built ▁afterwards . ▁The ▁central ▁northern ▁tower