airs ▁in ▁response ▁to ▁sie ges ▁and ▁earth qu akes ▁were ▁carried ▁out ▁in ▁the ▁M aml uk ▁and ▁Ott oman ▁periods . ▁ ▁Before ▁the ▁cit adel ▁It ▁is ▁uncertain ▁whether ▁a ▁building ▁stood ▁on ▁the ▁site ▁of ▁the ▁cit adel ▁before ▁the ▁ 1 1 th ▁century ▁AD . ▁The ▁Gh out a , ▁the ▁wider ▁area ▁in ▁which ▁Dam asc us ▁is ▁located , ▁has ▁been ▁occupied ▁since ▁at ▁least ▁ 9 0 0 0 ▁BC , ▁but ▁there ▁is ▁no ▁evidence ▁for ▁settlement ▁within ▁the ▁area ▁that ▁is ▁today ▁en closed ▁by ▁the ▁city ▁walls ▁before ▁the ▁ 1 st ▁mill en ni um ▁BC . ▁The ▁area ▁occupied ▁by ▁the ▁later ▁cit adel ▁was ▁most ▁likely ▁outside ▁this ▁first ▁settlement . ▁The ▁presence ▁of ▁a ▁cit adel ▁during ▁the ▁H ellen istic ▁period ▁is ▁uncertain . ▁Dam asc us ▁certainly ▁had ▁a ▁cit adel ▁during ▁the ▁Roman ▁period , ▁but ▁whether ▁it ▁was ▁located ▁on ▁the ▁site ▁of ▁the ▁present ▁cit adel ▁is ▁uncertain ▁and ▁subject ▁to ▁scholar ly ▁debate . ▁ ▁Old ▁cit adel ▁ ▁Const ruction ▁of ▁the ▁old ▁cit adel ▁In ▁ 1 0 7 6 , ▁Dam asc us ▁was ▁conquer ed ▁by ▁the ▁Turk man ▁war l ord ▁A ts iz ▁bin ▁U v ak , ▁who ▁established ▁himself ▁as ▁the ▁r uler ▁of ▁the ▁city ▁and ▁began ▁the ▁construction ▁of ▁the ▁cit adel . ▁He ▁then ▁tried ▁to ▁in va de ▁the ▁F at im id ▁C ali ph ate ▁in ▁Egypt