▁Dam asc us ▁() ▁is ▁a ▁large ▁medieval ▁fort ified ▁palace ▁and ▁cit adel ▁in ▁Dam asc us , ▁Sy ria . ▁It ▁is ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁An cient ▁City ▁of ▁Dam asc us , ▁which ▁was ▁listed ▁as ▁a ▁UN ES CO ▁World ▁Heritage ▁Site ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 9 . ▁ ▁The ▁location ▁of ▁the ▁current ▁cit adel ▁was ▁first ▁fort ified ▁in ▁ 1 0 7 6 ▁by ▁the ▁Turk man ▁war l ord ▁A ts iz ▁bin ▁U v ak , ▁although ▁it ▁is ▁possible ▁but ▁not ▁proven ▁that ▁a ▁cit adel ▁stood ▁on ▁this ▁place ▁in ▁the ▁H ellen istic ▁and ▁Roman ▁periods . ▁After ▁the ▁assass ination ▁of ▁A ts iz ▁bin ▁U v ak , ▁the ▁project ▁was ▁finished ▁by ▁the ▁Sel ju q ▁r uler ▁T ut ush ▁I . ▁The ▁em irs ▁of ▁the ▁subsequent ▁Bur id ▁and ▁Z eng id ▁dynast ies ▁carried ▁out ▁modifications ▁and ▁added ▁new ▁structures ▁to ▁it . ▁During ▁this ▁period , ▁the ▁cit adel ▁and ▁the ▁city ▁were ▁bes ie ged ▁several ▁times ▁by ▁Cr us ader ▁and ▁Muslim ▁arm ies . ▁In ▁ 1 1 7 4 , ▁the ▁cit adel ▁was ▁captured ▁by ▁Sal adin , ▁the ▁A yy ub id ▁s ultan ▁of ▁Egypt , ▁who ▁made ▁it ▁his ▁residence ▁and ▁had ▁the ▁def ences ▁and ▁resident ial ▁buildings ▁modified . ▁ ▁Sal adin ' s ▁brother ▁Al - Ad il ▁re built ▁the ▁cit adel ▁completely ▁between ▁ 1 2 0 3 ▁and