The capital of Syria is Damascus.  Damascus is not the largest city in Syria.  That distinction belongs to the city of Aleppo in the northwestern part of the country.  Although it is not as big as Aleppo, Damascus, in the southwestern part of the country, is the capital.  Syria today is, of course, torn by civil war.  Damascus remains as the capital with the Assad regime holding that city as their most important stronghold.  However, their grip on the rest of the country is weakening and Damascus is one of the last places that the regime can feel that it has much control.