It's a statue of Saladin liberating Jerusalem so it's written there "liberation of Jerusalem" and the king is in the back under the horses bottom :P & his crown has fallen... It's funny when you look at it from the back.

As the city grows it tends to have more modern neighborhoods than it has old ones.

Ghouta?? You're up to date with the news! That's cool! They're attacking it right now, hoping the terrorists and all the militias will surrender soon and announce Damascus to be safe again.