Damascus was the capital of Syria. In Isaiah’s prophecy quoted by Nephi, it is named as the seat of Syrian power: “the head of Syria is Damascus, and the head of Damascus, Rezin,” Rezin being the Syrian king at the time (2 Nephi 17:8).
Isaiah foretold that the city’s wealth would be carried off by Assyria: before a child then to be born could speak, “the riches of Damascus and the spoil of Samaria shall be taken away before the king of Assyria” (2 Nephi 18:4).
Damascus also appears in a list of cities the king of Assyria likens to one another in boasting of his conquests: “Is not Calno as Carchemish? Is not Hamath as Arpad? Is not Samaria as Damascus?” (2 Nephi 20:9).