'Damask' is named after Damascus — the ancient city lent its name to both the fabric and the steel.
A rich, heavy fabric with a pattern woven into it, originally of silk, used for furnishings and table linen; also, a type of patterned steel originally produced in the Middle East.
From Medieval Latin 'damascus' (of Damascus), from Damascus (Arabic 'دمشق,' Dimashq), the capital of Syria and one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. Damascus was a legendary center of textile production and metalwork throughout the medieval period. European Crusaders encountered Damascene luxury goods and carried
Damascus lent its name to three entirely different products: damask (a patterned fabric), Damascus steel (the legendary sword steel with its wavy pattern), and the damson (a plum — 'damascene plum,' from Latin 'prunum damascenum'). All three were associated with the city's markets during the medieval period, whether or not Damascus was actually where they were made. Damascus was more likely a trading hub than the origin point