Sweida is the principal city of
the province of Sweida, located 124 km to the south of Damascus.
It lies on a hill popularly called 'Jabal Al Arab" the Mountain
of Arabs. Its 1025m, above sea-level. That’s why it has
cold winters and cool summers.
Sweida like many other Syrian cities
witnessed many historical events and civilizations such as the
Amorites Arameans, Ghassanities, Byzantines, Romans and Arabs.
This resulted in enriching this province with countless historic
sites and monuments. Example is Shahba, Salim Temple, Al Kanawat,
Salkhad, the temple of Ateel…etc.
Seven kilometers to the northeast
of Sweida lies the city of Kanawat. It’s a historical city
with sites dating back to the early Christian Era, the temple
of the God of the Sun, Zeus & the God of the water are some
examples of these sites. Besides that, there are the bathes, the
historical theater and the historical church constructed in the
fourth century A.D.
The most important is the museum
of Sweida which hosts a lot of exhibits and mosaic pictures each
denotes a different civilization that once existed in this area.
It is famous for its Ayyoubid
minaret and fort ( 12th century AD). In addition there are the
graves engraved with Arabic writings of Ayyoubid period
It is the village that witnessed
the birth of Philip it's, the Arab Emperor who rebuilt the city
in 244 A.D, In Shahba you can see ruins of a theatre, baths and
temples. Its local museum contains wonderful mosaic panels in
addition to a marble Head of Philip.
