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AS`SWEIDA
IT IS THE PRINCIPAL CITY IN THE PROVINCE OF
AS`SWIEIDA . IN THE NABATEAN PERIOD , IT WAS KNOWN BY THE NAMED OF “SUDA”WHICH
MEANS THE LITTLE BLACK TOWN , BECAUSE IT WAS BUILT WITH BLACK VOLCANIC STONES.
THE ROMANS CALLED IT “DIONYSIAS” BECAUSE IT WAS THE TOWN OF DELICIOUS GRAPES.
THE MOST NOTABLE OF ITS RUINS ARE NOW HOUSED IN THE AS`SWEIDA MUSEUM, WHICH ALSO
CONTAINS A MAGNIFICENT COLLECTION OF MOSAIC. ONE PIECE OF THE MOSAIC COLLECTION
REPRESENTS “ARTHMIS” THE GODDESS OF HUNTING , SURROUNDED BY HER NYMPHS , WHEN
SHE IS SURPRISED BY A HUNTER WHILE BATHING . THE STATUES CARVED IN THE HARD
BASALT SHOW SIGNS OF A MIXTURE OF NABATEAN, GREEK , ROMAN, BYZANTINE, AND ARAB
INFLUENCES. THERE ARE ALSO IN THE CITY THE RUINS OF A 3RD CENTURY
ROMAN TEMPLE SURROUNDED BY A COLONNADE OF CORINTHIAN COLUMNS.
SHAHBA
SHAHBA IS FAMOUS FOR BEING THE BIRTH PLACE
OF THE ARAB SYRIAN EMPEROR PHILIP WHO RULED THE ROMAN EMPIRE BETWEEN 244 AND 249
A.D. TO HONOUUR HIM, THE CITY BORE THE NAME “PHILIPOPLIS” DURING THE ROMAN
PERIOD.
PHILIP TOOK A PERSONAL INTEREST IN THE CITY
, HE PLANNED IT AFTER THE ROMAN STYLE, BUILDING MANY PALACES , TEMPLES ,
TRIUMPHAL ARCHES, PUBLIC BATHS, A NEW THEATRE, AND A WALL TO SURROUND IT , AS IF
HE WANTED TO TURN SHAHBA INTO A REPLICA OF ROME IT SELF.
VISITORS OF SHAHBA MUSEUM CAN SEE THE
IMMENSE MOSAIC PANELS REPRESENTING ANCIENT GREEK MYTHS. ANOTHER COLLECTION OF
SHABA'S MOSAIC PANELS IS IN THE NATIONAL MUSEUM IN DAMASCUS. REMAINS OF THE CITY
TEMPLE, SOME PUBLIC BATHS, PARTS OF THE OLD WALL , AS WELL AS THE TWO
INTERESTING THOROUGHFARES CAN STILL BE SEEN IN THE TOWN.
QANAWAT
QANAWAT IS SITUATED 7KM. TO THE EAST OF
AS`SWEIDA . DURING THE ROMAN PERIOD , IT WAS ONE OF THE TEN “DECAPOLIS” , A
LEAGUE OF COMMERCIAL CITIES OF WHICH DAMASCUS WAS THE PRINCIPAL ONE. OF GREATEST
INTEREST TO THE VISITOR IS A CLUSTER OF COLUMNS WHICH WERE PART OF A 2ND
CENTURY TEMPLE DEDICATED TO THE GOD OF SUN HELIOS. ANOTHER TEMPLE FROM THE SAME
PERIOD DEDICATED TO ZEUS, WAS BUILT WITH DECORATED BASALT. ONLY SIX COLUMNS OF
THIS TEMPLE STILL REMAIN. ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE VALLEY THERE ARE THE REMAINS
OF A THEATRE.
BOSRA
SITUATED IN THE HAWRAN PLAIN, 145 KM. TO
THE SOUTH OF DAMASCUS , BOSRA IS AN EXTREMELY ANCIENT CITY WHICH WAS MENTIONED
IN THE LIST THUTMOSE AND AKHNATOUN IN THE FORTEENTH CENTURY B.C. IT WAS THE
FIRST NABATEAN CITY IN THE SECOND CENTURY B.C. IT REACHED THE APOGEE OF ITS
GLORY DURING THE HELLENISTIC PERIOD AND LATER IN THE ROMAN THE CAPITAL OF THE
PROVINCE OF ARABIA. BOSRA CONTINUED TO PLAY A SIGNIFICANT ROLE DURING THE DAYS
OF EARLY CHRISTIANITY . IT WAS ALSO LINKED WITH THE RISE OF ISLAM , BECAUSE ONE
OF ITS INHABITANTS , A NESTORIAN MONK CALLED BAHIRA, ONCE MET THE YOUNG MAN
MOUHAMMAD IBN ABDULLAH WHO WAS PASSING WITH HIS CARAVAN AT BOSRA, AND PREDICTED
HIS PROPHECY AND THE FAITH HE WAS GOING TO INITIATE .
THE MOST IMPORTANT SITE IN BOSRA IS ITS
FAMOUS ROMAN THEATRE WHICH IS CONSIDERED AS ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL AND WELL
PRESERVED ROMAN AMPHITHEATRES IN THE THE WORLD . THE THEATRE , DATING BACK TO
THE SECOND CENTURY A.D. SEATS 15THOUSAND SPECTATORS , ITS STAGE IS 45M. LONG AND
8M. DEEP. THE CITY ALSO CONTAINS:
AL MABRAK MOSQUE AND OMAR MOSQUE WHICH IS
THE ONLY MOSQUE REMAINING FROM THE EARLY DAYS OF ISLAM AND RETAINING ITS
PRIMITIVE FORM.
THE MOSLEM AYOUBIT CITADEL , WHICH NOW
HOUSES TWO MUSEUMS ONE FOR ANTIQUITIES AND THE OTHER FOR TRADITIONAL ARTS.
PARTS OF THE BAHIRA CHURCH DATING BACK TO
THE BYZANTINE PERIOD.
A CATHEDRAL FROM THE BYZANTINE PERIOD WITH
ITS SQUARE DOME OF 512M.
REMAINS OF WALLS “ NABATEAN” A TRIUMPHAL
ARCH “ROMAN” AND THE BATHS “ROMAN”
SALKHAD
IT IS LOCATED 38KM. TO THE SOUTH OF
AS`SWEIDA. THE MOST IMPORTANT SITES IN IT ARE : THE CITADEL BUILT BY THE
NABATEANS AND RENOVATED BY THE MAMLUK AND THE AYOUBITS, AND THE MINARET OF AN
AYOUBIT MOSOQUE IN THE TOWN SQUARE.
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