Folio 01 · Cities

Major Syrian cities & provinces.

From the Mediterranean coast to the Euphrates valley, thirteen cities chart the geography and civilisations of Syria across ten thousand years.

Damascus, Damascus Governorate — The world's oldest continuously inhabited capital

№ 01

33.51° N, 36.30° E

Damascus

The world's oldest continuously inhabited capital

Aleppo, Aleppo Governorate — City of the citadel, soap, and silk-road souqs

№ 02

36.20° N, 37.13° E

Aleppo

City of the citadel, soap, and silk-road souqs

Homs, Homs Governorate — Ancient Emesa — gateway between coast and desert

№ 03

34.73° N, 36.72° E

Homs

Ancient Emesa — gateway between coast and desert

Hama, Hama Governorate — City of the wooden norias on the Orontes

№ 04

35.13° N, 36.76° E

Hama

City of the wooden norias on the Orontes

Idlib, Idlib Governorate — Gateway to the Dead Cities of Northern Syria

№ 05

35.93° N, 36.63° E

Idlib

Gateway to the Dead Cities of Northern Syria

Daraa, Daraa Governorate — Granary of the Hauran on the road to Mecca

№ 06

32.62° N, 36.10° E

Daraa

Granary of the Hauran on the road to Mecca

№ 07

32.52° N, 36.48° E

Bosra

Black basalt capital of Roman Arabia

Palmyra, Homs Governorate — Pearl of the desert, oasis of caravans

№ 08

34.56° N, 38.27° E

Palmyra

Pearl of the desert, oasis of caravans

Latakia, Latakia Governorate — Syria's principal Mediterranean port

№ 09

35.53° N, 35.79° E

Latakia

Syria's principal Mediterranean port

Tartus, Tartus Governorate — Crusader Tortosa on the Phoenician coast

№ 10

34.89° N, 35.89° E

Tartus

Crusader Tortosa on the Phoenician coast

Deir ez-Zor, Deir ez-Zor Governorate — Syria's Euphrates city

№ 11

35.33° N, 40.15° E

Deir ez-Zor

Syria's Euphrates city

Raqqa, Ar-Raqqa Governorate — Once an Abbasid imperial capital

№ 12

35.95° N, 39.02° E

Raqqa

Once an Abbasid imperial capital

Maaloula, Rif Dimashq Governorate — The cliff village where Aramaic is still spoken

№ 13

33.85° N, 36.55° E

Maaloula

The cliff village where Aramaic is still spoken

Safita, Tartus Governorate — A white Crusader tower above green coastal hills

№ 14

34.82° N, 36.12° E

Safita

A white Crusader tower above green coastal hills

Marmarita, Homs Governorate — The summer heart of the Valley of the Christians

№ 15

34.74° N, 36.21° E

Marmarita

The summer heart of the Valley of the Christians

Bloudan, Rif Dimashq Governorate — Damascus's mountain balcony at 1,500 metres

№ 16

33.73° N, 36.12° E

Bloudan

Damascus's mountain balcony at 1,500 metres

Zabadani, Rif Dimashq Governorate — Spring-fed valley town at the source of the Barada

№ 17

33.72° N, 36.10° E

Zabadani

Spring-fed valley town at the source of the Barada

Yabroud, Rif Dimashq Governorate — A temple of Zeus turned cathedral in the Qalamoun

№ 18

33.97° N, 36.66° E

Yabroud

A temple of Zeus turned cathedral in the Qalamoun

Qara, Rif Dimashq Governorate — Medieval frescoes on the desert-edge highway

№ 19

34.16° N, 36.74° E

Qara

Medieval frescoes on the desert-edge highway

Al-Nabk, Rif Dimashq Governorate — Gateway to the desert monastery of Mar Musa

№ 20

34.02° N, 36.73° E

Al-Nabk

Gateway to the desert monastery of Mar Musa

Qatana, Rif Dimashq Governorate — Orchard town under the shadow of Mount Hermon

№ 21

33.44° N, 36.08° E

Qatana

Orchard town under the shadow of Mount Hermon

Afrin, Aleppo Governorate — Olive country and the Iron Age temple of Ain Dara

№ 22

36.51° N, 36.87° E

Afrin

Olive country and the Iron Age temple of Ain Dara

A'zaz, Aleppo Governorate — Crusader battlefield town on the northern border

№ 23

36.59° N, 37.05° E

A'zaz

Crusader battlefield town on the northern border

Al-Qusayr, Homs Governorate — Farming town between Homs and the Lebanese border

№ 24

34.51° N, 36.58° E

Al-Qusayr

Farming town between Homs and the Lebanese border

Tadmur (Palmyra Town), Homs Governorate — The modern oasis town beside the ancient city

№ 25

34.56° N, 38.28° E

Tadmur (Palmyra Town)

The modern oasis town beside the ancient city