Part of the Syrian Civil War, the Rif Dimashq Governorate campaign consisted of several battles and offensives across the governorate including the Syrian capital of Damascus: Continue reading... From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
3. Ma'alula Village (Maaloula)Maaloula Maaloula or Maҁlūlā is a town in the Rif Dimashq Governorate in Syria. The town is located 56 km to the northeast of Damascus and built into the rugged mountainside, at an altitude of more than 1500 m. It is known as one of three remaining villages where Western Neo-Aramaic is spoken, the other two being the nearby villages Jubb'adin and Bakhah. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
5. Mar SarkisMaaloula Several monasteries in Syria, Lebanon and Turkey are dedicated to Mar Sarkis and Bakhos . These include: Monastery of Mar Sarkis and Bakhos, Tourza North Lebanon Monastery of Mar Sarkis and Bakhos - Ras Al Nahr in Ehden, Lebanon. It belongs to the Lebanese Antonin Maronite Order since 1736. Monastery of Mar Sarkis - Bsharri. It belonged since the 16th Century to the Carmelite Fathers. In 1931, it was acquired by the family of Khalil Gibran, the famous Lebanese writer, poet and painter as a burial place. In 1975, the Gibran National Committee transformed the Monastery into the Gibran Museum for the works of Gibran. Monastery of Mar Sarkis, Maaloula, Syria. Monastery of Little Hagia Sophia, Istanbul, Turkey. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Zabadani (Arabic: الزبداني) is a city in southwestern Syria in the Rif Dimashq Governorate, close to the border with Lebanon. It is located in the center of a green valley surrounded by high mountains at an elevation of around 1,100 m.
Compared to Damascus, the weather in Zabadani tends to be milder in the summer — about 58 degrees less, but from December to the end of February it is colder with a lot of snow, and the temperature drops to -10 degrees. The mild weather along with the scenic views, made the town a popular resort both for tourists and for visitors from other Syrian cities, especially from nearby Damascus and for tens of thousands of visitors from the Arabian peninsula. A more elevated region than Zabadani is its neighbour, Bloudan, also a resort for thousands of tourists. Bloudan is about 1,500 metres above sealevel.
Zabadani is predominantly Sunni with a substantial percentage of Christians. Christians have their own church and monastery. Zabadani is rapidly growing and is well connected to Damascus.
The Scouts of Syria have a national training center at Zabadani, where the first Arab Jamboree was held in 1954.