Hauran

The Hauran is a volcanic plateau in southern Syria. It includes Damascus, the capital.

Cities

• 1 Damascus — the capital and oldest continuously inhabited city in the world.
• 2 As-Suwayda — Small city sometimes called Little Venezuela due to the influx of affluent Venezuelan Syrian immigrants.
• 3 Al-Zabadani — summer resort and hill station
• 4 Deraa — an ancient city on the Jordanian border.
• 5 Sayyidah Zaynab — an important destination for Shī‘a Muslim pilgrims containing the grave of Zaynab, granddaughter of Muhammad.
• 6 Saidnaya — home to a Greek Orthodox monastery believed to have been founded by Byzantine emperor Justinian I,
• 7 Yabroud — home of the oldest church in Syria

Other destinations

• 1 Bosra — a Roman city in southern Syria close to the Jordan frontier noted for the use of black basalt stones and its well preserved theatre
• 2 Der Mar Musa — not a tourist site, but an active Christian monastery actively promoting Islamic/Christian dialogue. Welcomes Christians and followers of other religious traditions. It is 80 km north of Damascus.
• 3 Shahba — Former Roman city of Philippopolis.
• 4 Shaqqa — Small town and site of the former Roman city of Maximianopolis.
• 5 Qanawat — Small town with several Roman archaeological sites.
• Golan Heights (Syria) - mountainous area on the Israeli border
• 6 Rakhlah — Former Roman city of Zenopolis with ruins of two Roman-Phoenician temples

Stay safe

This area is probably safer than the contested Syrian Desert and the Kurdish areas, as the rebels have been cleared from Hauran. However, the area does sometimes see rocket exchanges between Israel and Iran-backed forces in Syria.