Editing Damascus (section)

==Geography==
[[File:Damascus SPOT 1363.jpg|thumb|left|upright=.8|Damascus in spring seen from [[Spot (satellites)|Spot satellite]]]]
[[File:Damascus-snow-ثلج-الشام.jpg|thumb|left|[[Mount Qasioun]] overlooking the city]]
Damascus was built in a strategic site on a plateau {{convert|680|m|ft|abbr=on}} [[above sea level]] and about {{convert|80|km|mi|abbr=on}} inland from the Mediterranean, sheltered by the [[Anti-Lebanon Mountains]], supplied with water by the [[Barada|Barada River]], and at a crossroads between trade routes: the north–south route connecting Egypt with [[Asia Minor]], and the east–west cross-desert route connecting [[Lebanon]] with the [[Euphrates]] river valley. The Anti-Lebanon Mountains mark the border between Syria and Lebanon. The range has peaks of over {{convert|10,000|ft|m|abbr=on}} and blocks precipitation from the Mediterranean Sea, so the region of Damascus is sometimes subject to droughts. However, in ancient times, the Barada River mitigated this, which originates from mountain streams fed by melting snow. Damascus is surrounded by the [[Ghouta]], irrigated farmland where many vegetables, cereals, and fruits have been farmed since ancient times. Maps of Roman Syria indicate that the Barada River emptied into a lake of some size east of Damascus. Today it is called Bahira Atayba, the hesitant lake because in years of severe drought, it does not even exist.<ref name="romeartlover"/>

The modern city has an area of {{convert|105|km2|abbr=on}}, out of which {{convert|77|km2|abbr=on}} is urban, while [[Jabal Qasioun]] occupies the rest.<ref>{{cite web|publisher=Damascus Metropolitan Area Urban Planning and Development |url=http://dma-upd.org/PublicFiles/File/Discussion%20Papers/02_Strategy%20and%20Frameworks%20for%20the%20Damascus%20City%20Urbanization%20to%20Guide%20the%20City%20Master%20Plan%20Revision_R1.pdf?lang=en |title=DMA-UPD Discussion Paper Series No.2 |date=October 2009 |page=2 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121028075616/http://dma-upd.org/PublicFiles/File/Discussion%20Papers/02_Strategy%20and%20Frameworks%20for%20the%20Damascus%20City%20Urbanization%20to%20Guide%20the%20City%20Master%20Plan%20Revision_R1.pdf?lang=en |archive-date=2012-10-28}}</ref>

[[File:Barada river in Damascus (April 2009).jpg|thumb|upright|One of the rare periods the [[Barada]] river is high, seen here next to the [[Four Seasons Hotel Damascus|Four Seasons]] hotel in downtown Damascus]]
The old city of Damascus, enclosed by the city walls, lies on the south bank of the river [[Barada]] which is almost dry ({{convert|3|cm|0|abbr=on}} left). To the southeast, north, and northeast it is surrounded by suburban areas whose history stretches back to the Middle Ages: [[Midan]] in the southwest, [[Sarouja]] and Imara in the north and north-west. These neighborhoods originally arose on roads leading out of the city, near the tombs of religious figures. In the 19th century outlying villages developed on the slopes of [[Jabal Qasioun]], overlooking the city, already the site of the al-Salihiyah neighborhood centered on the important shrine of medieval [[Andalusia]]n Sheikh and philosopher [[Ibn Arabi]]. These new neighborhoods were initially settled by Kurdish soldiery and Muslim refugees from the [[Europe]] regions of the [[Ottoman Empire]] which had fallen under Christian rule. Thus they were known as ''al-Akrad'' ''(the Kurds)'' and ''al-Muhajirin'' ''(the migrants)''. They lay {{convert|2|-|3|km|abbr=on|0}} north of the old city.

From the late 19th century on, a modern administrative and commercial center began to spring up to the west of the old city, around the Barada, centered on the area known as [[Marjeh Square|al-Marjeh]] or "the meadow". Al-Marjeh soon became the name of what was initially the central square of modern Damascus, with the city hall in it. The courts of justice, post office, and railway station stood on higher ground slightly to the south. A Europeanized residential quarter soon began to be built on the road leading between al-Marjeh and [[al-Salihiyah, Damascus|al-Salihiyah]]. The commercial and administrative center of the new city gradually shifted northwards slightly towards this area.

[[File:Districts of damascus english.svg|thumb|upright=0.95|[[Municipalities of Damascus]]]]In the 20th century, newer suburbs developed north of the Barada, and to some extent to the south, invading the [[Ghouta]] oasis.{{Citation needed|date=May 2014}} In 1956–1957, the new neighborhood of [[Yarmouk (camp)|Yarmouk]] became a second home to many [[Palestinian refugees|Palestinian]] refugees.<ref>The Palestinian refugees in Syria. Their past, present, and future. Dr. Hamad Said al-Mawed, 1999</ref> City planners preferred to preserve the Ghouta as far as possible, and in the later 20th century some of the main areas of development were to the north, in the western [[Mezzeh]] neighborhood and most recently along the Barada valley in [[Dummar]] in the northwest and on the slopes of the mountains at [[Barzeh, Syria|Barzeh]] in the north-east. Poorer areas, often built without official approval, have mostly developed south of the main city.

Damascus used to be surrounded by an [[oasis]], the Ghouta region ({{langx|ar|الغوطة|''al-ġūṭä''}}), watered by the Barada river. The [[Ain al-Fijah|Fijeh spring]], west along the Barada valley, used to provide the city with drinking water, and various sources to the west are tapped by water contractors. The flow of the Barada dropped with the rapid expansion of housing and industry in the city and it is almost dry. The lower aquifers are polluted by the city's runoff from heavily used roads, industry, and sewage.

===Climate===
Damascus has a [[desert climate#Cold desert climates|cool arid climate]] (''BWk'') in the [[Köppen-Geiger climate classification system|Köppen-Geiger system]],<ref>{{cite journal|author=M. Kottek|author2=J. Grieser|author3=C. Beck|author4=B. Rudolf|author5=F. Rubel|title=World Map of the Köppen-Geiger climate classification updated|journal=Meteorol. Z.|volume=15|issue=3|pages=259–263|url=http://koeppen-geiger.vu-wien.ac.at/pics/kottek_et_al_2006.gif|doi=10.1127/0941-2948/2006/0130|access-date=1 August 2013|year=2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111017125921/http://koeppen-geiger.vu-wien.ac.at/pics/kottek_et_al_2006.gif|archive-date=17 October 2011|url-status=live|bibcode=2006MetZe..15..259K}}</ref> due to the [[rain shadow effect]] of the Anti-Lebanon Mountains<ref>{{cite web
 |url=http://www.climates.com/ASIA/PDF/SYR02ASA.pdf
 |title=SUNSHINE GUIDE TO THE DAMASCUS AREA, SYRIA
 |last=Tyson
 |first=Patrick J.
 |year=2010
 |publisher=climates.com
 |access-date=26 November 2010
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110511211807/http://www.climates.com/ASIA/PDF/SYR02ASA.pdf
 |archive-date=11 May 2011
 |url-status=live
 }}</ref> and the prevailing ocean currents. Summers are prolonged, dry, and hot with less humidity. Winters are cool and somewhat rainy; snowfall is infrequent. Autumn is brief and mild, but has the most drastic temperature change, unlike spring where the transition to summer is more gradual and steady. Annual rainfall is around {{convert|130|mm|0|abbr=on}}, occurring from October to May.

{{Weather box
| width = auto
| location = Damascus ([[Damascus International Airport]]) 1991–2020
| metric first = Y
| single line = Y
| Jan record high C = 23.2
| Feb record high C = 28.0
| Mar record high C = 34.4
| Apr record high C = 37.6
| May record high C = 41.4
| Jun record high C = 45.0
| Jul record high C = 45.8
| Aug record high C = 44.8
| Sep record high C = 44.6
| Oct record high C = 38.0
| Nov record high C = 31.0
| Dec record high C = 25.1
| year record high C = 45.8

| Jan high C = 13.1
| Feb high C = 15.3
| Mar high C = 20.0
| Apr high C = 25.3
| May high C = 30.9
| Jun high C = 35.3
| Jul high C = 37.8
| Aug high C = 37.6
| Sep high C = 34.6
| Oct high C = 29.0
| Nov high C = 20.6
| Dec high C = 14.8

|Jan mean C = 	5.9
|Feb mean C = 	7.8
|Mar mean C = 	11.0
|Apr mean C = 	15.5
|May mean C = 	20.2
|Jun mean C = 	24.4
|Jul mean C = 	26.3
|Aug mean C = 	26.0
|Sep mean C = 	23.2
|Oct mean C = 	18.1
|Nov mean C = 	11.8
|Dec mean C = 	7.2
| year mean C = 16.6

| Jan low C =  0.8
| Feb low C =  2.0
| Mar low C =  4.8
| Apr low C =  8.0
| May low C = 12.1
| Jun low C = 15.9
| Jul low C = 18.6
| Aug low C = 18.6
| Sep low C = 15.3
| Oct low C = 11.0
| Nov low C =  5.2
| Dec low C =  1.9

| Jan record low C = −10.8
| Feb record low C = −12.0
| Mar record low C = −6.0
| Apr record low C = −7.5
| May record low C = 1.4
| Jun record low C = 6.2
| Jul record low C = 10.5
| Aug record low C = 9.5
| Sep record low C = 3.5
| Oct record low C = -1.0
| Nov record low C = −8.6
| Dec record low C = −8.8
| year record low C = -12.0

| precipitation colour = green
| Jan precipitation mm = 26.0
| Feb precipitation mm = 22.4
| Mar precipitation mm = 13.9
| Apr precipitation mm = 5.6
| May precipitation mm = 4.8
| Jun precipitation mm = 0.3
| Jul precipitation mm = 0
| Aug precipitation mm = 0
| Sep precipitation mm = 0.3
| Oct precipitation mm = 6.3
| Nov precipitation mm = 21.4
| Dec precipitation mm = 23.6
| year precipitation mm = 124.7

| unit precipitation days = 1 mm
| Jan precipitation days = 4.8
| Feb precipitation days = 4.4
| Mar precipitation days = 2.6
| Apr precipitation days = 1.3
| May precipitation days = 1.0
| Jun precipitation days = 0.1
| Jul precipitation days = 0.0
| Aug precipitation days = 0.0
| Sep precipitation days = 0.1
| Oct precipitation days = 1.2
| Nov precipitation days = 3.3
| Dec precipitation days = 4.2
| year precipitation days = 23.0

| Jan snow days = 1
| Feb snow days = 1
| Mar snow days = 0.1
| Apr snow days = 0
| May snow days = 0
| Jun snow days = 0
| Jul snow days = 0
| Aug snow days = 0
| Sep snow days = 0
| Oct snow days = 0
| Nov snow days = 0
| Dec snow days = 0.2
| year snow days =

| Jan humidity = 76
| Feb humidity = 69
| Mar humidity = 59
| Apr humidity = 50
| May humidity = 43
| Jun humidity = 41
| Jul humidity = 44
| Aug humidity = 48
| Sep humidity = 47
| Oct humidity = 52
| Nov humidity = 63
| Dec humidity = 75
| year humidity = 56

| Jan sun = 164.3
| Feb sun = 182.0
| Mar sun = 226.3
| Apr sun = 249.0
| May sun = 322.4
| Jun sun = 357.0
| Jul sun = 365.8
| Aug sun = 353.4
| Sep sun = 306.0
| Oct sun = 266.6
| Nov sun = 207.0
| Dec sun = 164.3
| year sun = 3164.1

| Jand sun = 5.3
| Febd sun = 6.5
| Mard sun = 7.3
| Aprd sun = 8.3
| Mayd sun = 10.4
| Jund sun = 11.9
| Juld sun = 11.8
| Augd sun = 11.4
| Sepd sun = 10.2
| Octd sun = 8.6
| Novd sun = 6.9
| Decd sun = 5.3
| yeard sun = 8.5

| source 1 = [[NOAA]] (mean temperature 1961-1990, humidity and sun 1970–1990)<ref name = NOAA>{{cite web
| url = https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/1.1/data/0-data/Region-6-WMO-Normals-9120/Syria/XLS/DamaskusIntAirport_40080.xls
| title = Damascus INTL Climate Normals 1991–2020
| publisher = [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]]
| access-date = 26 April 2017
| archive-date = 19 October 2017
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20171019065948/ftp://ftp.atdd.noaa.gov/pub/GCOS/WMO-Normals/TABLES/REG_VI/SY/40080.TXT
| url-status = live
}}</ref><ref>
{{cite web|access-date=3 December 2014|publisher=National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration|title=Damascus INTL Climate Normals 1961&ndash;1990|url=ftp://ftp.atdd.noaa.gov/pub/GCOS/WMO-Normals/TABLES/REG_VI/SY/40080.TXT}}</ref>
}}