page_title: Damascus
section_title: Sports and leisure
hierarchical_section_title: Damascus / Culture / Sports and leisure
caption_attribution_description: العربية: استاد الفيحاءالرياضي في دمشق، سورية من جبل قاسيون English: Al-Fayhaa Stadium in Damascus, Syria, as seen from Mount Qasioun.
context_page_description: Damascus; Arabic: دمشق‎, romanized: Dimašq, Syrian Arabic: is the capital of Syria; it is also the country's largest city, following the decline in population of Aleppo due to the battle for the city. It is colloquially known in Syria as aš-Šām (الشام) and titled the "City of Jasmine" (مدينة الياسمين Madīnat al-Yāsmīn). Damascus is a major cultural center of the Levant and the Arab world. The city had an estimated population of 1,711,000 as of 2009.
  In south-western Syria, Damascus is the center of a large metropolitan area of 2.7 million people (2004). Embedded on the eastern foothills of the Anti-Lebanon mountain range 80 kilometres (50 mi) inland from the eastern shore of the Mediterranean on a plateau 680 metres (2,230 ft) above sea level, Damascus experiences a dry climate because of the rain shadow effect. The Barada River flows through Damascus.
  First settled in the second millennium BC, it was chosen as the capital of the Umayyad Caliphate from 661 to 750. After the victory of the Abbasid dynasty, the seat of Islamic power was moved to Baghdad.
context_section_description: Popular sports include football, basketball, swimming, tennis, table tennis, equestrian and chess. Damascus is home to many football clubs that participate in the Syrian Premier League including al-Jaish, al-Shorta, Al-Wahda and Al-Majd. Many Other sport clubs are located in several districts of the city: Barada SC, Al-Nidal SC, Al-Muhafaza, Qasioun SC, al-Thawra SC, Maysalun SC, al-Fayhaa SC, Dummar SC and al-Arin SC.
  The fifth and the seventh Pan Arab Games were held in Damascus in 1976 and 1992 respectively.
  The city also has a modern golf course located near the Ebla Cham Palace Hotel at the southeastern outskirts of Damascus.
  Damascus has quite busy midnights. Coffeehouses, where—in addition to Arabic coffee such like 'Albal and tea— nargileh (water pipes) are served, proliferate Damascus. Card games, tables (backgammon variants), and chess are activities frequented in cafés. These coffeehouses have had in the past an international reputation, as indicated by Letitia Elizabeth Landon's poem, Cafes in Damascus, of 1836. Current movies can be seen at Cinema City which was previously known as Cinema Dimashq.
  Tishreen Park is one of the largest parks in Damascus. It is home to the annual Damascus Flower Show. Other parks include: al-Jahiz, al-Sibbki, al-Tijara, al-Wahda, etc.. The city's famous Ghouta oasis is also a weekend-destination for recreation. Many recreation centers operate in the city including sport clubs, swimming pools and golf courses. The Syrian Arab Horse Association in Damascus offers a wide range of activities and services for horse breeders and riders.
caption: Al-Fayhaa Sports Complex
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