Damascus

Damascus ( , commonly kent as الشام al-Shām, cried the "Ceety o Jasmin"  ) an aa, is the caipital an the seicont lairgest ceety o Sirie as well as the caipital o the Damascus Govrenorate. In addeetion tae be ane o the auldest continuously inhabitit ceeties in the warld, Damascus is a major cultural an releegious centre o the Levant. 
Currently, the ceety haes an estimatit population o aboot 1,711,000 (2009 est.).

Locatit in soothwastren Sirie, it is the centre o a lairge metropolitan aurie o 2.4 million fowk (2004), makkin it the kintra's lairgest metropolitan aurie.Central Bureau of Statistics Syria Syria census 2004  Geographically embeddit on the eastren fuithills o the Anti-Lebanon muntain range 80 km (50 mi) inland frae the eastren shore o the Mediterranean Sea on a plateau 680 metres (2,200 ft) abuin sea-level, Damascus experiences a semi-arid climate due tae the rain shadow effect. The Barada River flows throu Damascus.

 Etymology 
The name o Damascus first appeared in the geographical leet o Thutmose III as T-m-ś-q in the 15t century BC.List I, 13 in J. Simons, Handbook for the Study of Egyptian Topographical Lists relating to Western Asia, Leiden 1937. See also Y. AHARONI, The Land of the Bible: A Historical Geography, London 1967, p147, No. 13.
In Arabic, the ceety is cried دمشق الشام (Dimashq al-Shām), awtho this is aften shortened tae aither Dimashq or al-Shām bi the ceetizens o Damascus, o Sirie an ither Arab neighbors. Al-Shām is an Arabic term for north an for Sirie (Sirie—pairticularly historical Greater Sirie—is cried Bilād al-Shām—, "land o the north"—in Arabic.) The etymology o the auncient name "T-m-ś-q" is uncertain, but it is suspectit tae be pre-Semitic. It is attestit as 𒁲𒈠𒊭𒅗  in Akkadian, 𒁲𒈠𒊭𒅗 in Egyptian,  () in Auld Aramaic an Dammeśeq () in Biblical Ebreu. The Akkadian spellin is the earliest attestation, foond in the Amarna letters, frae the 14t century BC. Later Aramaic spellins o the name aften include an intrusive resh (letter r), aiblins influenced bi the ruit dr, meanin "dwellin". Sicweys, the Qumranic Darmeśeq (), an Darmsûq () in Syriac. The Inglish an Laitin name o the ceety is "Damascus" which wis importit frae , which oreeginatit in Aramaic: דרמשק; "a well-watered place".

Subdiveesions
Damascus is dividit intae mony destricts. Amang them thare are:

Abbasiyyin
Abu Rummaneh
Al-Afif
Al-Jisr Al-Abyad
Amara
Bahsa
Baramkah
Barzeh
Dummar
Ibn Asaker
Jobar
Kafar Souseh
Malki
Mazraa
Mezzeh
Al-Midan
Muhajreen
Qanawat
Qassaa'
Rukn Eddeen
Al-Salihiyah
Sarouja
Sha'alan
Al-Shaghour
Tijara
Zablatani

 Sports 
Popular sports include fitbaa, basketbaw, soummin an table tennis. Damascus is hame tae mony sports clubs, includin Al Jaish, Al Wahda an Al Majd.

The fift an the seivent Pan Arab Gemmes wur held in Damascus in 1976 an 1992, respectively.

 Leisur activities 
Coffeehooses, whaur—in addition tae Arabic coffee an tea—nargileh (watter pipes) are servit, proliferate Damascus. Card gemmes, tables (backgammon variants), an chess are activities frequentit in cafes.Beatties and Pepper, 2001, p. 102.

Tishreen Pairk is bi far the lairgest pairk in Damascus. It is hame tae the yearly held Damascus Flouer Shaw. Ither pairks include Aljahiz, Al sibbki, Altijara an Alwahda. Damascus' Ghouta (Oasis) is a popular destination for recreation an aw. Thare are several recreation centers in Damascus includin several stadiums, soummin puils an gowf courses. Forby, The Sirie Arab Horse Association in Damasacus affers a wide range o activities an services for horse breeders an riders.

Nearbi attractions
 Madaya: a sma muntainous toun weel kent holiday resort.
 Bloudan: a toun locatit 51 km northwast o Damascus, its moderate temperatur an law humidity in simmer attracts mony visitors frae Damascus an throughoot Sirie, Lebanon an the Persie Guwf.
 Zabadani: a ceety in close tae the mairch wi Lebanon. Its mild wather alang wi the scenic views, made the toun a popular resort baith for tourists an for visitors frae ither Sirie ceeties.
 Maaloula: a toun dominatit bi speakers o Wastren Neo-Aramaic.
 Saidnaya: a ceety locatit in the muntains,  abuin sea level, it wis ane o the episcopal ceeties o the auncient Patriairchate o Antioch.

 Twin touns an sister ceeties 
  Dubai, Unitit Arab Emirates
  Toledo, Spain
  Córdoba, SpainAyuntamento de Córdoba  Córdoba City Council Web, sister cities
  São Paulo, Brazil
  Istanbul, Turkey
  Yerevan, Armenie, syne 1997</small>
  Fars Province, Iran
  Ningxia Region, Fowkrepublic o Cheenae
  Ankara, Turkey syne 2010

 References 

eDamascus – Offeecial wabsteid for Damascus


Category:Airchaeological steids in Sirie
Category:Amarna letters locations
Category:Auncient Greek steids in Sirie
Category:Caipitals in Asie
Category:Ceeties in Sirie
Category:Fertile Crescent
Category:Govrenorates o Sirie
Category:Populatit places alang the Silk Road
Category:Seleucid Empire
Category:Warld Heritage Steids in Sirie