Suwayda (), also spelled Sweida, is a mainly Druze city located in southern Syria, close to the border with Jordan.
It is the capital of Suwayda Governorate, one of Syria's 14 , bordering Jordan in the South, Daraa Governorate in the West and Rif Dimashq Governorate in the north and east.
The city is referred to by some as "Little Venezuela" due to the city's influx of affluent Venezuelan Syrian immigrants.
According to the 2004 census by Syria'
History
Ancient and Medieval eras
The city was founded by the
Nabataeans as
Suada. It became known as
Dionysias Soada () in the Hellenistic period and the
Roman Empire, for the god
Dionysus, patron of
wine - the city is situated in a famous ancient wine-producing region.
The name Dionysias replaced the former Nabataean name in 149 AD after Nabataean influence decreased and then concentrated towards the south, as a result of the then accelerating Hellenization of Coele-Syria.
Dionysias was a part of the Roman province of Arabia Petraea, and received the rights of civitas during the reign of Commodus between 180 and 185.
Dionysus was worshipped in the same Nabatean temple dedicated to Dushara. This practice of associating the worship of local and Hellenic gods was common in Hellenistic Syria.
This name remained in use during the Byzantine Empire, when the town was under the influence of the Ghassanids. Dionysias then was a diocese with a suffragan bishop from Bosra. It was mentioned in the Synecdemus of Hierocles. After the early Muslim conquests, the city was conquered by the Rashidun Caliphate of the Arabs in 629 and became a titular see.
Yaqut al-Hamawi noted in the 1220s that As Suwaida was "a village of the Hauran Province".
Ottoman era
In 1516, the city and the adjoining region was conquered from the
Mamluk Sultanate by the
Ottoman Empire. In 1596 Suwayda appeared under the name of
Majdal Sawda in the
Ottoman Syria Defter as part of the
nahiya (subdistrict) of Bani Nasiyya of the
Hauran Sanjak. It had a population of 5 households and 5 bachelors, all
Muslim. The villagers paid a fixed tax rate of 20% on various agricultural products, including wheat, barley, summer crops, goats and/or beehives, in addition to "occasional revenues"; a total of 6,125 akçe. 3/4 of the revenue went to a
waqf.
[Hütteroth and Abdulfattah, 1977, p. 218.]
In recent times Dionysias was identified as Suwayda by William Waddington.
In the 19th century, visitors recorded the now-destroyed Tomb of Hamrath, an elaborate late Hellenistic mausoleum dating from the 1st century BCE.
Civil War (2011–present)
On 28 October 2012, security forces launched a campaign of mass arrests in the city.
2018 Suwayda attacks
On 25 July 2018, the city was rocked by a string of terrorist attacks. A group of at least 56
ISIS-affiliated attackers entered the city and initiated a series of gunfights and
Suicide attack killing 246 people, the vast majority of them civilians. Many of the terrorists were reported killed during the attack, bringing the total death toll to at least 302 people.
Forty-two Druze residents between the ages of 7 and 60 were kidnapped by ISIS and held captive. One was executed bringing the total in captivity to 41.
Protests
On 7 June 2020, anti-government protests erupted in the city due to the deteriorating economic situation. Protesters demanded the resignation of President
Bashar al-Assad for the first time since 2015.
As a result of the protests, Prime Minister
Imad Khamis was sacked on 11 June and replaced by
Hussein Arnous.
In February 2022, hundreds of protesters took to the streets in Sweida to decry corruption and worsening living standards.
In August 2023, thousands of protestors took to the streets to decry worsening economic conditions and demanding the departure of Syrian President Bashar al Assad.
Southern Syria offensive
During the Southern Syria offensive, Suwayda was captured by the Syrian opposition on 7 December 2024.
On 18 December 2024, a delegation of the Syrian transitional government arrived at the city to meet with the spiritual leader of the Druze.
2025 clashes
In July 2025, heavy fighting broke out between
Druze and
Bedouin in Suweida, killing dozens.
As of July 19, 2025 over 600 Druze were reported dead. The Syrian government deployed regular soldiers and Interior Ministry units there. According to Israeli officials, this was done to crack down on the Druze minority.
The IDF attacked Syrian Armed Forces vehicles from the air and with URVs in order to prevent their arrival to the area. In a response, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz cited the need to protect the Druze religious minority due to their close ties to Israeli Druze as well as assuring the security of Israel's borders by preventing the deployment of weaponry and Syrian military forces in the area.
Geography
Climate
Suwayda's climate is warm, dry and temperate, with no rainfall in the summer months.This location is classified as BSk by Köppen and Geiger. The average temperature is 15.5 °C. About 323 mm of precipitation falls annually.
Demographics
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The inhabitants of the city are mainly Druze with small Greek Orthodox Christian and Sunni Muslim Bedouin minorities.
Bedouin Sunni Muslims live in the neighbourhoods of al-Maqwas and al-Haroubi.
Religious buildings
-
St. George of the Greek Orthodox Church
-
Jesus the King of the Capuchin Fathers Latin Church
-
Jesus Good Shepherd Christian Union Evangelical Church
Archaeology
Many archeological sites can be found in the old part of the city:
-
Temple of Dionysus-Dushara: eight well-decorated columns are still standing from the temple.
-
Saint Sergius Basilica: was built in the fifth century. It has Byzantine architectural elements, with an abbey surrounding it. The basilica was dedicated to Sergius.
-
The arch of the lesser church: the church itself is ruined. An arch is still standing there known locally as "The Gallows" ( al-Mashnaqah) with grape motif decorations.
-
The theater: was recently discovered, south of the Agora.
The city has many ancient reservoirs, towers and old Roman houses that are still inhabited by locals today.
Many parts of the old city still await excavation, such as the Roman aqueduct, a conical reservoir, and a larger Roman theatre. There is also an old 7th century mosque built during the time of the Rashidun Caliphate.
Notable people
-
Najat Abdul Samad, writer, translator, and obstetrician.
-
Fahd Ballan, singer, actor.
-
Asmahan, singer.
See also
-
Druze in Syria
-
Christians in Syria
-
As-Suwayda National Museum
Bibliography
External links
