Daraa
Daraa
دَرْعَا | |
|---|---|
City | |
Daraa in 2008 | |
Daraa | |
| Coordinates: 32°37′N 36°6′E / 32.617°N 36.100°E | |
| Grid position | 253/224 PAL |
| Country | Syria |
| Governorate | Daraa |
| District | Daraa |
| Subdistrict | Daraa |
| Elevation | 435 m (1,427 ft) |
| Population (2004 census)[1] | |
• Total | 97,969 |
| Demonym(s) | Arabic: درعاوي, romanized: Darʿāwi |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (EET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+3 (EEST) |
| Area code | 15 |
| Geocode | C5993 |
| Website | http://www.esyria.sy/edaraa/ |
Daraa (Arabic: دَرْعَا, romanized: Darʿā, Levantine Arabic: [ˈdarʕa]) is a city in southwestern Syria, 13 kilometres (8.1 mi) north of the border with Jordan. It is the capital of Daraa Governorate in the Hauran region. Located 90 kilometres (56 mi) south of Damascus on the Damascus–Amman highway, it serves as a way station for travelers. Nearby localities include Umm al-Mayazen and Nasib to the southeast, al-Naimah to the east, Ataman to the north, al-Yaduda to the northwest and Ramtha, Jordan, to the southwest.
According to the Syrian Central Bureau of Statistics, Daraa had a population of 97,969 in the 2004 census. It is the administrative center of a nahiya (subdistrict) which contained eight localities with a collective population of 146,481 in 2004.[1] Its inhabitants are predominantly Sunni Muslims.[2]
Daraa became known as the "cradle of the revolution"[3] after the arrest of 15 boys from prominent families for painting graffiti with anti-government slogans[4] which sparked the beginning of the 2011 Syrian revolution.[5]
The name Daraa goes back to ancient Canaanite origins, as it was mentioned in ancient texts as "Idraat," which means "refuge," "fortress," or "shield."[6]
- ^ a b General Census of Population and Housing 2004 Archived 23 July 2012 at archive.today. Syria Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS). Daraa Governorate. (in Arabic)
- ^ Sterling, Joe. Daraa: The spark that lit the Syrian flame. CNN. 1 March 2012.
- ^ "Three years later, south Syria's Daraa province locked in stalemate". Syria Direct. Retrieved 17 February 2016.
- ^ "Syria: How it all began". GlobalPost. Retrieved 17 February 2016.
- ^ "Syria: Crimes Against Humanity in Daraa". Human Rights Watch. June 2011. Retrieved 17 February 2016.
- ^ "الأعلام - خير الدين الزركلي - ج ٣ - الصفحة ٩٧". shiaonlinelibrary.com. Retrieved 13 August 2025.