As-Suwayda
As-Suwayda (Arabic: ٱلسُّوَيْدَاء / ALA-LC romanization: as-Suwaydāʾ), also spelled Sweida, is a mainly Sunni Muslim city located in southwestern Syria, close to the border with Jordan.
This article is about the capital of as-Suwayda Governorate in southern Syria. For the village in Hama Governorate, western Syria, see Al-Suwaydah, Masyaf.
As-Suwayda
ٱلسُّوَيْدَاء
It is the capital of As-Suwayda Governorate, one of Syria's 14 governorates, bordering Jordan in the South and 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.[4][5][6][7]
Protests[edit]
2020 Suweida protests[edit]
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 in the city which had remained neutral during the Syrian civil war.[15][16] As a result of the protests, Prime Minister Imad Khamis was sacked on 11 June and replaced by Hussein Arnous.[17]
Many archeological sites could be found in the old part of the city:
The city has many ancient reservoirs, towers and old Roman houses that are still inhabited by locals today.
Many parts of the old city are still to be excavated, 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.