Jaramana () is a city in southern

Syria Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, is a country in West Asia located in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Levant. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to Syria–Turkey border, the north, Iraq to Iraq–Syria border, t ...

, administratively part of the

Rif Dimashq Governorate Rif Dimashq Governorate (, Literal translation, lit. "Damascus Countryside Governorate" or "Damascus Suburb") is one of the fourteen Governorates of Syria, governorates (provinces) of Syria. It is situated in the southwestern part of the country. ...

in the Ghouta plain. Its location, 3 kilometers southeast of the Syrian capital, makes it a bustling town in the greater

Damascus Damascus ( , ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in the Levant region by population, largest city of Syria. It is the oldest capital in the world and, according to some, the fourth Holiest sites in Islam, holiest city in Islam. Kno ...

metropolitan area, with a mostly

Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...

and

Druze The Druze ( ; , ' or ', , '), who Endonym and exonym, call themselves al-Muwaḥḥidūn (), are an Arabs, Arab Eastern esotericism, esoteric Religious denomination, religious group from West Asia who adhere to the Druze faith, an Abrahamic ...

population.

History

Jaramana was visited by Syrian geographer

Yaqut al-Hamawi Yāqūt Shihāb al-Dīn ibn-ʿAbdullāh al-Rūmī al-Ḥamawī (1179–1229) () was a Muslim scholar of Byzantine ancestry active during the late Abbasid period (12th–13th centuries). He is known for his , an influential work on geography con ...

in the early 13th-century and noted it was "a district of the Ghautah of Damascus." On August 28, October 29 and November 28, 2012, the town was hit by car bombings killing over 50 civilian residents, including several Iraqi and Palestinian refugees. Later on December 12, the Institute for the Study of War reported the presence of Popular Committees (local self-defense militias formed to defend communities from armed extremists) in the area, along with the pro-government Shabiha who worked closely with government forces there. On March 20, 2018, rockets were fired at the town by unknown assailants, which resulted in the death of at least 44 people while injuring another 23. On March 1, 2025, clashes occurred between the Syrian caretaker government and local Druze gunmen.

Demographics

Since 2003 and the beginning of the

Iraq War The Iraq War (), also referred to as the Second Gulf War, was a prolonged conflict in Iraq lasting from 2003 to 2011. It began with 2003 invasion of Iraq, the invasion by a Multi-National Force – Iraq, United States-led coalition, which ...

, large numbers of

Iraqis Iraqis ( ; ) are the citizens and nationals of the Republic of Iraq. The majority of Iraqis are Arabs, with Kurds accounting for the largest ethnic minority, followed by Turkmen. Other ethnic groups from the country include Yazidis, As ...

have immigrated to Jaramana. According to the 2004 official census, the population of the city was 114,363. By 2009, the refugee wave has swelled the population from around 100,000 to over 250,000. The refugee wave in Jaramana included a significant Assyrian Christian population from

Iraq Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to Iraq–Saudi Arabia border, the south, Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq border, the east, the Persian Gulf and ...

. In October 2006, the Assyrian community in Jaramana finally received a priest from

Mosul Mosul ( ; , , ; ; ; ) is a major city in northern Iraq, serving as the capital of Nineveh Governorate. It is the second largest city in Iraq overall after the capital Baghdad. Situated on the banks of Tigris, the city encloses the ruins of the ...

, Iraq. The priest, Arkan Hana Hakim, claims there are now 2,000 Assyrian Iraqi refugees in the town Jaramana alone. There is also a Palestinian refugee camp near the town bearing its same name. Jaramana is known for its rich Druze heritage, but the majority of the inhabitants of the city are Iraqi Christians. There are several Druze shrines and many churches in this city which is near the mainly Christian part of Damascus.

References

Bibliography

External links

Jaramana NewsPictures taken in Jaramana Refugee Camp
{{Cities of Syria Cities in Syria Palestinian refugee camps in Syria Populated places in Markaz Rif Dimashq District Druze communities in Syria