Darayya داريا | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Darayya,Ashrafiyat Sahnaya andSahnaya | |
  Darayya Location in Syria | |
| Coordinates:33°27′N36°15′E / 33.450°N 36.250°E /33.450; 36.250 | |
| Country |  Syria |
| Governorate | Rif Dimashq |
| District | Darayya |
| Subdistrict | Darayya |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Mohammad Janineh |
| Elevation | 689 m (2,260 ft) |
| Population (2004 census) | |
• Total | 78,763 |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (EET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+3 (EEST) |
| Climate | BSk |
Darayya (Arabic:دَارَيَّا,romanized: Dārayyā) is a suburb ofDamascus inSyria, the centre of Darayya lying 8 km (5.0 miles) south-west of the centre of Damascus. Administratively it belongs toRif Dimashq.
Darayya is one of the oldest cities inSyria, reportedly the place wherePaul the Apostle had hisconversion (30s AD), "onDamascus road".[citation needed]
In 1838,Eli Smith notedDaraya as being located in theWady el-'Ajam, and being populated bySunni Muslims andChristians.[1]
Darayya has seen heavy fighting during theSyrian Civil War. The city was an early hotspot for anti-government protests. In August 2012, opposition groups denounced that government forces performed a mass killing that was later known asDarayya massacre,[2][3] and asecond time on 4 January 2013.[4] However, as of summer 2013 fighting continued in the city with most of the municipality controlled by the armed opposition forces.[5]
By mid-2016, the Syrian Army controlled approximately 65% of Darayya, steadily advancing and tightening the siege.[6] In August 2016, an agreement allowed for the evacuation of rebel fighters as well as civilians.[7] Some 700 rebels were transported to the rebel stronghold city ofIdlib in the north as part of a surrender agreement.[8]
Amid the constant bombings and conflict, a group of young people (mostly former college students) have founded an undergroundpublic library that has amassed a collection of more than 15,000 books. Most of the books were found in the rubble of ruined houses, and the librarians are documenting the name of the homeowner so that the books can be returned after the war.[9] By 2019, 150,000 residents returned and began to rebuild and develop it, with supporting the efforts of the local council by various activities to restore the city’s commercial activity.[10]
Coordination and partnership between the local council in the city of Darayya and the people helped speed up the city’s recovery and the return of full services including water, electricity, sewage and roads, in addition to the rehabilitation of most government and service institutions and schools, according to Council President Munther Al-Azab.[10]
The city had a population of 78,763 as of 2004[update], making it the 18th largest city per geographical entity in Syria.[11]
Darayya has an altitude of 689 metres (2,260 feet).
After 2011, the number of inhabitants decreased gradually, as a result of the conflict between the Syrian government forces and the opposition forces, to seven thousand civilians and combatants until 26 August 2016. After that and as a result of the tight siege imposed on the city, the Syrian government forced the rest of the population to acceptforced displacement to the North of Syria, so the city became empty of its residents. The Syrian government allowed some families to return to their homes after obtaining the necessary security clearances.[when?][citation needed]
As of 25 March 2025, at least 1,559IDPs have returned to Darayya from various parts of Syria.[12]
Darayya has acold semi-arid climate (Köppen climate classification:BSk). Rainfall is higher in winter than in summer. The average annual temperature in Darraya is 17.1 °C (62.8 °F). About 211 mm (8.31 in) of precipitation falls annually.
| Climate data for Darraya | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 12.2 (54.0) | 14.0 (57.2) | 17.9 (64.2) | 22.8 (73.0) | 28.6 (83.5) | 33.3 (91.9) | 35.5 (95.9) | 35.8 (96.4) | 32.1 (89.8) | 27.1 (80.8) | 20.0 (68.0) | 14.3 (57.7) | 24.5 (76.0) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 7.2 (45.0) | 8.5 (47.3) | 11.6 (52.9) | 15.6 (60.1) | 20.4 (68.7) | 24.3 (75.7) | 26.2 (79.2) | 26.4 (79.5) | 23.3 (73.9) | 19.2 (66.6) | 13.5 (56.3) | 9.1 (48.4) | 17.1 (62.8) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 2.3 (36.1) | 3.0 (37.4) | 5.3 (41.5) | 8.4 (47.1) | 12.2 (54.0) | 15.4 (59.7) | 16.9 (62.4) | 17.1 (62.8) | 14.5 (58.1) | 11.4 (52.5) | 7.1 (44.8) | 4.0 (39.2) | 9.8 (49.6) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 47 (1.9) | 38 (1.5) | 26 (1.0) | 13 (0.5) | 7 (0.3) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 8 (0.3) | 28 (1.1) | 44 (1.7) | 211 (8.3) |
| Source: Climate-Data.org[13] | |||||||||||||
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