Situated some 90 kilometres south-east of Damascus it is well-known for its plentiful vineyards.

It stands 1100 metres above sea-level and was known by the name of Swaida ( little back town) in the nabatean period, because it was built with black volcanic stone. The Romans in the 3^rd century considered in it one of the most important towns in the province of Arabia and called it Dionysus.

Ruins of ancient civilisations are numerous but widely scattered, some of the most notable of these along with a collection of exquisite mosaics discovered in 1962, are now housed in Swaida Museum. One part of this mosaic collection represents Artemis, goddess of chastity and the hunt, surrounded by her nymphs when she is surprised by birth of Venus and the wedding of Thetis. Statues carved in hard basalt show signs of a mixture of Nabatean, Greek, Roman, Byzantine, and Arab influences.

There are also the ruins of a 3^rd century roman temple surrounded by a colonnade of Corinthian columns.

Situated in the vast Hauaran plain, some 145 kilometres south of Damascus. It is an extremely ancient city, mentioned in the lists of Tuutmose III and Akhenaten in the fourteenth century B.C.

The first Nabatean city in the second century B.C , it bore the name Buhora, but during the Hellenistic period it was known by the name of Bustra. Later the Romans took an active interest in the city, and at the time of the Emperor Trajan it was made the capital of the Province of Arabia (in 106 B.C) and was called Neatrajana Bustra. The city saw its greatest period of prosperity and expansion then, became a crossroads on the caravan routes and the official seat and residence of the Imperial Legate. After the decline of the Roman Empire, Bosra played a significant role in the history of early Christianity. It was also linked to the rise of Islam, when a Nestorian monk called Bahira, who lived in the city, met the young Muhammad when his caravan stopped at Bosra, and predicted his prophetic vocation and the faith he was going to initiate,.

The oldest Islamic square minarets (still standing) are found in Bosra, whose prosperous role as an important halt for pilgrims on the way to Mecca lasted until the 17^th century.

The most interesting part of the city today is the famous Roman theatre built in the second century A.D which seats 15thousand spectators, and is considered one of the most beautiful and well-preserved of Roman amphitheaters in the world. The stage is 45 meters long and 8 meters deep. Every summer, it hosts Arab and international performers who entertain audiences during the "Bosra Art Festival" against a majestic background columns and arches.

The city itself contains a great number of Roman ruins, a part of the Byzantine Bahira church, as well as the al-Mabrak Masque, which is said to have been erected on the site where the Prophet’s camel stopped to rest. There is also the Omar Masque (also called the al-Arouss Masque) , which is the only one of its type remaining from the early days of Islam, and it retains its 7^th century primitive form.

An important Muslim citadel, dating back to the Ayoubite and Mamluk period still stands, and one of its towers now houses a museum of Antiquities and Traditional Arts.

In addition, the city also has:

In the jabal al-Arab region 90Kilomertes south-east of Damascus . Shahba stands in an oasis of orchards and vineyards. Ronowned as the birthplace of the Syrian Emperor Philipe who ruled the Roman Empire between 244 and 246. A.D To honour him, the city bore the name Phillipopolis during the Roman period.

He took a personal interest in the city, planned it after the Roman style, built numerous palaces and temples in it, erected triumphal arches and public baths, a theatre and a great wall surrounding it. He is said to have wanted to turn Shahba into a replica of Rome itself.

Visitors to the Shahba museum can see the immense mosaic panels representing ancient Greek myths, the god of wine and fertility Dionysos, the goddess of love and beauty Aphrodite and the legendary poet and musician Orpheus. Another collection of Shahba`s mosaic panels is the National Museum in Damascus .

Remains of the city temple (philipon) , some public baths, parts of the old wall and its four gates, as well as the two intersecting thoroughfares and the Roman canal can till be seen in the town.

7 Kilometres east of Swaida , it was a city of great importance during the Roman period. In the year 60 B.C the Romans named it one of the Decapolis league of commercial cities of which Damascus was the chief city. This position of importance explains the abundance and richness of its ruins which are among the most interesting in the whole Jabal al Arab region.

The location of Zanawat lends beauty to its remains, the village lies stretched along the crest of a hill and extends down the side of a valley full of trees, orchards, meadows and fields.