As-Suwayda

As Suwayda (Arabic: السويداء‎ As Suwaidā), an aw spelt Sweida, is a mainly Druze ceety locatit in soothwastren Sirie, close tae the border wi Jordan.

As-Suwayda السويداء
The Roman amphitheatre
As-Suwayda Location in Sirie
Coordinates: 32°42′N 36°34′E
Kintra	Sirie
Governorate	As-Suwayda Govrenorate
Destrict	As-Suwayda Destrict
Population  (2008 est.)
• Total	63,324
Time zone	UTC+2 (EET)
• Summer (DST)	+3
Area code(s)	16

It is the caipital o the As-Suwayda Govrenorate, ane o Sirie's 14 govrenorates, borderin Jordan in the sooth an the govrenorates o Daraa in the wast an Rif Dimashq in the northeast.

Sweida's toun square

Demographics an Population

The inhabitants o the ceety are mainly Druze wi a prominent Greek orthodox minority, The population o the ceety is estimatit at 63,324 (2008).

History

The ceety wis foondit bi the Nabataeans as Suada. It became kent as Dionysias in the Hellenistic an Roman times, for Dionysus the god o wine - the ceety is situatit in a famous auncient wine-producin region.

The name Dionysias replacit the umwhile Nabatean name o Suada in 149 AD efter the Nabataean influence decreased an then concentrated towards the sooth, as a result o the acceleratin Hellenization o Coele-Sirie at that time.

Dionysias wis a pairt o the Roman province o Arabia Petraea, an receivit the richts o civitas unner the reign o Commodus atween 180–185.

Dionysus wis worshipped in the same Nabatean temple dedicatit for Dushara. This practice o associatin the wirship o local an Hellenic gods wis common in Hellenistic Sirie.

This name remained in uise durin the Byzantine period, when the toun wis unner the influence o Ghassanids, Dionysias then wis a Diocese as a suffragan o Bosra. It wis mentioned in the Synecdemus o Hierocles. Efter the Muslim conquests it became a titular see.

In recent times Dionysias wis firstly identifeed as Sweida bi William Henry Waddington.

Airchaeology

The airch of the lesser kirk

Mony aircheological remains can be foond in the auld pairt o Sweida includin:

• Temple o Dionysus-Dushara: aicht well-decoratit columns are still staundin frae the temple.

• Saint Sergius Basilica: wis built in the fift century A.D. It haes Byzantine airchitectur elements, wi an abbey surroondin it. The basilica wis dedicatit tae Saunt Sergius.

• The airch o the lesser kirk: the kirk itsel is ruined. An airch is still staundin there kent locally as Al Mashnaqa wi grape motif decorations.

• The amphitheatre: wis recently discovered, sooth o the Agora.

The ceety haes an aw mony Roman time auld hooses that are still inhabitit bi locals, auncient reservoirs, an watch touers.

Mony pairts o the auld ceety are still tae be excavatit like the Roman aqueduct, a conical reservoir, an a lairger Roman amphitheatre.