Jaramana
Encyclopedia
Jaramana is a city in the Rif Dimashq Governorate
in southern Syria
.
Its location, 10 Kilometers southeast of the Syrian capital, makes it a bustling town in the greater Damascus
metropolitan area, with a Christian
and Druze
majority. Since 2003 and the beginning of the Iraq War, large numbers of Iraqi
have immigrated to Jaramana, swelling the population from around 100,000 to over 250,000. Although the official population was listed as 25,445. 70% of the city is residential.
There is also a Palestinian refugee
camp near the town bearing its same name. Jaramana is a favorite destination for Iraq
i Assyrians
fleeing their unstable country.
In October 2006, the Assyrian community in Jaramana finally received a priest from Mosul
, Iraq. The priest, Arkan Hana Hakim, claims there are now 2000 Assyrian Iraqis in Jaramana alone.
Rif Dimashq
Rif Dimashq is one of the 14 governorates of Syria. It is situated in the southwestern part of the country. It borders the governorates of Quneitra, Daraa and al-Suwayda in the southwest, Homs in the north, Lebanon in the west and Jordan in the south.The Governorate completely surrounds the...
in southern Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
.
Its location, 10 Kilometers southeast of the Syrian capital, makes it a bustling town in the greater Damascus
Damascus
Damascus , commonly known in Syria as Al Sham , and as the City of Jasmine , is the capital and the second largest city of Syria after Aleppo, both are part of the country's 14 governorates. In addition to being one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, Damascus is a major...
metropolitan area, with a Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
and Druze
Druze
The Druze are an esoteric, monotheistic religious community, found primarily in Syria, Lebanon, Israel, and Jordan, which emerged during the 11th century from Ismailism. The Druze have an eclectic set of beliefs that incorporate several elements from Abrahamic religions, Gnosticism, Neoplatonism...
majority. Since 2003 and the beginning of the Iraq War, large numbers of Iraqi
Iraqi people
The Iraqi people or Mesopotamian people are natives or inhabitants of the country of Iraq, known since antiquity as Mesopotamia , with a large diaspora throughout the Arab World, Europe, the Americas, and...
have immigrated to Jaramana, swelling the population from around 100,000 to over 250,000. Although the official population was listed as 25,445. 70% of the city is residential.
There is also a Palestinian refugee
Palestinian refugee
Palestinian refugees or Palestine refugees are the people and their descendants, predominantly Palestinian Arabic-speakers, who fled or were expelled from their homes during and after the 1948 Palestine War, within that part of the British Mandate of Palestine, that after that war became the...
camp near the town bearing its same name. Jaramana is a favorite destination for Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
i Assyrians
Assyrian people
The Assyrian people are a distinct ethnic group whose origins lie in ancient Mesopotamia...
fleeing their unstable country.
In October 2006, the Assyrian community in Jaramana finally received a priest from Mosul
Mosul
Mosul , is a city in northern Iraq and the capital of the Ninawa Governorate, some northwest of Baghdad. The original city stands on the west bank of the Tigris River, opposite the ancient Assyrian city of Nineveh on the east bank, but the metropolitan area has now grown to encompass substantial...
, Iraq. The priest, Arkan Hana Hakim, claims there are now 2000 Assyrian Iraqis in Jaramana alone.