al-Ghūṭah

This tract, al-Ghūṭah, has supported a substantial population for thousands of years. Damascus itself grew on a terrace 2,250 feet (690 meters) above sea level, south of Mount Qasioun and overlooking the Barada River. The original settlement appears to have been situated in the eastern part of…

…over time, has created Al-Ghūṭah, a fertile belt near the city of Damascus in what would otherwise have been an arid place.