Muadamiyat al-Sham (; also spelled Moadamiyet al-Sham, Moadamiya or Moadamiyah) is a town in southern

Syria Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, is a country in West Asia located in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Levant. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to Syria–Turkey border, the north, Iraq to Iraq–Syria border, t ...

, administratively a part of the Darayya District in the

Rif Dimashq Governorate Rif Dimashq Governorate (, Literal translation, lit. "Damascus Countryside Governorate" or "Damascus Suburb") is one of the fourteen Governorates of Syria, governorates (provinces) of Syria. It is situated in the southwestern part of the country. ...

, located approx. southwest of

Damascus Damascus ( , ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in the Levant region by population, largest city of Syria. It is the oldest capital in the world and, according to some, the fourth Holiest sites in Islam, holiest city in Islam. Kno ...

, within an area called the Western Ghouta. Nearby localities include the centre of

Darayya Darayya () is a suburb of Damascus in Syria, the centre of Darayya lying south-west of the centre of Damascus. Administratively it belongs to Rif Dimashq. History and population Darayya is one of the oldest cities in Syria, reportedly the pl ...

to the east, Jdeidat Artouz and Sahnaya to the south, and Qudsaya to the north. According to the Syria Central Bureau of Statistics, the town had a population of 52,738 in the 2004 census.General Census of Population and Housing 2004
Syria Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS). Rif Dimashq Governorate. The town is "famed for its olive orchards". Muadamiyat was named after

Al-Mu'azzam Isa () (1176 – 1227) was the Ayyubid Kurdish emir of Damascus from 1218 to 1227. The son of Sultan al-Adil I and nephew of Saladin, founder of the dynasty, al-Mu'azzam was installed by his father as governor of Damascus in 1198 or 1200. After his f ...

, who was a

Kurdish Kurdish may refer to: *Kurds or Kurdish people *Kurdish language ** Northern Kurdish (Kurmanji) **Central Kurdish (Sorani) **Southern Kurdish ** Laki Kurdish *Kurdish alphabets *Kurdistan, the land of the Kurdish people which includes: **Southern ...

Sultan Sultan (; ', ) is a position with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", derived from the verbal noun ', meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it came to be use ...

from

Ayyubid dynasty The Ayyubid dynasty (), also known as the Ayyubid Sultanate, was the founding dynasty of the medieval Sultan of Egypt, Sultanate of Egypt established by Saladin in 1171, following his abolition of the Fatimid Caliphate, Fatimid Caliphate of Egyp ...

ruled Damascus from 1218 to 1227.

During the Syrian civil war

During the Syrian civil war, Moadamiyah was encircled and besieged by pro-government forces from April 2013, and was one of the areas of Damascus hit by a

sarin Sarin (NATO designation GB nerve_agent#G-series.html" ;"title="hort for nerve agent#G-series">G-series, "B" is an extremely toxic organophosphorus compound.Ghouta chemical attack The Ghouta chemical attack was a chemical attack carried out by the forces of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, in the early hours of 21 August 2013 in Ghouta, Syria during the Syrian civil war. Two opposition-controlled areas in the subur ...

) during the

Rif Dimashq offensive (March–August 2013) The Rif Dimashq offensive (March–August 2013) was a Syrian government forces and allies offensive in the Rif Dimashq Governorate that was launched in late March 2013, as part of the Syrian Civil War. Offensive Push into Eastern Ghouta Dur ...

. When a ''

Wall Street Journal ''The Wall Street Journal'' (''WSJ''), also referred to simply as the ''Journal,'' is an American newspaper based in New York City. The newspaper provides extensive coverage of news, especially business and finance. It operates on a subscriptio ...

'' reporter visited the town in October 2013, the population of the still-besieged town was down to an estimated 12,500, and residents said food supplies were exhausted.Sam Dagher, ''

'', 2 October 2013
Syrian Regime Chokes Off Food to Town That Was Gassed
/ref> During the

Khan al-Shih offensive (October–November 2016) The Khan al-Shih offensive (October–November 2016) was a Syrian Army offensive in the Rif Dimashq Governorate that was launched in early October 2016, as part of the Syrian Civil War. Its aim was to take control of the rebel-held part of w ...

, the rebels in control of the town agreed to surrender to the Syrian Army in September 2016. The take-over occurred on 19 October 2016, most of the rebels choosing to leave for

Idlib Idlib (, ; also spelt Idleb or Edlib) is a city in northwestern Syria, and is the capital of the Idlib Governorate. It has an elevation of nearly above sea level, and is southwest of Aleppo. It is located near the border with Turkey. History ...

along with over 2000 residents.

References

Populated places in Darayya District Cities in Syria {{RifDimashqSY-geo-stub