Damascus

From Latin Damascus, from Ancient Greek Δαμασκός (Damaskós), from a Semitic form akin to Hebrew דַּמֶּשֶׂק.
The etymology of the ancient name Damascus is uncertain. It is attested as Imerišú (𒀲𒋙) in Akkadian, T-m-ś-q (𓍘𓄟𓊃𓈎𓅱) in Egyptian, Dammaśq (𐡃𐡌𐡔𐡒) in Old Aramaic and Dammeśeq (דַּמֶּשֶׂק) in Biblical Hebrew. A number of Akkadian spellings are found in the Amarna letters, from the 14th century BC: Dimasqa (𒁲𒈦𒋡), Dimàsqì (𒁲𒈦𒀸𒄀), and Dimàsqa (𒁲𒈦𒀸𒋡).

cog

Hebrew דַּמֶּשֶׂק


Chalcis

An ancient town in modern northern Syria, now known as Qinnasrin.


Aleppo

From Italian Aleppo, from French Alep, from Ottoman Turkish حلب (Haleb, vulg. Halep), from Arabic حَلَب (ḥalab), of uncertain origin. Theorized to be from Arabic حَلَبَ (ḥalaba, “gave out milk”), coming from the ancient tradition that Abraham gave milk to travelers as they moved throughout the region. Attested in Akkadian as 𒌷𒄩𒆷𒀊𒆠 (ᵁᴿᵁḫa-la-abᴷᴵ, “Ḫalab/Ḫalap”), Hittite 𒄬𒉺 (Ḥalpa), Ugaritic 𐎈𐎍𐎁 (ḥlb), Aramaic חלב (Ḥlb), Old Armenian Խաղաբ (Xałab), Ancient Greek Χαλιβών (Khalibṓn), and Classical Syriac ܚܰܠܰܒ (Ḥalpa).

der

The capital city of Aleppo Governorate, Syria


Osroene

From Ancient Greek Ὀσροηνή (Osroēnḗ). Compare Ὀσρόης (Osróēs) (probably a form of Χοσρόης (Khosróēs), from Iranian; see خسرو, Classical Syriac ܐܘܪܗܝ (ʾŌrhāy).

(historical) An ancient Syriac kingdom, Roman province and historical region in northwestern Mesopotamia in modern Turkey and Syria, which enjoyed semi-autonomy to complete independence from the years of 132 B.C.E. to 244 C.E..


Palmyra

From Ancient Greek Παλμύρα (Palmúra). For more see Palmyra on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

In the mid-fifth century B.C. Herodotus (1:131; 3.8) mentioned the importance of the cult of Al-Ilât, i.e. Allat, in ancient Arabia. Her sanctuary at Palmyra (Pl. XVII), excavated in the 1970s by the Polish mission, is in the neighborhood of the temple of Baal Shamin and lends a special character to the city's western quarter, in which Arab tribes settled during the second century B.C.

1979, Javier Teixidor, The Pantheon of Palmyra, E. J. Brill, page 53:

The chief man in Palmyra had been charged by Rome to police the trade routes, paying for his militia from his own well-stuffed coffers as befitted a rich man with a civic conscience.

1994, Lindsey Davis, Last Act In Palmyra, Random House, published 2011, page 297:

Edessa lies just under 300 kilometres north of Palmyra as the crow flies, and its Aramaic dialect, known today as Syriac, is closely related to that of Palmyra.

2005, Sebastian P. Brock, “Greek and Latin Words in Palmyrene Inscriptions: A comparison with Syriac”, in Eleonora Cussini, editor, A Journey to Palmyra: Collected Essays to Remember Delbert R. Hillers, E. J. Brill, page 11:

An ancient city, an oasis in the Syrian Desert, in present-day central Syria, recorded historically from around 2000 BCE, subsequently subject to various empires and destroyed in 273 CE and again in 1400, when it was reduced to a village.


Carchemish

/ˈkɑːɹkimɪʃ/

(historical) An ancient city on the Euphrates river in Mesopotamia, on the border between modern Turkey and Syria.


Golan

en-proper noun

Golan (countable and uncountable, plural Golans)

(historical) A city in the Middle East, generally identified with modern-day Sahm el-Jaulān in Daraa governorate, Syria.


Mayer

* As an English surname, variant of Mear, from the noun mere (both senses).
* Also as an English surname, from Middle English mire, a borrowing from archaic French mire (“physician”). Compare Myer.
* Also as an English name, from the noun mayor. Compare Mayor, Mair.
* As a German and Dutch surname, variant of Meyer, Myers.
* Also as a Dutch surname, variant of Maijer, from the noun maaier (“mower, reaper”).
* As a French Canadian surname, variant of Maille, itself of Breton origin, from the adjective maget (“nourished”), from Proto-Celtic *maketi (“to raise”), from Proto-Indo-European *meh₂ḱ- (“long, to raise”).


Homs

From a variant romanization of North Levantine Arabic حمص (Ḥumṣ), from Arabic حِمْص (Ḥims), ultimately from Ancient Greek Ἔμεσᾰ (Émesa), ultimately from Aramaic חֲמָת (Ḥamāth, “hindrance, frustration, fortress”) + צובָא (Ṣōwḇā, “near, surrounding, station”). Doublet of Emesa.


Yarmouk

A river in Jordan, Syria and Israel, the largest tributary of the Jordan River.


Rojava

A de facto autonomous region in northern and northeastern Syria populated mainly by Kurds.


Hermon

Mount Hermon (a mountain on the border between Israel, Syria and Lebanon)


Dura-Europos

Borrowed from Ancient Greek Δοῦρα Εὐρωπός (Doûra Eurōpós).

bor

Δοῦρα Εὐρωπός

An ancient Hellenistic, Parthian and Roman border city on the bank of the Euphrates in present-day Syria.


Al-Raqqah

Transliteration of Arabic اَلرَّقَّة (ar-raqqa).

translit

A city in Syria located on the northeast bank of the Euphrates river, about 99 miles east of Aleppo.


Hems

From Ottoman Turkish حمص (Hıms) and Arabic حِمْص (Ḥims), ultimately from Ancient Greek Ἔμεσᾰ (Émesa), ultimately from Aramaic חֲמָת (Ḥamāth, “hindrance, frustration, fortress”) + צובָא (Ṣōwḇā, “near, surrounding, station”).


Douma

A city in Rif Dimashq Governorate, Syria.


Emesa

From Latin Emesa, from Ancient Greek Ἔμεσα (Émesa), ultimately from Aramaic חֲמָת (Ḥamāth, “hindrance, frustration, fortress”) + צובָא (Ṣōwḇā, “near, surrounding, station”). Doublet of Homs.

(historical) Former name of Homs, a city in Syria.


Ugarit

An ancient port city in northern Syria, discovered by accident in 1928 together with the Ugaritic texts.


Barbalissus

(historical) An ancient city in Aleppo Governorate, Syria.


Hums

From North Levantine Arabic حمص (Ḥumṣ), variant of Arabic حِمْص (Ḥims), ultimately from Ancient Greek Ἔμεσᾰ (Émesa), ultimately from Aramaic חֲמָת (Ḥamāth, “hindrance, frustration, fortress”) + צובָא (Ṣōwḇā, “near, surrounding, station”).

Alternative form of Homs, a city in Syria.


Hasaka Province

al-Hasakah Governorate
al-Hasakah Governorate#English


al-Shaddadi

A city in al-Hasakah Governorate, Syria.


Hanadi

Latakia Governorate
Latakia Governorate#English


Jisr al-Shughur

Transliteration of Arabic جِسْر الشُغُور (jisr aš-šuḡūr).

transliteration

جِسْر الشُغُور


Tell Jadid

der

Arabic تل جديد

A village in Barri Sharqi, Salamiyah district, Hama governorate, Syria.


Zayzun

Alternative form: Zeizoun

A town in Daraa governorate, southern Syria.

A village in Al-Suqaylabiyah District, Hama governorate, Syria.


Balis

From Arabic بالس (Balis), from Byzantine Greek Βαρβαλισσός (Barbalissós), from Latin Barbalissus, from Aramaic. Doublet of Barbalissus.

(historical) A medieval city in Aleppo Governorate, Syria.