Shahba (Arabic: شَهْبَا / ALA-LC: Shahbā) is a city located 87 km (54 mi) south of Damascus in the Jabal el Druze in As-Suwayda Governorate of Syria, but formerly in the Roman province of Arabia Petraea. Known in Late Antiquity as Philippopolis (in Arabia), the city was the seat of a Bishopric (see below), which remains a Latin titular see.
The Philippeion, a memorial monument
The Roman Theatre at Shahba
Mosaic from Shahba depicting Aphrodite and Ares
Aerial view in 1933.
As-Suwayda or Al-Suwayda Governorate is one of the fourteen governorates (provinces) of Syria. It is the southernmost governorate and has an area of 5,550 km² and forms part of the historic Hawran region. Its capital and major city is al-Suwayda.
Suwayda's City aerial view October 2011