Menu
Home
People
Places
Arts
History
Plants & Animals
Science
Life & Culture
Technology
Reference.org
Rif Dimashq Governorate
open-in-new
<h2 id="districts">Districts</h2> <a href="/facts/Al-Qutayfah_District/vKH186SK">Al-Qutayfah</a> <a href="/facts/Markaz_Rif_Dimashq/HFGPcSBK">Markaz Rif Dimashq</a> <a href="/facts/Al-Nabk_District/rI3q1uRo">Al-Nabk</a> <a href="/facts/Al-Tall_District/JYCVreyd">Al-Tall</a> <a href="/facts/Darayya_District/VC00utVF">Darayya</a> <a href="/facts/Duma_District/2wXwwv7I">Duma</a> <a href="/facts/Qatana_District/u8hbyu9a">Qatana</a> <a href="/facts/Yabrud_District/0cyQArE2">Yabrud</a> <a href="/facts/Zabadani_District/EF29AgYF">Zabadani</a> <p>The governorate is divided into ten <a href="/facts/Districts_of_Syria/jobpyclu">districts</a> (<a href="/facts/Manatiq/xWk8WlI1">manatiq</a>). The districts are further divided into 37 sub-districts (<a href="/facts/Nahiya/TnI1DQ7N">nawahi</a>). There were nine districts until February 2009, when Qudsaya District was created from parts of Markaz Rif Dimashq and Al-Zabadani districts. There is a small village belonging to the Damascus countryside (Ghouta) called Aqraba, which is characterized by its fields and agricultural orchards. (<a href="/facts/Nahiya/TnI1DQ7N">nawahi</a>). The governorate's total population (as of the 2004 census) is 2,273,074. </p> <table><tbody><tr><td><ul><li><a href="/facts/Markaz_Rif_Dimashq_District/HFGPcSBK">Markaz Rif Dimashq District</a> (6 sub-districts; population: 837,804)<ul><li><a href="/facts/Al-Kiswah/GX4Pmwa5">Al-Kiswah Subdistrict</a></li><li><a href="/facts/Babbila_Subdistrict/lTC3CHXQ">Babbila Subdistrict</a></li><li><a href="/facts/Jaramana/CUbh2qGu">Jaramana Subdistrict</a></li><li><a href="/facts/Al-Malihah_Subdistrict/30pkuS3r">Al-Malihah Subdistrict</a></li><li><a href="/facts/Kafr_Batna/8eYS8oAt">Kafr Batna Subdistrict</a></li><li><a href="/facts/Arbin,_Syria/R3HIGd5b">Arbin Subdistrict</a></li></ul></li><li><a href="/facts/Darayya_District/VC00utVF">Darayya District</a> (3 sub-districts; population: 260,961)<ul><li><a href="/facts/Darayya/KJwzke7n">Darayya Subdistrict</a></li><li><a href="/facts/Sahnaya/9bhtYwvD">Sahnaya Subdistrict</a></li><li><a href="/facts/Al-Hajar_al-Aswad/pLAhFgMu">al-Hajar al-Aswad Subdistrict</a></li></ul></li><li><a href="/facts/Douma_District/2wXwwv7I">Douma District</a> (7 sub-districts; population: 433,719)<ul><li><a href="/facts/Douma,_Syria/jaS1DkWd">Douma Subdistrict</a></li><li><a href="/facts/Harasta/vwfQPpWu">Harasta Subdistrict</a></li><li><a href="/facts/Al-Sabe%27_Biyar/VTtySanz">Al-Sabe' Biyar Subdistrict</a></li><li><a href="/facts/Al-Dumayr/oBs7Squ1">Al-Dumayr Subdistrict</a></li><li><a href="/facts/Al-Nashabiyah/mB7QgoRY">Al-Nashabiyah Subdistrict</a></li><li><a href="/facts/Al-Ghizlaniyah/JInREaFs">Al-Ghizlaniyah Subdistrict</a></li><li><a href="/facts/Harran_al-Awamid/go6LMGvj">Harran al-Awamid Subdistrict</a></li></ul></li><li><a href="/facts/An-Nabek_District/rI3q1uRo">An-Nabek District</a> (3 sub-districts; population: 80,001)<ul><li><a href="/facts/An-Nabek/qbDIwC61">An-Nabek Subdistrict</a></li><li><a href="/facts/Deir_Atiyah/C6jS6VBH">Deir Atiyah Subdistrict</a></li><li><a href="/facts/Qara,_Syria/FxgPoHhR">Qara Subdistrict</a></li></ul></li></ul></td><td><ul><li><a href="/facts/Qatana_District/u8hbyu9a">Qatana District</a> (3 sub-districts; population: 207,245)<ul><li><a href="/facts/Qatana/24yuaJoW">Qatana Subdistrict</a></li><li><a href="/facts/Beit_Jen/bgD9V77D">Beit Jen Subdistrict</a></li><li><a href="/facts/Sa%27sa%27,_Syria/1d2qqsjf">Sa'sa' Subdistrict</a></li></ul></li><li><a href="/facts/Qudsaya_District/s573r2a4">Qudsaya District</a> (3 sub-districts; population: 105,974)*<ul><li><a href="/facts/Qudsaya/uPKakgVY">Qudsaya Subdistrict</a></li><li><a href="/facts/Al-Dimas/5JVBQAgJ">Al-Dimas Subdistrict</a></li><li><a href="/facts/Ain_al-Fijah/zqas2TJ1">Ain al-Fijah Subdistrict</a></li></ul></li><li><a href="/facts/Al-Qutayfah_District/vKH186SK">Al-Qutayfah District</a> (4 sub-districts; population: 119,283)<ul><li><a href="/facts/Al-Qutayfah/ev7chGSv">Al-Qutayfah Subdistrict</a></li><li><a href="/facts/Jayroud/pcfKpp7q">Jayroud Subdistrict</a></li><li><a href="/facts/Maaloula/xICAchYP">Maaloula Subdistrict</a></li><li><a href="/facts/Ar-Ruhaybah/9hfXuxlA">Ar-Ruhaybah Subdistrict</a></li></ul></li><li><a href="/facts/Al-Tall_District/JYCVreyd">Al-Tall District</a> (3 sub-districts; population: 115,937)<ul><li><a href="/facts/Al-Tall,_Syria/YNdbm19K">al-Tall Subdistrict</a></li><li><a href="/facts/Saidnaya/thpbQeuu">Saidnaya Subdistrict</a></li><li><a href="/facts/Rankous/0uL8rbEc">Rankous Subdistrict</a></li></ul></li><li><a href="/facts/Yabroud_District/0cyQArE2">Yabroud District</a> (2 sub-districts; population: 48,370)<ul><li><a href="/facts/Yabroud/N3oDEBwW">Yabroud Subdistrict</a></li><li><a href="/facts/Assal_al-Ward/VLkhv1uf">Assal al-Ward Subdistrict</a></li></ul></li><li><a href="/facts/Al-Zabadani_District/EF29AgYF">Al-Zabadani District</a> (3 sub-districts; population: 63,780)<ul><li><a href="/facts/Al-Zabadani/B9N36gID">Al-Zabadani Subdistrict</a></li><li><a href="/facts/Madaya,_Syria/hANjXde3">Madaya Subdistrict</a></li><li><a href="/facts/Serghaya/vNVNCaa0">Serghaya Subdistrict</a></li></ul></li></ul></td></tr></tbody></table> <p>*a newly-created district since 2009, formerly belonging to Markaz Rif Dimashq District and parts of Al-Zabadani District </p> <h2 id="demographics">Demographics</h2> <table><tbody><tr><th colspan="5">Religious composition of Rif Dimashq Governorate (2011)</th></tr><tr><td colspan="2"></td><td></td><td colspan="2"></td></tr><tr><td colspan="2"><a href="/facts/Sunni/WYo0zeq0">Sunnis</a></td><td> </td><td colspan="2">87%</td></tr><tr><td colspan="2"><a href="/facts/Christianity_in_Syria/alJnGp20">Christians</a></td><td> </td><td colspan="2">5%</td></tr><tr><td colspan="2"><a href="/facts/Alawites/pETzhrCF">Alawites</a></td><td> </td><td colspan="2">4%</td></tr><tr><td colspan="2"><a href="/facts/Druze/HzEnIHJT">Druze</a></td><td> </td><td colspan="2">4%</td></tr><tr><td colspan="2"><a href="/facts/Shia/JIQl7ooz">Shias</a></td><td> </td><td colspan="2">0.9%</td></tr><tr><td colspan="2"><a href="/facts/Ismaili/e6uySs0b">Ismailis</a></td><td> </td><td colspan="2">0.1%</td></tr></tbody></table> <p>At the end of 2011, the population of Rif Dimashq reached 2,836,000, accounting for 13% of Syria’s population. <a href="/facts/Sunni_Muslim/WYo0zeq0">Sunni Muslims</a> made up 87% of the governorate, while <a href="/facts/Christianity_in_Syria/alJnGp20">Christians</a> made up 5%, <a href="/facts/Alawite_Muslim/pETzhrCF">Alawite Muslims</a> made up 4%, <a href="/facts/Druze/HzEnIHJT">Druze</a> made up 4%, <a href="/facts/Twelver_Shia_Muslim/sUejq9pd">Twelver Shia Muslims</a> made up 0.9%, and <a href="/facts/Ismaili_Muslim/e6uySs0b">Ismaili Muslims</a> made up 0.1%.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:2" href="#fn:2"><sup>2</sup></a> </p> <h2 id="references">References</h2> <ol> <li id="fn:1"><p>Rif Dimashq total population as of 2004 official census Archived 2013-01-12 at archive.today <a href="http://www.cbssyr.org/new%20web%20site/General_census/census_2004/NH/TAB03-36-2004.htm" target="_blank">http://www.cbssyr.org/new%20web%20site/General_census/census_2004/NH/TAB03-36-2004.htm</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:2"><p>Qutrib, Hussain Ibrahim (2016). ""Useful Syria" and Demographic Changes in Syria" (PDF). King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies. Retrieved 1 February 2025. <a href="https://www.kfcris.com/pdf/5e43a7813784133606d70cc8b52d433b5909a9623e8c2.pdf" target="_blank">https://www.kfcris.com/pdf/5e43a7813784133606d70cc8b52d433b5909a9623e8c2.pdf</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> </ol>