Qudsaya
Qudsaya (Arabic: قدسيا, romanized: Qudsayā) is a Syrian city in Rif Dimashq Governorate and the administrative centre of Qudsaya District. The city is located on the western slope of Mount Qasioun, 7 km west of Damascus. According to the Syria Central Bureau of Statistics, Qudsaya had a population of 33,571 in the 2004 census.[1] Adjacent to the town is the modern suburb of Dahiyat Qudsaya.
Qudsaya 
    قدسيا  | |
|---|---|
![]() Qudsaya Location in Syria  | |
| Coordinates: 33°32′N 36°13′E | |
| Country | |
| Governorate | Rif Dimashq | 
| District | Qudsaya | 
| Subdistrict | Qudsaya | 
| Elevation | 800 m (2,600 ft) | 
| Population  (2004 census)[1]  | |
| • Total | 33,571 | 
History
    
During the Syrian Civil War, the town was taken by the rebels and blockaded by the government in 2012.[2] A truce ending the blockade was reached in November 2013.[3] The government placed the town under siege again in July 2015, until a deal was reached in November 2015 for the rebels to be transferred to Idlib province.[4] On 12 October 2016, armed fighters turned in their weaponry as per the surrender deal in which about 150 rebel fighters from Qudsaya and al-Hamah will be allowed safe-passage to rebel-held areas in Idlib. More than 300 rebel fighters who have chosen to stay behind will have their cases settled.[5][6] The agreement was completed on the following day, with rebels being allowed to leave along with their family members.[7]
Climate
    
Qudsaya has a cold semi-arid climate (Köppen climate classification: BSk). Rainfall is higher in winter than in summer. The average annual temperature in Qudsaya is 15.9 °C (60.6 °F). About 258 mm (10.16 in) of precipitation falls annually.
| Climate data for Qudsaya | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year | 
| Average high °C (°F) | 10.8 (51.4)  | 
12.5 (54.5)  | 
16.2 (61.2)  | 
21.2 (70.2)  | 
26.8 (80.2)  | 
31.6 (88.9)  | 
34.0 (93.2)  | 
34.4 (93.9)  | 
30.8 (87.4)  | 
25.9 (78.6)  | 
18.8 (65.8)  | 
13.1 (55.6)  | 
23.0 (73.4)  | 
| Average low °C (°F) | 1.3 (34.3)  | 
2.0 (35.6)  | 
4.3 (39.7)  | 
7.6 (45.7)  | 
11.1 (52.0)  | 
14.4 (57.9)  | 
16.1 (61.0)  | 
16.3 (61.3)  | 
13.5 (56.3)  | 
10.4 (50.7)  | 
6.3 (43.3)  | 
3.1 (37.6)  | 
8.9 (47.9)  | 
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 60 (2.4)  | 
47 (1.9)  | 
30 (1.2)  | 
15 (0.6)  | 
10 (0.4)  | 
0 (0)  | 
0 (0)  | 
0 (0)  | 
0 (0)  | 
10 (0.4)  | 
31 (1.2)  | 
55 (2.2)  | 
258 (10.2)  | 
| Source: Climate-Data.org,Climate data | |||||||||||||
References
    
- General Census of Population and Housing 2004. Syria Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS). Rif Dimashq Governorate. (in Arabic)
 - "Syrian army reported to be carrying out a major offensive on Qudsaya". Al-Jazeera. Retrieved 30 November 2015.
 - "Truce Reached In Blockaded Town Of Qudsaya". Huffington Post. Retrieved 30 November 2015.
 - "Qudsaya siege: Syrian rebels transferred to Idlib under deal". Al-Araby. Retrieved 30 November 2015.
 - Adra, Zen (12 October 2016). "Syria: Rebels hand over weapons as per evacuation deal". Al-Masdar News. Retrieved 13 October 2016.
 - استمرار عمليات إدخال حافلات إلى قدسيا والهامة لتهجير من تبقى من المقاتلين وعوائلهم SOHR (13 October 2016)
 - Displacing of hundreds of fighters and their families from al-Hameh and Qudsayya is completed SOHR (13 October 2016)
 



