Deir al-Asafir
دير العصافير Dayr al-Assafir | |
|---|---|
Village | |
  Deir al-Asafir | |
| Coordinates: 33°27′55″N 36°25′11″E / 33.46528°N 36.41972°E | |
| Country |  Syria |
| Governorate | Rif Dimashq Governorate |
| District | Markaz Rif Dimashq |
| Nahiya | Al-Malihah Subdistrict |
| Population (2004)[1] | |
| • Total | 6,209 |
| Time zone | UTC+3 (EET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (EEST) |
Deir al-Asafir (Arabic: دير العصافير; also spelled Dayr al-Assafir or Dair al-Asafir) is a village in southern Syria, administratively part of the Rif Dimashq Governorate, located 12 kilometers southeast of Damascus.[2] It is situated in a heavily farmed area in the Ghouta region.[3] Nearby localities include Babbila to the west, al-Malihah to the northwest, Zabdin to the north, Shabaa to the southwest.
According to the Syria Central Bureau of Statistics, Deir al-Asafir had a population of 6,209 in the 2004 census.[1] Between 1,000 and 1,500 Nawar (Syrians of Turkmen or Dom origin) reside in Deir al-Asafir. They largely reside in a quarter outside the village center. Much of the remaining population are Arab farmers. Starting in the 1960s some of Deir al-Asafir's Turkmen inhabitants also entered the field of agriculture. However, the majority of Turkmen men in work laborers, produce sellers and truck drivers. The hookah bars in tourist-frequented cafes in the Ghouta region is dominated by Turkmen waiters.[3]
- ^ a b General Census of Population and Housing 2004. Syria Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS). Rif Dimashq Governorate. (in Arabic)
- ^ Syrian children 'killed by cluster bombs'. Al Jazeera English. 2012-11-26.
- ^ a b Berland, 2004, p. 75.