Nawa
نوى | |
|---|---|
  Nawa Location in Syria | |
| Coordinates: 32°53′20″N 36°02′35″E / 32.88889°N 36.04306°E | |
| Grid position | 247/255 PAL |
| Country |  Syria |
| Governorate | Daraa |
| District | Izra |
| Subdistrict | Nawa |
| Elevation | 563 m (1,847 ft) |
| Population (2007) | |
• Total | 59,170 |
Nawa (Arabic: نَوَىٰ, romanized: Nawā) is a city in Syria, administratively belonging to the Daraa Governorate. It has an altitude of 568 meters (1,864 ft). In 2007 it had a population of 59,170, making it the 28th largest city in Syria.
In antiquity, Nawa had a significant Jewish population and also served as ecclesiastical seat, home to at least two 5th-century bishops. Under early Muslim rule Nawa was the principal city of the Hauran region and was widely associated with the prophet Job. The city declined at least by the 13th century. Under Mamluk rule it was the administrative center of the Jaydur district (the northwestern Hauran plain), a position it continued to under the Ottomans. Nawa remained a relatively large Muslim village throughout Ottoman rule, often second in size to Daraa. It was further characterized by its extensive basaltic ruins, many reused in the village's modern dwellings.