Bloudan is a Syria

Syria

Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....

n town

Town

A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...

 located 51 kilometers north-west of the Damascus

Damascus

Damascus , commonly known in Syria as Al Sham , and as the City of Jasmine , is the capital and the second largest city of Syria after Aleppo, both are part of the country's 14 governorates. In addition to being one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, Damascus is a major...

 Governorate

Governorates of Syria

Syria has fourteen governorates, or muhafazat . The governorates are divided into sixty districts, or manatiq , which are further divided into subdistricts, or nawahi...

, in the Rif Dimashq Governorate and has an altitude

Altitude

Altitude or height is defined based on the context in which it is used . As a general definition, altitude is a distance measurement, usually in the vertical or "up" direction, between a reference datum and a point or object. The reference datum also often varies according to the context...

 of about 1500 meters.
Bloudan is situated on top of a hill that overlooks the Zabadani

Zabadani

Zabadani is a city in southwestern Syria in the Rif Dimashq Governorate, close to the border with Lebanon. It is located in the center of a green valley surrounded by high mountains at an elevation of around 1,100 m....

 plain and is surrounded by mountain forests

Forests of Syria

The forestry in Syria are confined to the coastal mountain ranges, which stretch in an uninterrupted chain from the borders of Turkey to Lebanon, parallel to the Mediterranean Sea. The forested area of Syria has dropped from in 1911 to in 1947. In 2010, it has been estimated at around or...

. Its moderate temperature and low humidity in summer attracts many visitors from Damascus

Damascus

Damascus , commonly known in Syria as Al Sham , and as the City of Jasmine , is the capital and the second largest city of Syria after Aleppo, both are part of the country's 14 governorates. In addition to being one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, Damascus is a major...

 and throughout Syria

Syria

Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....

. It is also a major touristic destination, it is visited by thousands every year, mainly Arab

Arab

Arab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...

s from Lebanon and the Arab Gulf. In winter, Bloudan is usually snowy, and as a result receives many skiers. Bloudan has many restaurants and hotels, most famous is the Great Bloudan Hotel which hosted the first Arabic conference to discuss the Palestinian

Palestine

Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....

 issue in 1937. Bloudan is also famous for its many parks and springs

Spring (hydrosphere)

A spring—also known as a rising or resurgence—is a component of the hydrosphere. Specifically, it is any natural situation where water flows to the surface of the earth from underground...

, such as the Abuzad, Qas'a, and Hazir springs.

Etymology

The current name, Bloudan, is derived from the Aramaic name Bil-dan, which means the place of the god Bil or Ba'l. Bloudan is also called the land of almond

Almond

The almond , is a species of tree native to the Middle East and South Asia. Almond is also the name of the edible and widely cultivated seed of this tree...

, because its forests are dominated by almond trees.

History

Bloudan is a very ancient town whose history goes back to the Roman era, as is evident by the paintings and carvings found in southern Bloudan. Remains of an ancient Greek Orthodox monastery

Monastery

Monastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...

 and the St. George church are also found in the mountains of eastern Bloudan. The historic St. Elias valley is an ancient part of the town, with buildings that are hundreds of years old.

Modern Bloudan was built in the 18th century and continues to grow today. It is now one of the most visited and highly populated country towns in Syria.