Hauran

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Hauran (alternative spellings are Houran or Hawran) (Arabic: حوران) is the southern region of modern-day Syria. It is mentioned in the Bible (Ezekiel 47:16-18) describing the boundary of the Israelite Kingdom, and gets its name from the Hebrew חורן Hawran, meaning "hollow land". The Romans referred to it as Auranitis. The volcanic region is one of the most fertile in Syria, particularly famous for its vineyards. Unlike other fertile areas of Syria, such as the Orontes Valley and the Euphrates regions, which rely on major rivers for their productivity and employ irrigated farming methods, the Hauran has very few rivers. Instead, the region relies on the rains of winter and spring and many of the sites contain cisterns and water storage facilities to take advantage of this rainfall.

The Hauran is not an official region; it consists of the Syrian governorates of Al Qunaytirah, As Suwayda, and Dar`a. However, the name is used colloquially by the inhabitants of the region (Hauranis) and other Syrians to refer to it. Its boundaries more or less start with Mt. Hermon (although that land is currently disputed, see Golan Heights) in the north and end with the Jordanian border in the south. The Hauran marked the traditional border of Roman Syria, as evidenced by the well-preserved Roman ruins in the cities of Bosra and Shahba.