Shahba
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Shahba (Arabic: شهبا), also known as Philippopolis, is a city located 87 km south of Damascus in the Jabal el Druze in Muhafazat as Suwayda .
[edit] Roman History
Shahba was the native hamlet of Philip the Arab. After Philip became the emperor of Rome in 244 C.E., he dedicated himself to building the city up to a metropolis. The city was renamed Philippopolis in dedication to the emperor. The emperor is said to have wanted to turn the city into a replica of Rome itself. Temples, triumphal arches, baths, a theatre, and a great wall surrounding the city were all built based on the plan of a typical Roman city. The building of the city stopped abruptly after the death of Philip. Shahba today contains well-preserved ruins of the ancient Roman city. A museum located in the city exhibits some beautiful examples of Roman mosaic art.
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