//
Desert in West Asia
Photo: Vyacheslav Argenberg, CC BY 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
The Syrian Desert is a vast and sparsely populated region in southeastern Syria. It is the basin of the river Euphrates. It consists of the governorates of Raqqa (Arabic: الرقة), Al-Hasakah (Arabic:الحسكة; Syrian Aramaic: ܓܨܪܛܐ; Kurdish: Hesiça), Deir ez-Zor (Arabic: دير الزور) and parts of the governorates of Homs (Arabic: مُحافظة حمص), Hama (Arabic: محافظة حماة) and Rif Dimashq (Arabic: ریف دمشق).
From the travel guide. Select a place for details, a map and what is nearby.
The border with Iraq is open, almost all traffic goes through the Al-Qa'im border crossing. The Turkish border is closed, set to reopen on March 30, 2026. There is a border cross with Iraqi Kurdistan.
Read in the guideChoose an airport to see hotels, stations, taxi ranks and car rental desks around it.
Aleppo · International · ALP
Loading places around the airport…
a desert town on the Euphrates River bank
Midsized city along the Euphrates, best known for serving as the headquarters of ISIS between 2014 and 2017.
the largest city in Jazira region, with an ethnically diverse population.
second largest city in Jazira.
Manbij is a city in Syria. Manbij is an ancient city, but unfortunately almost all sights have been destroyed.
Kurdish-majority town near the Turkish border.
Tabqa is a city in Syria.
Tell Abyad is in the Syrian Desert region.
The Syrian Desert is a vast and sparsely populated region in southeastern Syria. It is the basin of the river Euphrates.
magnificent ruins of a Roman city, in the middle of the desert. It can be considered the main attraction in Syria. Large parts this irreplaceable heritage were deliberately blown up by ISIS during armed conflict in 2015.
Articles and travel topics about Syrian Desert and Syria.
Culture & historyThe Roman Empire was the greatest ancient empire of Europe. At the height of its power in 117 AD, it ruled over considerable parts of Europe, as well as much of North Africa and the Middle East.
Wikivoyage
Culture & historyMesopotamia is in the Middle East, mainly in present-day Iraq, with parts of it in Syria and Turkey and influence extending into what are now Iran and the Persian Gulf states.
Wikivoyage
Culture & historyIslam is one of the world's most important religions, second only to Christianity in number of adherents. Its followers are called Muslims and their houses of worship, mosques.
Wikivoyage
ItinerariesFrom Istanbul to Cairo is a route in the Middle East. Countries visited are Turkey, Syria, Jordan, possibly Israel (and the disputed territory of the West Bank), and Egypt.
Wikivoyage
Every section of the guide. Open one to read it in full.