1. Aleppo – 2,132,100
Pre‑war Syria’s largest city; historic trading hub and cultural center in the north.
2. Damascus – 1,552,200
Capital city and one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world.
3. Homs – 652,600
Major industrial center on the Orontes River; gateway between coast and interior.
4. Latakia – 383,800
Principal Mediterranean port; known for its coastal resort atmosphere.
5. Hama – 313,000
Central city on the Orontes River, famed for its ancient waterwheels (norias).
6. Raqqa – 220,500
City on the Euphrates; known for its recent history as a former ISIS stronghold.
7. Deir ez‑Zor – 211,900
Crossroads city on the Euphrates; regional oil centre.
8. Al‑Hasakah – 188,200
Northeastern agriculture and trading center near the Turkish border.
9. Qamishli – 184,200
Multi-ethnic city by the Turkish border; center of Kurdish-majority region.
10. Tartus – 115,800
Historic Mediterranean port and administrative capital of Tartus Governorate.
11. Douma – 110,900
Major city in the Eastern Ghouta suburbs of Damascus.
12. Jaramana – 114,400
Suburban city south of Damascus; population surged with displaced residents.
13. Manbij – 99,500
Historic agricultural town in Aleppo Governorate.
14. Idlib – 98,800
Governorate capital in northwest; center of opposition during the war.
15. Daraa – 98,000
Important historic city and site of the 2011 uprising that began the civil war.
16. Darayya – 78,800
Suburb of Damascus; site of brutal siege in the civil war and resilience symbol.
17. As‑Suwayda – 73,600
Druze-majority city in the south with a strong local culture.
18. Al‑Thawrah (Tabqa)** – 69,400
City on the Euphrates west of Raqqa; known for nearby dam and lake.
19. Salamiyah – 66,700
Historic desert town east of Hama; center for Ismaili and Sunni communities.
20. Al‑Safira – 63,700
Crafts and agriculture town southeast of Aleppo.
21. Al‑Bab – 63,100
Aleppo Governorate town with trade and farming importance.
22. Ma‘arat al‑Numan – 58,000
City in Idlib; known for its archaeological heritage and wartime suffering.
23. Jableh – 54,000
Coastal town with ancient churches south of Latakia.
24. Palmyra (Tadmur) – 51,300
Desert oasis site of ancient ruins and UNESCO World Heritage significance.
25. Ayn al‑Arab (Kobani) – 44,800
Kurdish-majority border town, known for resilience against ISIS siege.
26. Al‑Tall – 44,600
Mountain town north of Damascus with views of the Ghouta valley.
27. Mayadin – 44,000
Euphrates town east of Deir ez‑Zor, agriculture and river port hub.
28. Abu Kamal – 42,500
Strategic border crossing town on the Euphrates next to Iraq.
29. Baniyas – 41,600
Coastal oil town in Tartus Governorate with power and refining stations.
30. Jisr ash‑Shughur – 39,900
Idlib Governorate town on the Orontes; historic and administrative center.
The above is subject to change.
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