Bloudan

Bloudan بلودان
Village
Bloudan is located 51 kilometers north-west of Damascus
Bloudan Location in Syria
Coordinates: 33°44′N 36°08′E / 33.733°N 36.133°E / 33.733; 36.133
Country	Syria
Governorate	Rif Dimashq Governorate
District	Al-Zabadani District
Nahiyah	Al-Zabadani
Elevation	1,500 m (4,900 ft)
Population (2004)
• Total	3,101
Time zone	EET (UTC+3)
• Summer (DST)	EEST (UTC+2)
Area code(s)	13

Bloudan (Arabic: بلودان‎‎) is a Syrian village located 51 kilometers north-west of Damascus, in the Rif Dimashq Governorate; it has an altitude of about 1500 meters. In the 2004 census by the Central Bureau of Statistics it had a population of 3,101. The majority of the inhabitants are Greek Orthodox Christians, and a significant minority are Sunni Muslims and Protestants.

Bloudan is situated on top of a hill that overlooks the Al-Zabadani plain and is surrounded by mountain forests. Its moderate temperature and low humidity in summer attracts many visitors from Damascus and throughout Syria; as a major tourist destination, it is visited by thousands every year, mainly Arabs from Lebanon and the Arab States of the Persian Gulf. In winter, Bloudan is usually snowy and draws many skiers. Bloudan has many restaurants and hotels, of which the most famous is the Great Bloudan Hotel which hosted the first pan-Arab Bloudan Conference to discuss the Palestinian issue in 1937. Bloudan is also famous for its many parks and springs, such as the Abuzad, Qas'a, and Hazir springs.

Bloudan has a relatively cool-summer Mediterranean type of climate [Csb] with a mean year average less than 11 degrees Celsius and abundant annual precipitation [both in the form of snow and rain] averaging 690 mm. Being about 1000 metres higher than the city centre of Damascus means that Bloudan and other settlements in its vicinity are sought-after by those who want to escape the arid and hot climate of the capital city. Summers in Bloudan are long, dry, and cool while the winter season is three months long with heavy rain and snow.