Kafr Shams

Kafr Shams is a town in southern Syria administratively belonging to the as-Sanamayn District of the Daraa Governorate. It is northwest of as-Sanamayn, just east of the Golan Heights and situated between Damascus and Daraa. According to the Central [Bureau of Statistics (Syria)|Syria Central Bureau of Statistics], Kafr Shams had a population of 12,435 in the 2004 census. The town's inhabitants are predominantly Sunni Muslims.

History

Byzantine period

Kafr Shams experienced a construction boom during the rule of the Byzantine Empire, particularly during the reign of Justinian I, mostly focused on large rural housing. The town was dominated by the Ghassanids, an Arab Christian vassal kingdom of the Byzantines. The Ghassanids built a major Monophysite monastery there around 570 CE.

Ottoman era

In 1838, Kefr Shems was noted as a village in the el-Jeidur district.
In 1897, German archaeologist Gottlieb Schumacher reported Kafr Shams had a population of 600 Muslims living in 120 to 130 huts. Ancient ruins and subterranean arches were noted in the village and the two Ghassanid monasteries were still largely intact.

Modern era

During the 1973 Yom Kippur War, Kafr Shams was the scene of clashes between the Israeli Army and the joint forces of the Jordanian, Iraqi and Syrian armies.

Civil war

Many residents of Kafr Shams participated in protests against the Syrian government as part of the Syrian revolution.