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  Image: Geographic Location Direction Photo #: ISS036-E-12047 Date: Jun. 2013
Geographic Region: SYRIA
Feature: DAMASCUS, AGR.

Ordering information for space photography
 
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  View Low-Resolution Image  
  Damascus, Syria

The capital city of the Syrian Arab Republic, Damascus, and its surrounding metropolitan area is highlighted in this astronaut photograph from the International Space Station. Damascus is one of the oldest cities in the Middle East, with evidence of human habitation extending back to 8,000-10,000 BC. During medieval times, the city was well known as a craft and trade center specializing in the production of swords and lace; "Damascus steel" became a watchword for high-quality blades through the 19th century due to its superior properties and characteristic visual appearance.

Urban areas are readily recognizable as gray-white regions contrasting with surrounding brown to tan semi-arid landscape. The Barada River runs through Damascus, and is visible entering the metropolitan area at image top center. The Ghouta oasis, fed by the Barada River, once encircled Damascus but urban expansion has converted much of the oasis from agricultural to other land uses. A large region of agriculture extends to the southeast of Damascus, visible as extensive green fields at image lower right.

Today, the city is the center of a metropolitan area with a population of over 2.6 million (based on 2004 information from the Syria Central Bureau of Statistics). Current industries include textiles, food processing, and chemicals, with traditional artisan handcrafts still produced in the old core of Damascus. Most recently, the city has experienced unrest, military conflict, and loss of life stemming from the ongoing Syrian Civil War.
 
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Images: All Available Images Low-Resolution 245k
Mission: ISS036  
Roll - Frame: E - 12047
Geographical Name: SYRIA  
Features: DAMASCUS, AGR.  
Center Lat x Lon: 33.5N x 36.2E
Film Exposure:   N=Normal exposure, U=Under exposed, O=Over exposed, F=out of Focus
Percentage of Cloud Cover-CLDP: 0
 
Camera: N2
 
Camera Tilt: 16   LO=Low Oblique, HO=High Oblique, NV=Near Vertical
Camera Focal Length: 180  
 
Nadir to Photo Center Direction: NE   The direction from the nadir to the center point, N=North, S=South, E=East, W=West
Stereo?:   Y=Yes there is an adjacent picture of the same area, N=No there isn't
Orbit Number:  
 
Date: 20130626   YYYYMMDD
Time: 093330   GMT HHMMSS
Nadir Lat: 33.0N  
Latitude of suborbital point of spacecraft
Nadir Lon: 35.3E  
Longitude of suborbital point of spacecraft
Sun Azimuth: 169   Clockwise angle in degrees from north to the sun measured at the nadir point
Space Craft Altitude: 220   nautical miles
Sun Elevation: 80   Angle in degrees between the horizon and the sun, measured at the nadir point
Land Views:  
Water Views: RIVER  
Atmosphere Views:  
Man Made Views: AGRICULTURE  
City Views: DAMASCUS  
Photo is not associated with any sequences


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