A rocky desert and steppe covering much of the northern Middle East, crossed for millennia by caravan routes.
Area
500,000 km²
Continent
Asia
Location
Northern Middle East
Temperature
Up to 45°C
Rainfall
Under 125 mm a year
Climate
Hot desert & steppe
About the Syrian Desert
The Syrian Desert is a mix of rocky plateau and dry steppe spanning Syria, Jordan, Iraq and Saudi Arabia. For thousands of years its wells and oases have guided caravans between the Mediterranean and Mesopotamia. The oasis city of Palmyra once grew rich as a trading hub at its edge.
Did you know?
Ancient oasis cities such as Palmyra grew wealthy around its scattered springs.
Highlights
- A blend of rocky desert and steppe
- Home to the ruins of Palmyra
- Long a corridor for trade caravans
Photo gallery
Life in the Syrian Desert
Animals, birds and plants that have adapted to survive this landscape.
Animals
Dromedary camel
The one-humped “ship of the desert”, able to go for days without water.
Caracal
A tawny desert cat with black ear-tufts, famous for leaping at birds.
Sand cat
A small wildcat with furry foot-pads that walk unburnt across hot sand.
Birds
Houbara bustard
A well-camouflaged desert bird of Arabia and Central Asia.
Sandgrouse
Flies vast distances to water and soaks it up in its breast feathers.
Trees & plants
Date palm
The classic oasis tree, feeding desert peoples with sweet dates for millennia.
Acacia (thorn tree)
Flat-topped thorn trees that survive on scarce desert groundwater.
Day & night in the Syrian Desert
Deserts are famous for their extreme temperature swings. Flip between day and night to feel the difference — these are typical figures for a subtropical desert.
Midday sun
+45°C
typical daytime high
Blistering daytime heat gives way to surprisingly cool nights — clear skies let the day’s warmth escape, and the temperature can tumble by 30°C or more after dark.
Recorded range for the Syrian Desert: Up to 45°C