Al-Ziyarah

Al-Ziyarah (Arabic: الزيارة‎, also spelled Zeyareh) is a town in northern Syria, administratively part of the Hama Governorate, located 75 kilometers northwest of Hama. It is situated in the Ghab plain, on the eastern bank of the Orontes River.[1] Nearby localities include Qarqur 7 kilometers to the north, Sirmaniyah to the northwest, Qastun to the east and Farikah, Khirbet al-Arus and al-Amqiyah Tahta to the south. According to the Syria Central Bureau of Statistics, al-Ziyarah had a population of 3,541 in the 2004 census. It is also the center of the Al-Ziyarah Nahiyah ("subdistrict"), part of the Al-Suqaylabiyah District, consisting of 25 localities and with a combined population of 38,872 in 2004.[2]

Al-Ziyarah

الزيارة

Zeyareh
Town
Al-Ziyarah
Location in Syria
Coordinates: 35°41′21″N 36°20′18″E
Country Syria
GovernorateHama
DistrictAl-Suqaylabiyah
SubdistrictAl-Ziyarah
Population
 (2004)
 • Total3,541

History

Al-Ziyarah has been identified as the ancient Aramaean city of "Ziara," which was part of the Hamath kingdom.[1]

The name al-Ziyarah is Arabic for "visiting place." Al-Ziyarah receives its name from a double-domed shrine located in the town.[3] The dome is white and surrounded by oak trees.[4] It has a view over the surrounding plain and the Nusayriyah Mountain range.[3]

Prior to 1960 the nahiyah of al-Ziyarah was part of the Idlib Governorate, after which it became a part of the Hama Governorate.[5] In 1970 the average household in al-Ziyarah consisted of nearly nine members.[6] An irrigation project for 17,400 hectares in the al-Ziyarah area was started in 1990.[7] The project was completed with the construction of the Zeyzoun Dam in 1995. On 4 June 2002 the dam collapsed causing mass flooding in the area. Five towns, including al-Ziyarah, saw hundreds of homes either destroyed or severely damaged, prompting the Syrian government to request urgent international aid. Out of a total of ten people killed, five, including two women, two children and an employee of the dam, were residents of al-Ziyarah.[8]

On 5 November 2012, during the ongoing Syrian Civil War between the Syrian government and opposition rebels, a car bomb exploded outside a government-run development agency in al-Ziyarah. While state media claimed two people were killed and 10 injured, opposition activists claimed the attack left 50 Syrian soldiers and pro-government militiamen dead.[9]

gollark: "Sorry, I'd like to lend you the pot, but it has Pots Rights Management on it, so it'll explode if you hold it."
gollark: Or to delete it and get a new one.
gollark: 2020s kids will exist in... 11 days.
gollark: Though if you throw in terrorist keywords and stuff, they might be nice and visit you *in person* to talk!
gollark: They might not respond, though.

References
  1. Lipinsky, 2000, p. 276.
  2. General Census of Population and Housing 2004 Archived 2012-12-20 at Archive.today. Syria Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS). Hama Governorate. (in Arabic)
  3. Lyde, Samuel. The Asian Mystery Illustrated in the History, Religion, and Present State of the Ansaireeh or Nusairis of Syria. Longman, Green, Longman, and Roberts: (1860).
  4. Weulersse, 1946, p. 326.
  5. Al-Dbiyat, 1995, p. 17.
  6. Al-Dbiyat, 1995, p. 76.
  7. MEED. 34: 1-12. Economic East Economic Digest, Limited, 1990.
  8. Syria calls for urgent disaster aid after 10 killed in dam burst Archived 2016-03-04 at the Wayback Machine. Agence France-Presse. 2002-06-05.
  9. Several killed in Syria car bombings. BBC News. 2012-11-05.

Bibliography
  • Weulersse, Jacques (1946). Paysans de Syrie et du Proche-Orient. Gallimard.
  • Lipinsky, Edward (2000). The Aramaeans: Their Ancient History, Culture, Religion. Peeters Publishers. ISBN 9042908599.
  • al-Dbiyat, Mohamed (1995). Homs et Hama en Syrie centrale: concurrence urbaine et développement régional. Institut français de Damas.
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