Az-Ziyarah
History
Al-Ziyarah has been identified as the ancient Aramaean city of "Ziara", which was part of the Hamath kingdom.
The name al-Ziyarah is Arabic for "visiting place." Al-Ziyarah receives its name from a double-domed shrine located in the town. The dome is white and surrounded by oak trees. It has a view over the surrounding plain and the Nusayriyah Mountain range.
Prior to 1960 the nahiyah of al-Ziyarah was part of the Idlib Governorate, after which it became a part of the Hama Governorate. In 1970 the average household in al-Ziyarah consisted of nearly nine members. An irrigation project for 17,400 hectares in the al-Ziyarah area was started in 1990. 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.
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.
References
- ^ Lipinsky, 2000, p. 276.
- ^ General Census of Population and Housing 2004 Archived 2012-12-20 at archive.today. Syria Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS). Hama Governorate. (in Arabic)
- ^ 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).
- ^ Weulersse, 1946, p. 326.
- ^ Al-Dbiyat, 1995, p. 17.
- ^ Al-Dbiyat, 1995, p. 76.
- ^ MEED. 34: 1-12. Economic East Economic Digest, Limited, 1990.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.