Aleppo plateau
Encyclopedia
Aleppo plateau is a low, gently undulating plateau
of northern Syria
. It lies at the northern end of the junction between the Arabian Plate
and the African Plate
at the Dead Sea Rift. The plateau lies mostly in the Aleppo Governorate
and Idlib Governorate
. Aleppo
is located in the north-center of the plateau.
river valley, which sperates it from the Jazirah plateau. To the west it is bounded by the northern half of the Dead Sea Rift, namely the Orontes river valley. The Aintab plateau
froms a northern continuation of the plateau that leads to the Taurus Mountains
.
and Mesozoic
sediments that average 4-5 km in thickness over the whole surface.
Starting from the valley of the Euphrates, the terrain rises forming the Manbij plain
and then sinks again at the Dhahab river
valley in the east of Aleppo Governorate
. The Dhahab drains the highlands north of Bāb
and runs in a north-south direction for about 50 km until it drains into Lake Jabboul. West of the Dhahab valley the terrain rises again forming Mount ʻAqīl (Mount Taymar) (534 m) west of Bāb and Mount Ḥaṣṣ (550 m) west of Lake Jabboul. The terrain sinks again forming the valley of River Quwēq. The endpoint of Quwēq, the Maṭkh swamp (249 m), is the lowest point in Aleppo Governorate. West of the Quwēq is Mount Simeon. South of Mount Simeon are the plains of Idlib
. River ʻIfrīn
runs west of Mount Simeon. To the west of River ʻIfrīn the land rises again forming Mount Kurd
. River ʻIfrīn runs from north to south between Mount Simeon and Mount Kurd and then turns west to the Orontes valley, thus separating Mount Kurd from Mount Ḥārim
to the south. Mount Ḥārim is separated from Mount Zāwiya
to the south by the Rouj plain, which leads to the Ghab plain
in the Orontes valley. The highlands of the western Aleppo plateau are collectively known as the Limestone Massif
.
The southeastern portioh of the plateau is an arid steppe that forms the northern tip of the Syrian Desert
. The rest of the plateau is generally fertile, especially the northwest. The plateau is generally deforested except for a dispersed forest of about 50 km² on the eastern slope of Mount Kurd where it faces the plain of Aʻzāz
. The main trees in the region are Aleppo Pine
and oak
.
Plateau
In geology and earth science, a plateau , also called a high plain or tableland, is an area of highland, usually consisting of relatively flat terrain. A highly eroded plateau is called a dissected plateau...
of northern Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
. It lies at the northern end of the junction between the Arabian Plate
Arabian Plate
The Arabian Plate is one of three tectonic plates which have been moving northward over millions of years and colliding with the Eurasian Plate...
and the African Plate
African Plate
The African Plate is a tectonic plate which includes the continent of Africa, as well as oceanic crust which lies between the continent and various surrounding ocean ridges.-Boundaries:...
at the Dead Sea Rift. The plateau lies mostly in the Aleppo Governorate
Aleppo Governorate
Aleppo Governorate is one of the fourteen governorates of Syria. It is the most populous governorate in Syria with a population of more than 4,744,000 , almost 23% of the total population of Syria. The governorate is the fifth in area with an area of 18,482 km², about 10% of the total area of...
and Idlib Governorate
Idlib Governorate
Idlib Governorate is one of the fourteen governorates of Syria. It is situated in northwestern Syria, bordering Turkey. Its area depends on sources - estimated vary from 5,933 km² to 6,097 km². The Governorate has a population of 1,464,000...
. Aleppo
Aleppo
Aleppo is the largest city in Syria and the capital of Aleppo Governorate, the most populous Syrian governorate. With an official population of 2,301,570 , expanding to over 2.5 million in the metropolitan area, it is also one of the largest cities in the Levant...
is located in the north-center of the plateau.
Boundaries
The Aleppo plateau lies immediately north of the Palmyra mountain belt. To the east it is bounded by the EuphratesEuphrates
The Euphrates is the longest and one of the most historically important rivers of Western Asia. Together with the Tigris, it is one of the two defining rivers of Mesopotamia...
river valley, which sperates it from the Jazirah plateau. To the west it is bounded by the northern half of the Dead Sea Rift, namely the Orontes river valley. The Aintab plateau
Aintab plateau
Aintab plateau or Gaziantep plateau is a low, gently undulating plateau that forms the westernmost part of the Southeastern Anatolia Region in Turkey. It forms the northwestern end of the Arabian Plate where it meets the Anatolian Plate at the East Anatolian Fault. The plateau lies in the Turkish...
froms a northern continuation of the plateau that leads to the Taurus Mountains
Taurus Mountains
Taurus Mountains are a mountain complex in southern Turkey, dividing the Mediterranean coastal region of southern Turkey from the central Anatolian Plateau. The system extends along a curve from Lake Eğirdir in the west to the upper reaches of the Euphrates and Tigris rivers in the east...
.
Description
The average elevation of the plateau is 400 m. The surface gradually slopes down in north-south and west-east directions. The surface undulates gently with an amplitude of 10-30 m for each wave. The lowlands are covered with combined PaleozoicPaleozoic
The Paleozoic era is the earliest of three geologic eras of the Phanerozoic eon, spanning from roughly...
and Mesozoic
Mesozoic
The Mesozoic era is an interval of geological time from about 250 million years ago to about 65 million years ago. It is often referred to as the age of reptiles because reptiles, namely dinosaurs, were the dominant terrestrial and marine vertebrates of the time...
sediments that average 4-5 km in thickness over the whole surface.
Starting from the valley of the Euphrates, the terrain rises forming the Manbij plain
Manbij plain
Manbij plain is a vast plain on the eastern Aleppo plateau in northern Syria and southeastern Turkey. The plain runs along the western bank of river Euphrates for approximately 140 km from Nizip to Maskanah, with an average width of 15–30 km...
and then sinks again at the Dhahab river
Dhahab River
Dhahab River or Dhahab Valley , also in medieval times known as Buṭnān Valley , is an intermittent river in northern Syria.The river is located on the Aleppo plateau in the eastern part of Aleppo Governorate, 30 km east of Aleppo...
valley in the east of Aleppo Governorate
Aleppo Governorate
Aleppo Governorate is one of the fourteen governorates of Syria. It is the most populous governorate in Syria with a population of more than 4,744,000 , almost 23% of the total population of Syria. The governorate is the fifth in area with an area of 18,482 km², about 10% of the total area of...
. The Dhahab drains the highlands north of Bāb
Al-Bab
Al-Bāb is a Syrian city administratively belonging to the Aleppo Governorate. Al Bab is located northeast of Aleppo and has an area of 30 km². Al-Bab has an altitude of 471 meters. It has a population of 144,705 as of 2007, making it the 8th largest city per geographical entity in Syria...
and runs in a north-south direction for about 50 km until it drains into Lake Jabboul. West of the Dhahab valley the terrain rises again forming Mount ʻAqīl (Mount Taymar) (534 m) west of Bāb and Mount Ḥaṣṣ (550 m) west of Lake Jabboul. The terrain sinks again forming the valley of River Quwēq. The endpoint of Quwēq, the Maṭkh swamp (249 m), is the lowest point in Aleppo Governorate. West of the Quwēq is Mount Simeon. South of Mount Simeon are the plains of Idlib
Idlib Governorate
Idlib Governorate is one of the fourteen governorates of Syria. It is situated in northwestern Syria, bordering Turkey. Its area depends on sources - estimated vary from 5,933 km² to 6,097 km². The Governorate has a population of 1,464,000...
. River ʻIfrīn
Afrin River
The Afrin River is a tributary of the Orontes River in Turkey and Syria. It rises in the Kartal Mountains in Gaziantep Province, Turkey, flows south through the city of Afrin in Syria, then reenters Turkey. It joins the Karasu at the site of the former Lake Amik, and its waters now flow to the...
runs west of Mount Simeon. To the west of River ʻIfrīn the land rises again forming Mount Kurd
Kurd-Dagh
Kurd-Dagh or Kurd Mountain , also called Aleppo Mountain , is a highland region in northwestern Syria and southeastern Turkey. It is located in the Aleppo Governorate of Syria and Kilis Province of Turkey.-Location and description:Mount Kurd is part of the Limestone Massif of northwestern Syria...
. River ʻIfrīn runs from north to south between Mount Simeon and Mount Kurd and then turns west to the Orontes valley, thus separating Mount Kurd from Mount Ḥārim
Harim Mountains
Ḥārim Mountains are highlands in the north of Idlib Governorate in northwestern Syria. The mountains are located in the Ḥārim and Jisr Shuġūr districts of Idlib Governorate.-Location and description:...
to the south. Mount Ḥārim is separated from Mount Zāwiya
Zawiya Mountain
Mount Zāwiya or Mount Rīḥā is a highland region in Idlib Governorate in northwestern Syria.-Location and description:...
to the south by the Rouj plain, which leads to the Ghab plain
Ghab plain
The Ghab plain is a fertile depression in northwest Syria. The valley was flooded for centuries by the waters of the Orontes River, which transformed it into a swamp...
in the Orontes valley. The highlands of the western Aleppo plateau are collectively known as the Limestone Massif
Limestone Massif
The Limestone Massif or Belus Massif is a name applied to the highlands on the weastern part of the Aleppo plateau in northwestern Syria. The Massif is famed for having the Dead Cities of Syria....
.
The southeastern portioh of the plateau is an arid steppe that forms the northern tip of the Syrian Desert
Syrian Desert
The Syrian Desert , also known as the Syro-Arabian desert is a combination of steppe and true desert that is located in the northern Arabian Peninsula covering 200,000 square miles . also the desert is very rocky and flat...
. The rest of the plateau is generally fertile, especially the northwest. The plateau is generally deforested except for a dispersed forest of about 50 km² on the eastern slope of Mount Kurd where it faces the plain of Aʻzāz
A'zaz
Azaz is a small town in Syria, roughly 20 miles north-northwest of Aleppo . It is most notable for being the site of the Battle of Azaz between the Crusader States and the Seljuk Turks on June 11, 1125.-History:...
. The main trees in the region are Aleppo Pine
Aleppo Pine
Pinus halepensis, commonly known as the Aleppo Pine, is a pine native to the Mediterranean region. Their range extends from Morocco and Spain north to southern France, Italy and Croatia, and east to Greece and northern Tunisia, and Libya, with an outlying population in Syria, Lebanon, southern...
and oak
Oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
.