Dayr az-Zawr
Encyclopedia
Deir ez Zor, also spelled Dayr az-Zawr, Der Ezzor, Deir Azzor, and other variants ' onMouseout='HidePop("77667")' href="/topics/Syriac_language">Syriac
: ܕܝܪܐ ܙܥܘܪܬܐ, , , Ter Zor), is the largest city in northeastern Syria
on the Euphrates River and capital of the Deir ez-Zor Governorate
, 450 km to the northeast from the capital Damascus
. As in 2009, there were around 511,000 people living in the metropolitan area of the city.
secluded monasteries spread since the persecution times and Apostolic Age
throughout Mesopotamia. Although Deir, which is Arabic for "monastery", thought to be kept throughout Medieval and Modern Age
renaming, Zor, which indicates the riverbank bush, appeared only in some late Ottoman records
.
in 1867 around the pre-existing town. In 1915, the city became a major destination point
in the Armenian Genocide
; This had been the largest destination of Armenians killed in the Armenian Genocide. A memorial
commemorating this tragedy was erected in the city in 1991. France
occupied Deir ez-Zor in 1921 and made it the seat of a large garrison. Meanwhile, the region was locally ruled by Haj-Fadel Abboud, a member of an aristocratic family. In 1941 British-led forces defeated the Vichy French during the Syria-Lebanon campaign
, which included a battle over Deir, and they handed administration of the region to the Free French. In 1946 it became part of the independent Republic of Syria.
Deir ez-Zor is situated 85 km to the northwest of the archaeological remains of Dura-Europos
and 120 km northwest of the remains of the ancient city of Mari
. During Roman
times it was an important trading post between the Roman Empire
and India
. Conquered by Zenobia
, it became part of the kingdom of Palmyra
. After a successive wave of conquests, it was finally destroyed by the Mongols
as they swept across the Middle East
.
institutions work there as well.
Since the discovery of light crude petroleum
in the Syrian desert
it has become a centre for the country's petroleum extraction industry. It is also a minor centre for tourism with many tourist facilities such as traditional French-style riverbank restaurants, up to 5-star hotels, a hub for trans-desert travel and an airport (IATA code: DEZ
) in Al-Jafra suburb. There are salt mine
s nearby.
s of the Syrian Desert
, with few Kurdish
, Armenian and Syriac families. Successive waves of new settlers from surrounding countrysides and provinces were heavily related to severe drought in late 1950s and 1990s most of them looking for standard jobs and giving away farming and herding life-style. North Mesopotamian
dialect of Arabic is used there, with slight influence of the North Syrian
one can be noticed as well. Dominated by Sunni Muslims, Christianity
in Deir ez-Zor can be traced back to the Apostolic Age
, with few churches and chapels belong to different denominations are active there.
The city is also famous for the Deir ez-Zor suspension bridge
which spans the Euphrates and was completed in 1927. The Deir ez-Zor Museum
keeps thousands of antiquities collected from nearby archeological sites in Northern Mesopotamia. Main campuses of Al-Furat University and Al-Jazeera University are also located there. Many other polytechnic schools and professional institutes provides tertiary education are based in the city as well. The local daily newspaper Al Furat and few other publications are published there and circulated in neighboruing Al-Hasakah
and Raqqa governorates.
Deir ez-Zor Airport
is an under-development domestic and international terminal and important hub mostly connecting with Damascus and destinations in the gulf
region.
Syriac language
Syriac is a dialect of Middle Aramaic that was once spoken across much of the Fertile Crescent. Having first appeared as a script in the 1st century AD after being spoken as an unwritten language for five centuries, Classical Syriac became a major literary language throughout the Middle East from...
: ܕܝܪܐ ܙܥܘܪܬܐ, , , Ter Zor), is the largest city in northeastern 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....
on the Euphrates River and capital of the Deir ez-Zor Governorate
Deir ez-Zor Governorate
Deir ez-Zor Governorate or Muhafazah Dayr az Zawr is one of the fourteen governorates of Syria. It is situated in eastern Syria, bordering Iraq. It has an area of 33,060 km² and a population of 1,202,000...
, 450 km to the northeast from the capital Damascus
Damascus
Damascus , commonly known in Syria as Al Sham , and as the City of Jasmine , is the capital and the second largest city of Syria after Aleppo, both are part of the country's 14 governorates. In addition to being one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, Damascus is a major...
. As in 2009, there were around 511,000 people living in the metropolitan area of the city.
Names
Among Syrians and neighbouring regions, Ad-Deir is used for short to indicate Deir ez Zor. The Current name, which has been extended to the region around it, indicates an ancient site for one of the Early ChristianEarly Christianity
Early Christianity is generally considered as Christianity before 325. The New Testament's Book of Acts and Epistle to the Galatians records that the first Christian community was centered in Jerusalem and its leaders included James, Peter and John....
secluded monasteries spread since the persecution times and Apostolic Age
Apostolic Age
The Apostolic Age of the history of Christianity is traditionally the period of the Twelve Apostles, dating from the Crucifixion of Jesus and the Great Commission in Jerusalem until the death of John the Apostle in Anatolia...
throughout Mesopotamia. Although Deir, which is Arabic for "monastery", thought to be kept throughout Medieval and Modern Age
Modern Age
Modern Age is an American conservative academic quarterly journal, founded in 1957 by Russell Kirk in close collaboration with Henry Regnery...
renaming, Zor, which indicates the riverbank bush, appeared only in some late Ottoman records
Deir ez-Zor Vilayet
The Sanjak of Zor was a sanjak of the Ottoman Empire. It was spun off from the Vilayet of Baghdad in 1857.The capital was Deir Ez-Zor, a town on the right bank of the Euphrates, which was also the only considerable town of the sanjak. At the beginning of the 20th century, the sanjak had an area of...
.
History
The modern town was expanded by the Ottoman EmpireOttoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
in 1867 around the pre-existing town. In 1915, the city became a major destination point
Deir ez-Zor Camps
Deir ez-Zor camps were a great "killing center" in the heart of the Syrian desert where many thousands of Armenian refugees were forced into death marches during the Armenian Genocide. The US vice-consul in Aleppo, Jesse B...
in the Armenian Genocide
Armenian Genocide
The Armenian Genocide—also known as the Armenian Holocaust, the Armenian Massacres and, by Armenians, as the Great Crime—refers to the deliberate and systematic destruction of the Armenian population of the Ottoman Empire during and just after World War I...
; This had been the largest destination of Armenians killed in the Armenian Genocide. A memorial
Armenian Genocide Memorial Church (Der Zor)
Armenian Genocide Martyrs' Memorial in Deir ez-Zor, Syria, is a complex dedicated to the memory of the victims of the Armenian Genocide. The construction of the memorial started in December 1989 and completed in November 1990. The Consecration of the complex took place in 4 May 1991 by His...
commemorating this tragedy was erected in the city in 1991. France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
occupied Deir ez-Zor in 1921 and made it the seat of a large garrison. Meanwhile, the region was locally ruled by Haj-Fadel Abboud, a member of an aristocratic family. In 1941 British-led forces defeated the Vichy French during the Syria-Lebanon campaign
Syria-Lebanon campaign
The Syria–Lebanon campaign, also known as Operation Exporter, was the Allied invasion of Vichy French-controlled Syria and Lebanon, in June–July 1941, during World War II. Time Magazine referred to the fighting as a "mixed show" while it was taking place and the campaign remains little known, even...
, which included a battle over Deir, and they handed administration of the region to the Free French. In 1946 it became part of the independent Republic of Syria.
Deir ez-Zor is situated 85 km to the northwest of the archaeological remains of Dura-Europos
Dura-Europos
Dura-Europos , also spelled Dura-Europus, was a Hellenistic, Parthian and Roman border city built on an escarpment 90 m above the right bank of the Euphrates river. It is located near the village of Salhiyé, in today's Syria....
and 120 km northwest of the remains of the ancient city of Mari
Mari, Syria
Mari was an ancient Sumerian and Amorite city, located 11 kilometers north-west of the modern town of Abu Kamal on the western bank of Euphrates river, some 120 km southeast of Deir ez-Zor, Syria...
. During Roman
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
times it was an important trading post between the Roman Empire
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
and India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. Conquered by Zenobia
Zenobia
Zenobia was a 3rd-century Queen of the Palmyrene Empire in Roman Syria. She led a famous revolt against the Roman Empire. The second wife of King Septimius Odaenathus, Zenobia became queen of the Palmyrene Empire following Odaenathus' death in 267...
, it became part of the kingdom of Palmyra
Palmyra
Palmyra was an ancient city in Syria. In the age of antiquity, it was an important city of central Syria, located in an oasis 215 km northeast of Damascus and 180 km southwest of the Euphrates at Deir ez-Zor. It had long been a vital caravan city for travellers crossing the Syrian desert...
. After a successive wave of conquests, it was finally destroyed by the Mongols
Mongol Empire
The Mongol Empire , initially named as Greater Mongol State was a great empire during the 13th and 14th centuries...
as they swept across the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
.
Climate
Economy
The city and its rural surrounding is a fertile and prosperous farming area, with livestock-breeding (for awassi sheep), cereals and cotton crops. Many agribusinessAgribusiness
In agriculture, agribusiness is a generic term for the various businesses involved in food production, including farming and contract farming, seed supply, agrichemicals, farm machinery, wholesale and distribution, processing, marketing, and retail sales....
institutions work there as well.
Since the discovery of light crude petroleum
Petroleum
Petroleum or crude oil is a naturally occurring, flammable liquid consisting of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons of various molecular weights and other liquid organic compounds, that are found in geologic formations beneath the Earth's surface. Petroleum is recovered mostly through oil drilling...
in 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...
it has become a centre for the country's petroleum extraction industry. It is also a minor centre for tourism with many tourist facilities such as traditional French-style riverbank restaurants, up to 5-star hotels, a hub for trans-desert travel and an airport (IATA code: DEZ
Deir ez-Zor Airport
Deir ez-Zor Airport is an airport serving Deir ez-Zor, a city in northeastern Syria.Due to the city's close proximity to the Iraqi border and a recent Israeli military attack on a suspected nuclear facility nearby, foreign travellers to this airport can expect close attention by Syrian security...
) in Al-Jafra suburb. There are salt mine
Salt mine
A salt mine is a mining operation involved in the extraction of rock salt or halite from evaporite deposits.-Occurrence:Areas known for their salt mines include Kilroot near Carrickfergus, Northern Ireland ; Khewra and Warcha in Pakistan; Tuzla in Bosnia; Wieliczka and Bochnia in Poland A salt mine...
s nearby.
Culture
The majority of Deiries (from Deir ez-Zor) are Arabs, most of them are farmers from Jazira and urbanised bedouinBedouin
The Bedouin are a part of a predominantly desert-dwelling Arab ethnic group traditionally divided into tribes or clans, known in Arabic as ..-Etymology:...
s 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...
, with few Kurdish
Kurdish people
The Kurdish people, or Kurds , are an Iranian people native to the Middle East, mostly inhabiting a region known as Kurdistan, which includes adjacent parts of Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey...
, Armenian and Syriac families. Successive waves of new settlers from surrounding countrysides and provinces were heavily related to severe drought in late 1950s and 1990s most of them looking for standard jobs and giving away farming and herding life-style. North Mesopotamian
North Mesopotamian Arabic
North Mesopotamian Arabic is a variety of Arabic spoken north of the Hamrin Mountains in Iraq, in northwestern Iran in northern Syria, and in southeastern Turkey...
dialect of Arabic is used there, with slight influence of the North Syrian
North Syrian Arabic
North Syrian Arabic is the variety of Arabic spoken in Northern Syria. This dialect is spoken mainly in the region of Aleppo. It is a variant of Levantine Arabic.-External links:*...
one can be noticed as well. Dominated by Sunni Muslims, Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
in Deir ez-Zor can be traced back to the Apostolic Age
Apostolic Age
The Apostolic Age of the history of Christianity is traditionally the period of the Twelve Apostles, dating from the Crucifixion of Jesus and the Great Commission in Jerusalem until the death of John the Apostle in Anatolia...
, with few churches and chapels belong to different denominations are active there.
The city is also famous for the Deir ez-Zor suspension bridge
Deir ez-Zor suspension bridge
The Deir ez-Zor suspension bridge is a suspension bridge in the city of Deir ez-Zor in north-eastern Syria and was built by the French construction company Fougerolle in 1927. It crosses the Euphrates river and connects the Levant with Upper Mesopotamia...
which spans the Euphrates and was completed in 1927. The Deir ez-Zor Museum
Deir ez-Zor Museum
The Deir ez-Zor Museum is a museum devoted to the archaeology and history of northeastern Syria, an area more commonly known as the Jezirah, or Upper Mesopotamia. The museum is located in Deir ez-Zor, the capital of Deir ez-Zor Governorate, Syria. It was founded in 1974 and housed in a gallery of...
keeps thousands of antiquities collected from nearby archeological sites in Northern Mesopotamia. Main campuses of Al-Furat University and Al-Jazeera University are also located there. Many other polytechnic schools and professional institutes provides tertiary education are based in the city as well. The local daily newspaper Al Furat and few other publications are published there and circulated in neighboruing Al-Hasakah
Al-Hasakah
Al-Hasakah...
and Raqqa governorates.
International relations
Deir ez-Zor is home to the third Armenian diplomatic mission in Syria; the Honorary Consulate of the Republic of Armenia, opened on 11 February 2010.Deir ez-Zor Airport
Deir ez-Zor Airport
Deir ez-Zor Airport is an airport serving Deir ez-Zor, a city in northeastern Syria.Due to the city's close proximity to the Iraqi border and a recent Israeli military attack on a suspected nuclear facility nearby, foreign travellers to this airport can expect close attention by Syrian security...
is an under-development domestic and international terminal and important hub mostly connecting with Damascus and destinations in the gulf
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf, in Southwest Asia, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.The Persian Gulf was the focus of the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War, in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers...
region.