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Daraa

Coordinates:32°37′31″N36°6′22″E/ 32.62528°N 36.10611°E/32.62528; 36.10611
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This article is about the city in Syria. For the river in Morocco, seeDraa River.For the traditional Quranic schools in Senegal, seeDaara.For other uses, seeDara (disambiguation).
Daraa
دَرْعَا
City
Daraa in 2008
Daraa in 2008
Daraa is located in Syria
Daraa
Daraa
Coordinates:32°37′N36°6′E/ 32.617°N 36.100°E/32.617; 36.100
Grid position253/224PAL
CountrySyria
GovernorateDaraa
DistrictDaraa
SubdistrictDaraa
Government
•GovernorLouay Khareta[1]
Elevation
435 m (1,427 ft)
Population
(2004 census)[2]
• City97,969
•Metro
146,481
Demonym(s)Arabic:درعاوي,romanized:Darʿāwi
Time zoneUTC+2(EET)
• Summer (DST)UTC+3(EEST)
Area code15
GeocodeC5993
Websitehttp://www.esyria.sy/edaraa/
Location of Daraa city in the namesake district and governorate.

Daraa(Arabic:دَرْعَا,romanized:Darʿā,Levantine Arabic:[ˈdarʕa],alsoDarʿā,Dara’a,Deraa,Dera'a,Dera,DerʿāandEdrei;means "fortress",compareDura-Europos) is a city in southwesternSyria,located about 13 kilometres (8.1 mi) north of theborderwithJordan.It is the capital ofDaraa Governorate,historically part of the ancientHauranregion. The city is located about 90 kilometres (56 mi) south ofDamascuson the Damascus–Amman highway, and is used as a stopping station for travelers. Nearby localities includeUmm al-MayazenandNasibto the southeast,Al-Naimahto the east,Atamanto the north, al-Yadudah to the northwest andRamtha, Jordan,to the southwest.

According to theSyrian Central Bureau of Statistics,Daraa had a population of 97,969 in the 2004 census. It is the administrative center of anahiyah( "sub-district" ) which contains eight localities with a collective population of 146,481 in 2004.[2]Its inhabitants are predominantlySunni Muslims.[3]

Daraa became known as the "cradle of the revolution"[4]after protests at the arrest of 15 boys from prominent families for painting graffiti with anti-government slogans[5]sparked the beginning of the2011 Syrian Revolution.[6]

History

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Ancient history

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Daraa is an ancient city dating back to theCanaanites.It was mentioned in Egyptian hieroglyphic tablets at the time of the PharaohThutmose IIIbetween 1490 and 1436 BC. It was known in those days as the city ofAtharaa.It was later referred to in theHebrew BibleasEdreiorEdre'i(אֶדְרֶעִי),[7]the capital ofBashan,site of a battle where theIsraelitesdefeated the city's king,Og.[8]According to Jewish tradition,Eldad and Medadwere buried in Edrei.[9]

Classical era

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In the GreekSeleucid Empire,and later theRoman Empireinto which it was incorporated byTrajanin 106, the city was known asAdraa(Ἀδράα),[10]the name used on its coinage.[11][12]It was incorporated into the province ofArabia Petraea.[13]

By the 3rd-century, it gained the status of apolis(self-governed city). Roman historianEusebiusreferred to it byAdraacalling it a famouspolisof Arabia.[8][14]The area east of Adraa was a centre of theEbionites.[15][16]Adraa itself was aChristianbishopric.Arabio, the first bishop of Adraa whose name is now known, participated in theCouncil of Seleuciaof 359. Uranius was at theFirst Council of Constantinoplein 381; Proclus at the anti-Eutychessynod of Constantinople in 448 and theCouncil of Chalcedonin 451; and Dorimenius at theSecond Council of Constantinoplein 553.[17][18]No longer a residential bishopric, Adraa is today listed by theCatholic Churchas atitular see.[19]It was also a centre of monastic and missionary activity in theSyrian Desert.

In 614, theSasanian Persianssacked Adraa during theByzantine–Sasanian War of 602–628,but spared the inhabitants.[13]

Islamic era

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According toIbn Hishamandal-Waqidi,9th-century biographers of the Islamic prophetMuhammad,the JewishBanu NadirandBanu Qaynuqatribes immigrated to Adhri'at following their expulsion fromMedina.However, HistorianMoshe Sharondismisses that assertion citing the absence of their claims in any Jewish sources and earlier Muslim reports.[13]Situated between the major Jewish centres ofPalestineandBabylonia,Adhri'at nonetheless had a large Jewish population by the early 7th century and served as a place of Jewish learning. Its residents lit an annual bonfire onRosh Hashannahin a signal to Babylonia's Jewish communities that the religious new year had begun.[13]

Early Muslim historianAhmad al-Baladurilists Adhri'at as one of the towns that surrendered to the Muslim army following theBattle of Mu'tahin 629, whileMuhammadwas alive. Consequently, the inhabitants paidjizyatax.[20]However, Baladhuri's account was believed to have been a mistake. Instead, contemporary sources maintain that Adhri'at was conquered by theRashidun armyduring thecaliphateofAbu Bakrin 634.[21]Adhri'at's residents reportedly celebrated the arrival of the second caliphUmar ibn al-Khattabwhen he visited the city, "dancing with swords and sweet basil."[20]ThroughoutRashidunandUmayyadrule, the city served as the capital of the al-Bathaniyya subdistrict, part of the largerJund Dimashq( "military district of Damascus." )[22]

In 906, the population was massacred in a raid by the rebelliousQarmatians.[20]The late 10th-centuryArabgeographeral-Muqaddasinoted that during theAbbasidperiod, Adhri'at was a major administrative center on the edge of the desert.[23]He claimed the city was part of theJund al-Urdunndistrict and that its territory was "full of villages" and included the region ofJerashto the south of theYarmouk River.[23][24]

Throughout the Middle Ages, it served as a strategic station on thehajjcaravan route betweenDamascusandMedinaand as the gate to central Syria. TheCrusadersbriefly conquered Adhri'at, then known asAdratum,[25]during the reign ofBaldwin II of Jerusalemin 1118.[26]

According toYaqut al-Hamawi,in the early 13th-century duringAyyubidrule,Adhri'ahwas "celebrated for the many learned men who were natives of the place."[23]

Later, under theMamluksand theOttomans,the city maintained its importance.[25]In 1596 Daraa appeared in theOttomantax registers asMadinat Idra'aand was part of thenahiyaof Butayna in theQada of Hauran.It had an entirelyMuslimpopulation consisting of 120 households and 45 bachelors. A 40% tax−rate was levied onwheat,barley,summer crops, goats and/or beehives; a total of 26,500akçe.[27]

In 1838,Eli SmithlistedDer'aas a Muslim, Catholic and Greek Orthodox village in the Nukrah region, south ofEshmiskin.[28]

Modern era

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By the 20th-century Adhri'at gained its modern name "Daraa." Following the Ottomans' construction of theHejaz Railway,it became a chief junction of the railroad. In both his bookSeven Pillarsand a 1919 letter to a military colleague,[29]T. E. Lawrencedescribes an episode on 20 November 1917 while reconnoitering Deraa in disguise when he was captured by the Ottoman military, heavily beaten, and sexually abused by the localBeyand his guardsmen. During theBattle of Megiddo,Lawrence led theArab Revoltin cutting the southern rail line atMafraq,the northern atTell Arar,and the western byMezerib.[30][31]On 27 September 1918, theArab Northern Armymanaged tocapture Daraafrom the retreating Ottoman forces.[32]

Daraa is the southernmost city of Syria near the border withJordanand a major midpoint between Damascus andAmman.[25]

After the SyrianBa'ath Partygained power following the1963 coup,the new interior ministerAmin al-Hafizappointed Abd al-Rahman al-Khlayfawi as governor of Daraa until 1965.[33] Daraa had recently, before theSyrian Civil War,suffered from reduced water supply in the region and had been straining under the influx of internal refugees who were forced to leave their northeastern lands due to a drought exacerbated by the government's lack of provision.[34]

Syrian Civil War

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See also:Civil uprising phase of the Syrian Civil War,Siege of Daraa,Daraa offensive (February–May 2014),Daraa offensive (February–June 2017),2018 Southern Syria offensive,March 2020 Daraa clashes,and2021 Daraa clashes
Protests in 2013

The city of Daraa played an important role by the start of the2011 uprisingagainst the government led byPresidentBashar al-Assadas part of theArab Springprotests with hundreds of thousands of people protesting in the city.[35]The uprising was sparked on 6 March 2011, when at least 15 youths were arrested and tortured for scrawling graffiti on their school wall denouncing the Assad regime. The family and friends of the detained youths and tens of thousands of locals marched on the streets on 15 March, demanding their release. According to activists, this protest was faced with Syrian security forces opening fire on the protesters killing four people.[36]Protests continued daily.

During this time the local courthouse, the Ba'ath party headquarters in the city, and theSyriatelbuilding owned byRami Makhlouf,a cousin of President Assad, were set on fire. What followed was a government assault on the city as violence continued and intensified all across Syria. On 25 April 2011, theSyrian militarylaunched a large operation in Daraain a crackdown on protesters.[37]The operation lasted until 5 May 2011, killing and arresting tens of thousands of locals in the process.

On 16 February 2012, the Syrian Army reportedly attacked Daraa, shelling the city heavily. This was apparently because, "Daraa has been regaining its role in the uprising. Demonstrations resumed and theFSAprovided security for protests in some parts of the city. "The attack was part of a security force push" to regain control of areas they lost in recent weeks ", indicating that the FSA in Daraa had taken control of parts of the city. Security forces attacked at least three districts, but FSA fighters fought back, firing at Syrian Army roadblocks and buildings housing security police and militiamen.[38]On 14 March 2012, theFSAcontrolled at least one main district in the city of Daraa (Al-Balad district) which made the Syrian army attack it by firing anti-aircraft guns into buildings of the FSA-controlled district.[39]

In early June 2017, much of the city of Daraa was reported to have been destroyed by protracted fighting.[40]On 12 July 2018, the battle for Daraa ended after several days of intense clashes between the Syrian Army and rebel forces, some of which agreed to terms of reconciliation. The Syrian Army retook the city fully.[41]

On 1 March, the2020 Daraa clashesbegan.

Geography

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The city also contains aPalestinian refugee camp,known asDaraa camp.

Climate

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Daraa has acold semi-arid climate(Köppen climate classificationBSk).

Climate data for Dara'a
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 13.3
(55.9) 		14.7
(58.5) 		18.0
(64.4) 		23.6
(74.5) 		28.5
(83.3) 		31.3
(88.3) 		32.6
(90.7) 		32.6
(90.7) 		31.3
(88.3) 		27.8
(82.0) 		21.0
(69.8) 		15.2
(59.4) 		24.2
(75.5)
Daily mean °C (°F) 8.3
(46.9) 		9.4
(48.9) 		12.0
(53.6) 		16.5
(61.7) 		20.5
(68.9) 		23.6
(74.5) 		25.5
(77.9) 		25.6
(78.1) 		23.9
(75.0) 		20.3
(68.5) 		14.4
(57.9) 		9.9
(49.8) 		17.5
(63.5)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 3.2
(37.8) 		4.0
(39.2) 		6.0
(42.8) 		9.3
(48.7) 		12.5
(54.5) 		15.8
(60.4) 		18.3
(64.9) 		18.6
(65.5) 		16.5
(61.7) 		12.8
(55.0) 		7.8
(46.0) 		4.6
(40.3) 		10.8
(51.4)
Averageprecipitationmm (inches) 60.9
(2.40) 		49.4
(1.94) 		42.3
(1.67) 		15.2
(0.60) 		3.4
(0.13) 		1.0
(0.04) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.4
(0.02) 		9.4
(0.37) 		22.9
(0.90) 		45.9
(1.81) 		250.8
(9.88)
Average precipitation days 10 11 7 4 1 0 0 0 0 2 5 8 48
Source:World Meteorological Organization

References

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  1. ^"President al-Assad issues decrees appointing new governors for four Syrian provinces".SANA.2021-11-17.Retrieved2021-11-17.
  2. ^abGeneral Census of Population and Housing 2004Archived2012-07-23 atarchive.today.Syria Central Bureau of Statistics(CBS). Daraa Governorate.(in Arabic)
  3. ^Sterling, Joe.Daraa: The spark that lit the Syrian flame.CNN.2012-03-01.
  4. ^"Three years later, south Syria's Daraa province locked in stalemate".Syria Direct.Retrieved2016-02-17.[permanent dead link]
  5. ^"Syria: How it all began".GlobalPost.Retrieved2016-02-17.
  6. ^"Syria: Crimes Against Humanity in Daraa".Human Rights Watch. June 2011.Retrieved2016-02-17.
  7. ^Numbers 21:33 and Deuteronomy 3:1
  8. ^abNegev, p. 150.
  9. ^Burial Places of the Fathers,published by Yehuda Levi Nahum in book:Ṣohar la-ḥasifat ginzei teiman(Heb.צהר לחשיפת גנזי תימן), Tel-Aviv 1986, p. 253OCLC15417732
  10. ^William Smith,Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography(1864): Adraa
  11. ^Catalogue of the Greek coins in The British Museum.2004.ISBN9785872102076.
  12. ^"Ancient coins of Arabia".snible.org.
  13. ^abcdSharon, 2007, p.68
  14. ^Fergus Millar,The Roman Near East, 31 B.C.-A.D. 337(Harvard University Press 1993ISBN978-0-67477886-3), p. 419
  15. ^Adolf Harnack,The Mission and Expansion of Christianity in the First Three Centuries,Book 4, Chapter 3, section 1
  16. ^Albertus Frederik Johannes Klijn, G. J. Reinink,Patristic Evidence for Jewish-Christian Sects(Brill Archive 1973ISBN978-9-00403763-2), p. 29
  17. ^Michel Lequien,Oriens christianus in quatuor Patriarchatus digestus,Paris 1740, Vol. II, coll. 859-860
  18. ^Siméon Vailhé, v.Adraa,inDictionnaire d'Histoire et de Géographie ecclésiastiques,vol. I, Paris 1909, coll. 592-593
  19. ^Annuario Pontificio 2013(Libreria Editrice Vaticana 2013ISBN978-88-209-9070-1), p. 838
  20. ^abcSharon, 2007, p.69
  21. ^Houtma, 1993, p.135
  22. ^le Strange, 1890, p.34
  23. ^abcle Strange, 1890, p.383
  24. ^le Strange, 1890, p.40
  25. ^abcSharon, 2007, p.70
  26. ^Runciman 1989,p. 146.
  27. ^Hütteroth and Abdulfattah, 1977, p. 214.
  28. ^Smith;in Robinson and Smith, 1841, vol 3, Second appendix, B, p.152.
  29. ^Letter to W.F. Stirling, Deputy Chief Political Officer, Cairo, 28 June 1919, in Brown, 1988.
  30. ^Lawrence, T.E. (1935).Seven Pillars of Wisdom.Garden City: Doubleday, Doran & Company, Inc. pp. 580–583, 635.
  31. ^Faulkner, Neil (2016).Lawrence of Arabia's War: The Arabs, the British and the Remaking of the Middle East in WWI.New Haven: Yale University Press. p. 427-429.ISBN9780300226393.
  32. ^"Revolt's Military Routes in Jordan and Syria".arabrevolt.jo.
  33. ^Moubayed, 2006, p.275
  34. ^Michael Gunning (26 August 2011)."Background to a Revolution".n+1.
  35. ^"Syria to free child prisoners".Al Jazeera.20 Mar 2011.Retrieved20 Mar2011.
  36. ^"Middle East unrest: Three killed at protest in Syria".BBC News.18 March 2011.
  37. ^""We've Never Seen Such Horror" | Human Rights Watch ".Hrw.org. 1 June 2011.Retrieved29 August2013.
  38. ^"Syria live blog Thu, 16 Feb 2012, 06:32".Blogs.aljazeera.net. 16 February 2012. Archived fromthe originalon July 12, 2012.Retrieved29 August2013.
  39. ^"Syria - Mar 14, 2012 - 11:43 | Al Jazeera Blogs".Blogs.aljazeera.net. 14 March 2012. Archived fromthe originalon July 11, 2012.Retrieved20 April2012.
  40. ^Syrian regime jets pound Daraa after rebel attacksTheNewArab, 5 June 2017.
  41. ^"Breaking: Battle for Daraa city ends in decisive victory for Syrian Army".Al-Masdar News.Archived fromthe originalon 30 November 2018.Retrieved12 July2018.

Bibliography

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Further reading

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32°37′31″N36°6′22″E/ 32.62528°N 36.10611°E/32.62528; 36.10611

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