Al-Hawash, Homs
Al-Hawash
الحواش | |
|---|---|
 Al-Hawash skyline | |
  Al-Hawash Location in Syria | |
| Coordinates:34°45′53″N36°19′8″E/ 34.76472°N 36.31889°E | |
| Country |  Syria |
| Governorate | Homs |
| District | Talkalakh |
| Subdistrict | Hawash |
| Population (2004) | |
| • Total | 4,067 |
Al-Hawash(Arabic:الحواش/ALA-LC:al-Ḥwāsh) is aGreek OrthodoxChristianstown in northwesternSyria,administratively belonging to theHoms Governorate.Nearby towns includeal-HusnandMarmaritato the west,Shinto the east andTalkalakhto the southwest. According to theCentral Bureau of Statistics(CBS) Hawash had a population of 4,067 in 2004.[1]Its inhabitants are predominantlyChristians,much like most of the villages in the area. The village has twoGreek Orthodox Churchand aGreek Catholic Church.[2][3]
Its location in the midst of a coniferous mountain makes it a popular and favored summer destination. Hawash is the largest village inWadi al-Nasara( "Valley of Christians" ) region.[4]It is an important historic site and used to be a popular tourist attraction before the outbreak of theSyrian civil war.
Etymology
[edit]The nameHawashis derived fromHoshewhich is Arabic for "Corsage"or place of flowers.[5] It has been also suggested thatWashis a word form an oldSyriac languagewhich mean 'the good soil'.
History
[edit]Al-Hawash is said to date to the 18th-century. Along with many other villages in the area, the earliest inhabitants of Hawash had immigrated from the southernHauranplain. It has buildings built as early as the late 17th century.[6]
In 1838, the villagers were noted as beingGreek OrthodoxChristians.[7]
References
[edit]- ^General Census of Population and Housing 2004.Syria Central Bureau of Statistics(CBS). Homs Governorate.(in Arabic)
- ^"الموسوعة المسيحية العربية الإلكترونية".
- ^"الموسوعة المسيحية العربية الإلكترونية".
- ^http:// alhwash.orgArchived2009-07-17 at theWayback MachineAlhwash Team
- ^'Hwash My Love' Book
- ^Ancient Civilasation History (part 2)
- ^Smith,in Robinson and Smith, 1841, vol 3, 2nd appendix, p.181
Bibliography
[edit]External links
[edit]- Alhwash's official website
- Al-Wadi International University
- HPU Al-hwash Private University
- Alhwash In Wikimapia
