Maskanah

Town in Aleppo, Syria

Maskanah مسكنة
Town
35°57′47″N 38°02′08″E / 35.963158°N 38.035566°E / 35.963158; 38.035566
Country	Syria
Governorate	Aleppo
District	Manbij
Subdistrict	Maskanah
Population (2004 census)^[1]
• Total	15,477
Time zone	UTC+2 (EET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+3 (EEST)

Maskanah (Arabic: مَسْكَنَة), also spelled Meskene, is a town in northern Syria, administratively part of the Manbij District of the Aleppo Governorate. The town is located 100 kilometres (62 mi) southeast of Aleppo on the Lake Assad part of the Euphrates. Nearby localities include Dayr Hafir, Humaymah Kabirah and Tell Ayoub to the northwest and al-Thawrah to the southeast. According to the Syria Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), Maskanah had a population of 15,477 in the 2004 census.^[1] The Syrian government took control of Maskanah on 3 June 2017.^[2]

History

The Bronze Age city of Emar lies a few kilometres north of the present town. The earliest mention of Maskanah comes through Stephanus of Byzantium where it is mentioned in the context of Septimius Severus's campaigns against the Parthian Empire.^[3]

After the Muslim conquest of Syria, the town was overshadowed by the nearby Balis. The region was under the lordship of the rulers of Aleppo until the 12th century when the Atabegs of Mosul started asserting more control. The area was devastated by the Mongol invasions in the 13th and 14th centuries.^[3] In 1210, during Ayyubid rule, the al-Adil Minaret was constructed. The brick structure was built in the simple, Persian architectural style. It was restored during Hafez al-Assad's rule (1970-2000) and is one last historic architectural remains in the town.^[4]

During Ottoman times, the area was mostly inhabited by nomadic tribes.^[3] In 1838 Maskanah was classified as a ruined village ("khirba") by Biblical scholar Eli Smith.^[5] The cultivable lands of the Aleppo Vilayet, including Maskanah, were confiscated in 1876 by Sultan Abdulhamid II as his own personal property. The lands were later integrated back into the state as public property. In 1915 the town was visited by orientalist Alois Musil who mentions the town having barracks, a large khan, and the residence of the head of the telegraph service.^[3] A year later, Maskanah became a major deportation route during the Armenian genocide where an estimated 80,000 Armenians died.^[6]

Under the French mandate, the town was the center of a qadaa, and served as a center for milk production and cattle merchants. In 1945 the village had 430 inhabitants.^[3]

On 3 June 2017, the city was captured by the Syrian Armed Forces from ISIL.

Tribes

The pre-Islamic Hadidin tribe is attested in the region of Maskanah through a tomb of Shaykh Hadid, a venerated ancestor of the tribe. After the Muslim conquest, the area was continuously inhabited by the Anizzah and Banu Bakr tribes. The 17th and 18th centuries saw another wave of migration to the area by the Anizzah. Nowadays, the region is mostly composed of the Anizzah and Shammar tribes.^[3]

Geography

The town lies on the left bank of the Euphrates in an area where the river bends eastwards due to a Pleistocene terrace. The town's distance to the river has varied over the years due to changes in the river's bed.^[3] Maskanah lies on the border between the Syrian Desert to the south, and the northern fertile Manbij Plain.^[3]

References

Notes

^ ^a ^b General Census of Population and Housing 2004. Syria Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS). Aleppo Governorate. (in Arabic)
^ "Syrian Army liberates Maskanah, ISIL expelled from Aleppo". Al-Masdar. 3 June 2017.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h Elisséeff, N. (2012). "Maskana". Encyclopaedia of Islam, Second Edition. Brill Online. Retrieved 29 December 2012.
^ Al-'Adil Minaret. Archnet Digital Library.
^ Smith, 1841, p. 174.
^ Kévorkian, Raymond H. (2010). The Armenian genocide : a complete history (Reprinted. ed.). London: I. B. Tauris. p. 656. ISBN 978-1848855618.

Bibliography

Smith, Eli; Robinson, Edward (1841). Biblical Researches in Palestine, Mount Sinai and Arabia Petraea: A Journal of Travels in the Year 1838. Vol. 3. Crocker and Brewster.

Cities and towns of Syria

Governorate centres

District centres

Sub-district centres

Aleppo Governorate

Capital: Aleppo

Mount Simeon District

Mount Simeon Subdistrict	Aleppo Abtin Assan Ayn al-Kabira Azzan Duwayr al-Zaytun Haddadin Hilan Hreibel Kafr Saghir Khan Tuman Maghayer Khan Tuman Maratat al-Muslimiyah al-Muslimiyah al-Muslimiyah al-Shamaliyah Qarras Rasm Assan Saqlaya Siefat Tell Shair Samaan Tell Shughayb al-Dhahabiyah al-Wadihi
Tell ad-Daman‎ Subdistrict	Tell al-Daman Abu Rweil Ameriyeh Arjel Atshana Sharqiya Atshana Gharbiya Ballas Ballas al-Jadida Batranah Burda Buwaida Saghira Deir Saliba Hmeidi Hober Jubb Aleis Kafr Obeid al-Mintar Mreiqes Oweinat Kabira Rasm al-Mofakker Tabara al-Khusheir Um al-Karamel
Haritan Subdistrict	Haritan Anadan Babis Bashkoy Hayyan Fah Kafr Bssin Kafr Hamrah Maarat al-Artiq Naqqarin Shaykh Najjar Shaykh Zayat Shamer Yaqed al-Adas
Darat Izza Subdistrict	Darat Izza Bshantara Basrtun Bishqatin Kafrantin al-Hoteh Hur Injarah Irhab Qabtan al-Jabal al-Sakhriyah Taqad
al-Hadher Subdistrict	al-Hadher al-Eiss Dalamah Jmeimeh Maryamin Samaan Tell Dadin
al-Zirbah Subdistrict	al-Zirbah Abad Arada Banes Barnah Barqum Bawabiyah Humayrah Huweir al-Eiss Jazraya Jubb Kas Kassibeh Othmaniya Kabira Rasm al-Eiss Talafeh Tell Allush Tell Hidyah Zitan Ziyara Samaan
Zammar Subdistrict	Zammar

Azaz District

Azaz Subdistrict	Azaz al-Fayruziyah Jarez Kafr Kalbin Kafr Khasher Kaljibrin Al-Krum Ma'arin al-Malikiyah Maraanaz Menagh Nayarah Naddah al-Salameh Shamarikh Shamarin Sijaraz Tatiyah Tulayl ash-Sham Yahmul
Akhtarin Subdistrict	Akhtarin Ablah Aq Burhan Arshaf Bahwartah Baruza Dabiq Dudyan Duweidan Ghaytun Ghurur Ka'ibah Kadrish Qabtan Qar Kalbin Taanah Tal'ar Gharbi Tal'ar Sharqi Tall Battal Tall Tanah Tat Hims Turkman Bareh Ziadiyah
Tell Rifaat Subdistrict	Tell Rifaat Ahras Deir Jamal Kafr Naseh Kafr Naya Shaykh Issa Tell Jabin
Mare' Subdistrict	Mare' Fafin Herbel Ma'arat Umm Hawsh Sunbul Talalin Tell Qarah
Nubl Subdistrict	Nubl Bayanoun Mayer Ratyan al-Zahraa
Sawran Subdistrict	Sawran Baraghida Bel Duwaybiq Hawar Kilis Ihtaimlat al-Judaydah Kafra Kafr Burayshah Kafr Shoush Murayghil Rael Shuwayrin al-Yaarubiyah al-Yamamah Az-Zahiriyah Zayzafun

Afrin District

Afrin Subdistrict	Afrin Ain Dara Awlad al-Arab Barad Baselhaya Basuta Basufan Beit Adin Burj Abdullah Inab Kafr Nabu Kalota Kimar Maryamin Oqayba Qibar
Bulbul Subdistrict	Bulbul Burj Haider Darmashkanli Deir Ballut Fafertin Jalbul Karzahayel
Jandairis Subdistrict	Jindires Jalamah Kafr Safra
Maabatli Subdistrict	Maabatli
Rajo Subdistrict	Rajo Meidan Ekbis
Sharran Subdistrict	Sharran Qatma
Shaykh al-Hadid Subdistrict	Shaykh al-Hadid

Atarib District

Atarib Subdistrict	Atarib al-Abzamo Batibo al-Jinah
Ibbin Samaan Subdistrict	Ibbin Samaan Kafr Halab Kafr Karmin Kafr Naha Kafr Nasih al-Atarib Kafr Nuran Maarat Atarib Awayjil al-Sahharah al-Shaykh Ali
Urum al-Kubra Subdistrict	Urum al-Kubra Urum al-Sughra

Ayn al-Arab District

Ayn al-Arab Subdistrict	Ayn al-Arab al-Farazdaq al-Haqel Jaadat al-Samaawat
al-Jalbiyah Subdistrict	al-Jalbiyah Jubb Faraj Kabir Mil Qibbah Qinayah Ramilah Ras al-Ayn Qibli
Sarrin Subdistrict	Sarrin Shuyukh Fawqani
Shuyukh Tahtani Subdistrict	Shuyukh Tahtani Tell Abyad Tahtani

Al-Bab District

Al-Bab Subdistrict	al-Bab Abu Jabbar Abu Taltal Ameriyeh
Arima Subdistrict	Arima Arran Barlahin Bizaah al-Burj Deir Qaq Haddabat Haji Kusa Hezwan Kherbet Kiyar Maran Oweishiyeh Qabbasin
Al-Rai Subdistrict	Al-Rai Sosyan
Tadef Subdistrict	Tadef Tell Rahal al-Waqf

Dayr Hafir District

Dayr Hafir Subdistrict	Dayr Hafir Humaymah Kabirah al-Jabbul Umm el-Marra
Kuweires Sharqi Subdistrict	Kuweires Sharqi Mazburah al-Raa'i Rasm al-Abed
Rasm Harmil al-Imam Subdistrict	Rasm Harmil al-Imam Shaykh Ahmad Tell Ayoub

Jarabulus District

Jarabulus Subdistrict	Jarabulus al-Bir Fawqani al-Bir Tahtani al-Hajaliah al-Haluwaniyah al-Jamel Amarnah Ayn al-Bayda Balaban Dabis Haymar Jarabulus Tahtani Marma al-Hajar Mazaalah Qandariyah Qirata Qirq Maghar Umm Rutha Tahtani Yusuf Bayk Zugharah
Ghandoura Subdistrict	Ghandoura Al-Kuliya Al-Shahid Al-Qadi Arab Azzah Belis Fursan Jubb al-Dam Lilawa Nabghah Tell Aghbar‎ Tell Hajar Qubbat at-Turkuman al-Suwaydah

Manbij District

Manbij Subdistrict	Manbij
Abu Kahf Subdistrict	Abu Kahf
Abu Qilqil Subdistrict	Abu Qilqil Arab Hassan Kabir Awsajli Kabir Dakhirah Dandaniya Hamir Labidah Hayyah Kabirah Jubb Hamza
Al-Khafsah Subdistrict	Al-Khafsah Khan al-Humr al-Maamurah al-Mahsanah Khafsah
Maskanah Subdistrict	Maskanah Mallah Mujammaa Huttin al-Nasiriyah Fawqani Qashlat Yusef Basha Ras al-Ayn al-Bumane' Saan al-Ghazal al-Tadamon Talhuthan Tell Aswad Tell Akhdar Tishrin al-Zahirah Zunqul

As-Safira District

As-Safira Subdistrict	as-Safira Abu Jurayn al-Safirah Aqrabah
Banan Subdistrict	Banan
al-Hajib Subdistrict	al-Hajib Hawwaz
Khanasir Subdistrict	Khanasir Qulayaa Rasm Al-Nafl al-Samiriyah Tat
Tell Aran Subdistrict	Tell Aran Tell Hasil Zira'ah