Ira, Suwayda
Ira
عرى Areh, 'Ara, Era, Ora | |
|---|---|
Village | |
  Ira | |
| Coordinates: 32°37′2″N 36°31′53″E / 32.61722°N 36.53139°E | |
| Grid position | 294/225 |
| Country |  Syria |
| Governorate | Suwayda |
| District | Suwayda |
| Subdistrict | Suwayda |
| Population (2004) | |
• Total | 6,136 |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (EET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+3 (EEST) |
Ira (Arabic: عرى; also spelled Areh, ′Ara, Era or Ora) is a village in southeastern Syria, administratively part of the Suwayda District of the Suwayda Governorate, located south of Suwayda. According to the 2004 census, it had a population of 6,136.[1] Its inhabitants are predominantly Druze, with a Christian and Sunni Muslim Bedouin minorities.[2] It is one of the villages of the Jabal al-Druze region.[3]
History
[edit]In 1596 the village appeared under the name of "Timri" in the Ottoman tax registers as part of the nahiya (subdistrict) of Bani Nasiyya in the Qadaa of Hauran. It had a Muslim population consisting of twenty-five households and fourteen bachelors, and a Christian population of five households. They paid a fixed tax-rate of 40% on agricultural products, including wheat, barley, summer crops, goats and beehives, in addition to occasional revenues; the taxes totaled 16,000 akçe.[4]
In 1838 'Ira was reported to be populated with Druze and Antiochian Greek Christians.[5]
'Ira was resettled by Druze migrants in the early 19th century. It was controlled by the Al Hamdan family, who used it as a secondary headquarters. The Al Hamdan were ousted from 'Ira in 1857 by Ismail al-Atrash. This marked the consolidation of Bani al-Atrash supremacy in Jabal Hauran over the Al Hamdan.[6] Following Ismail's death in 1869, his son Ibrahim became head of the family and was recognized by Rashid Pasha, governor of Damascus, as governor of 'Ira.[7] His brother succeeded him in 1883 and based himself in 'Ira. The village was attacked by Ruwala tribesmen in 1893 during hostilities between the Bani al-Atrash and the Ottomans. Four residents were killed.[8]
Demographics
[edit]In 2011, the Melkite Greek Catholic Church had approximately 600 believers.[9]
Religious buildings
[edit]- St. Elias (St. Elijah) Greek Orthodox Church[10]
- St. George Melkite Greek Catholic Church[11]
- Jesus the Light of the World National Evangelical Christian Union Church[12]
- Mosque
- Druze Shrine
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "General Census of Population 2004". Archived from the original on 8 December 2015. Retrieved 2014-07-10.
- ^ "Druze communities in the Middle East". British Druze Society. Archived from the original on September 11, 2011.
- ^ Balanche, Fabrice (2017-05-15). Atlas of the Near East: State Formation and the Arab-Israeli Conflict, 1918-2010. BRILL. ISBN 978-90-04-34518-8.
- ^ Hütteroth and Abdulfattah, 1977, p. 219
- ^ Smith, in Robinson and Smith, 1841, vol 3, 2nd appendix, p. 158
- ^ Firro 1992, p. 189.
- ^ Firro 1992, p. 194.
- ^ Firro 1992, p. 229.
- ^ https://www.melkitepat.org/melkite_greek_catholic_church/Metropole-of-Bosra-and-Hauran
- ^ https://albishara.net/church/details/3122
- ^ https://www.melkitepat.org/melkite_greek_catholic_church/Metropole-of-Bosra-and-Hauran
- ^ https://albishara.net/church/details/3145
Bibliography
[edit]- Firro, Kais (1992). A History of the Druzes, Volume 1. Brill. ISBN 90-04-09437-7.
- Hütteroth, W.-D.; Abdulfattah, K. (1977). Historical Geography of Palestine, Transjordan and Southern Syria in the Late 16th Century. Erlanger Geographische Arbeiten, Sonderband 5. Erlangen, Germany: Vorstand der Fränkischen Geographischen Gesellschaft. ISBN 3-920405-41-2.
- Robinson, E.; Smith, E. (1841). Biblical Researches in Palestine, Mount Sinai and Arabia Petraea: A Journal of Travels in the year 1838. Vol. 3. Boston: Crocker & Brewster.
External links
[edit]- Map of the town, Google Maps
Capital: Suwayda | |||||||||||||||
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