Darkush

Darkush

دَرْكُوش
Darkush دَرْكُوش
Town
	Darkush
	Coordinates: 35°59′33″N 36°23′35″E / 35.99250°N 36.39306°E
Country	Syria
Governorate	Idlib Governorate
District	Jisr al-Shughur District
Subdistrict	Darkush Subdistrict
Control	Syrian Salvation Government (Tahrir al-Sham)
Population (2004 census)
• Total	5,295
Time zone	UTC+2 (EET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+3 (EEST)

Darkush (Arabic: دَرْكُوش, romanized: Darkūš; also spelled Darkoush or Derkush) is a town in northern Syria, administratively part of the Idlib Governorate, located northwest of Idlib along the Syrian–Turkish borders on the Orontes River. Nearby localities include al-Janudiyah, Zarzur and al-Najiyah to the southwest, Jisr al-Shughur to the south and Millis and Maarrat Misrin to the east. According to the Syria Central Bureau of Statistics, Darkush had a population of 5,295 in the 2004 census.^[1] The town is also the administrative center of the Darkush nahiyah which consists of 19 villages with a combined population of 23,022.^[1] Its inhabitants are predominantly Sunni Muslims.^[2]

History

An inscription at the town, dating back to Roman times, attests to the existence of a shipwright in the town, building river-going boats to use on the Orontes.^[3] The town also has the remains of an ancient bridge.^[4] The Christianization of the city probably happened after 322.^[5]

During the Crusades, the town was the property of the Principality of Antioch^[4] until it was captured by Saladin in 1188. The town fell back to the Crusaders under Bohemond VI of Antioch and Tripoli in 1260.^[6] The city was finally re-captured by the Mamluk Sultan Baibars in 1267. Nothing remains of the town's Crusader citadel, as it was quarried for building stones.^[4] Darkush was visited by Syrian geographer Yaqut al-Hamawi in the 1220s, during Ayyubid rule. He noted that it was a "fortress near Antâkiyyah, in the 'Awâsim Province."^[7]

On 13 August 1822 the town and its surrounding areas were devastated by a massive earthquake. The earthquake is said to have killed 20,000 people all together.^[8]

Modern era

In the early 1960s it was described a large village of 2,500 residents and "one of the most picturesque" places in the area by geographer and author Robert Boulanger.^[2]

During the ongoing Syrian civil war which started in March 2011, Darkush was captured by anti-government forces in November 2012.^[9] Until then, the town was roughly divided politically with the residents in the northern part supporting the opposition while the south largely supported the government. Damaged buildings formerly belonging to the security forces marked the dividing line between the two sections. By late January 2013, the town was firmly in rebel hands and is used as a launching point for military operations against government-held positions in the mountains to the south.^[10]

Geography

The town of Darkush lies in a wadi in the Orontes River basin, at the foothills of the an-Nusayriyah Mountains.^[11]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c General Census of Population and Housing 2004 Archived 2013-02-06 at the Wayback Machine. Syria Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS). Idlib Governorate. (in Arabic)
^ ^a ^b Boulanger, 1966, p. 476.
^ Butcher, 2004, p. 133.
^ ^a ^b ^c Boulanger, ed., 1966, p. 477.
^ Trombley, 2001, p. 279.
^ Molin, 2003, p. 68.
^ le Strange, 1890, p. 437.
^ Barker, 2002, p. 322.
^ Syria rebels tighten noose around key Idlib city Archived February 13, 2013, at the Wayback Machine. France 24. Originally published by Agence France-Presse. 2013-02-05.
^ Chulov, Martin. Inside the war for Syria's mountains. The Guardian. 2013-01-28.
^ Royal Geographic Society, 1886, p. 94.

Bibliography

Butcher, Kevin (2004). Roman Syria and the Near East. Getty Publications. ISBN 9780892367153.
Boulanger, Robert, ed. (1966). The Middle East, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Iraq, Iran. Hachette.
Trombley, Frank R. (2001). Hellenic Religion and Christianization. C. 370-529. Vol. 2. BRILL. ISBN 9780391041219.
Molin, Kristian (2003). Unknown Crusader Castles. Continuum International Publishing Group. ISBN 9781852852610.
le Strange, Guy (1890). Palestine Under the Moslems: A Description of Syria and the Holy Land from A.D. 650 to 1500. Committee of the Palestine Exploration Fund.
Barker, John (January 1999). Syria and Egypt under the Last Five Sultans of Turkey: Being Experiences, during Fifty Years, of Mr. Consul-General Barker. Chiefly from His Letters and Journals. Volume 1. Elibron.com. ISBN 9781402187858.
Royal Geographic Society (1886). Proceedings of the Royal Geographical Society and monthly record of geography, Volume 8. Edward Stanford.

[CBS-1] General Census of Population and Housing 2004 Archived 2013-02-06 at the Wayback Machine. Syria Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS). Idlib Governorate. (in Arabic)

[Boulanger476-2] Boulanger, 1966, p. 476.

[3] Butcher, 2004, p. 133.

[Boulanger-4] Boulanger, ed., 1966, p. 477.

[5] Trombley, 2001, p. 279.

[6] Molin, 2003, p. 68.

[7] Strange, 1890, p. 437.

[8] Barker, 2002, p. 322.

[9] Syria rebels tighten noose around key Idlib city Archived February 13, 2013, at the Wayback Machine. France 24. Originally published by Agence France-Presse. 2013-02-05.

[10] Chulov, Martin. Inside the war for Syria's mountains. The Guardian. 2013-01-28.

[11] Royal Geographic Society, 1886, p. 94.

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v t e Cities and towns of Syria
Governorate centres	Aleppo Damascus Daraa Deir ez-Zor Hama al-Hasakah Homs Idlib Latakia Quneitra Raqqa Rif Dimashq Suwayda Tartus
District centres	Abu Kamal Afrin Ariha Atarib Ayn al-Arab Azaz al-Bab Baniyas Darayya Dayr Hafir Douma Duraykish Fiq al-Haffah Harem Izra' Jableh Jarabulus Jisr ash-Shughur Maarat al-Numaan al-Malikiyah Manbij Masyaf Mayadin Mhardeh al-Mukharram al-Foqani an-Nabk Palmyra Qamishli Qardaha Qatana Qudsaya al-Qusayr al-Qutayfah Ra's al-'Ayn al-Rastan as-Safira Safita Salamiyah Salkhad al-Sanamayn Shahba ash-Shaykh Badr al-Suqaylabiyah Talkalakh al-Tall Tell Abyad al-Thawrah Yabroud Zabadani
Sub-district centres	Abu Qilqil Abu al-Thuhur Akhtarin Amuda Arbeen Arima al-Ariqah al-Arishah Armanaz Arwad al-Asharah Assal al-Ward Awj Ayn al-Fijah Ayn Halaqim Ayn Issa Ayn al-Nasr Babbila Banan Barri Sharqi Beit Jinn Binnish Bir al-Helou Bosra Bulbul Busayrah Da'el al-Dana Darat Izza Darkush al-Darbasiyah Deir Atiyah al-Dimas al-Dumayr Furqlus Ghabaghib Ghandoura al-Ghariyah al-Ghizlaniyah al-Hader Hadidah al-Hajar al-Aswad al-Hajib Hajin al-Hamidiyah al-Hamraa Harasta Harbnafsah Harran al-Awamid al-Hirak Hish Hisyah al-Hawl Huraytan al-Huwash Ibbin Samaan Ihsim Jayrud al-Jalaa al-Janudiyah Jaramana al-Jarniyah Jasim al-Jawadiyah Jubb al-Jarrah Jubb Ramlah Jindires al-Jiza al-Qabu Kafr Batna Kafr Nabl Kafr Takharim Kafr Zita al-Karamah al-Kasrah Kessab al-Khafsah Khan Shaykhun Khasham Kirnaz Kuwayris Sharqi Khanaser Khirbet Ghazaleh Khirbet al-Tin Mahmoud al-Kiswah Ma'arrat Misrin Maabatli Maadan Maaloula Madaya Mahin Malah al-Malihah al-Mansurah Mare' Markada Mashta al-Helu Maskanah al-Masmiyah al-Mazraa Muhambal Muhasan al-Musayfirah al-Mushannaf Muzayrib al-Nashabiyah al-Nasirah Nawa Nubl al-Qadmus al-Qahtaniyah Qalaat al-Madiq Qarah al-Qaryatayn al-Qurayya Qurqania Rajo Rankus Rasm Harmil al-Imam al-Rai al-Riqama al-Ruhaybah al-Saan Saasaa Sabburah al-Sabe' Biyar al-Sabkhah Sadad Sahnaya Saidnaya Salqin Saraqib Sarmin Sarrin Sawran Sebei al-Shaddadah al-Shajara Shaqqa Sharran Shathah Shaykh al-Hadid al-Shaykh Maskin Shayukh Tahtani Shin Sinjar Sirghaya Slinfah Suluk al-Surah al-Saghirah al-Suwar Suran al-Susah al-Sukhnah al-Tabni Talbiseh Taldou al-Tamanah Tasil Tell al-Daman Tell Hamis Tell Rifaat Tell Salhab Tell Tamer Tedef Thiban Uqayribat Urum al-Kubra Wadi al-Oyun al-Yaarubiyah al-Zirbah az-Ziyarah