Al-Sharat
Ash-Sharāt or Ash-Sharāh (
Arabic: جِبَال ٱلشَّرَاة), is a highland region in modern-day southern Jordan and northwestern Saudi Arabia. It was formerly a sub-district in Bilad al-Sham during the 7th–11th centuries CE.[1][2][3]
It roughly corresponds to the biblical Mount Seir.[4]
Geography
In modern-day
Wadi Arabah comes under the Ma'an Governorate.[3]
In the 9th century, Al-Sharat's capital was
History
From the beginning of the
Al-Muqaddasi described Al-Sharat as its own district, neither belonging to Dimashq nor Filastin, in the larger province of Bilad al-Sham (Islamic Syria).[5]
The district of Al-Sharat was contiguous with Al-Jibal, which was considered to be the actual "mountains of Edom". Persian geographer
Crusader invasion in the early 12th century.[1]
The Crusaders annexed Al-Sharat in the 1110s. Initially, it was part of the royal
Montreal (Shawbak) in 1115 and Crac (Al-Karak) in 1145.[1][3] Both became major centers of the lordship. By the mid-12th century, the inhabitants of Al-Sharat were mainly Bedouin from various Qaysi tribes. At that time, the Muslim geographer Muhammad al-Idrisi (d. 1165) wrote about the fertility of the district and that it produced an abundance of olives, almonds, figs, grapes and pomegranates.[5]
Bilad al-Sharat was conquered by the
Mamluk rule, Al-Sharat became Mamlakat al-Karak (Province of al-Karak). By the mid-19th century, Bedouin from the Huwaytat tribe were encroaching into the southern parts of Bilad al-Sharat, and amid the Bedouin-induced anarchy in the region, Christians from Tafilah and al-Karak began fleeing to the north. During that time, Bilad al-Sharat, with the exception of Aqaba, was largely part of the Ottoman district of Mutassarifyya al-Karak.[3]
See also
- Mashriq
- Middle East
- Mount Seir (ancient/biblical name), which roughly corresponds with Al-Sharat
References
- ^ ISBN 9781850438298.
- ^ ISBN 9780882060132.
- ^ ISBN 9781860643316.
- ISBN 978-1-4674-6046-0.
- ^ OCLC 1004386.