Arab al-Mulk
Arab al-Mulk
عرب الملك Beldi al-Melek | |
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Village | |
UTC+3 (EEST ) |
Arab al-Mulk (
Geography
It is situated off the Mediterranean coast, on the right bank of the Sinn tributary (Nahr as-Sinn) as it empties into the sea. It occupies a small peninsula. The southern part of the village on the left bank is known as Beldi al-Melek. To the immediate northwest of the village is a small creek that measures around 110 meters long and 60 meters wide.[3]
History
Hellenistic era and Antiquity
Arab al-Mulk is the site of the ancient
Paltos later served as a military camp for
As the center of influence along the coast began to shift northward during the 2nd century, it is possible that Paltos experienced a recessionary period between the 3rd and 4th centuries.[6] Under the Severan administration in Rome, coins were minted in the town.[5] Bronze coins found in the village in the late 1950s by a Danish expedition included those minted under Constantius II (336-361), Arcadius (395-408) and Justinian I (527-565.)[9] Paltos continued to be inhabited and began to prosper throughout the late Roman rule and during the Byzantine era (5th-6th centuries CE).[6] It had a Christian community, possibly contained a basilica church,[6] and served as a diocese (bishop's seat) during Byzantine rule. In 528 Paltos, along with Gabla and Laodicea, formed part of the Theodorias Province, with Laodicea as capital.[5]
Islamic and Crusader era
During the
Settlement activity ceased from the time of the Muslim conquest until the period between the 9th and 11th centuries. The ruins of a fortified tower dating to the 11th century are located in the Beldi al-Melek part of the village, suggesting a
Modern era
The modern locality receives its name ′Arab al-Mulk as a result of its settlement by Bedouin ('Arab) and the likelihood that the village was part of the imperial holdings (mulk) of various Ottoman sultans (16th-early 20th centuries) who owned vast swathes of territory along the Syrian coastline.[2] The names roughly translate as follows: Arab al-Mulk being "Arabs of the royal demense" and Balda al-Mulk being "Balda the royal demense", Balda being the Arabic version of the Greek Paltos.[7] In the late 19th-century the part of Arab al-Mulk south of the al-Sinn tributary was marked by the vast ruins of Paltos, while just north of the stream stood a large caravanserai (khan).[15] The ruins of minor medieval fortifications at the Balda al-Mulk neighborhood were noted by travelers.[9]
References
- ^ a b General Census of Population and Housing 2004 Archived 2013-01-12 at archive.today. Syria Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS). Latakia Governorate. (in Arabic)
- ^ a b The Royal Danish Academy of Sciences and Letters, 2004, p. 15.
- ^ a b The Royal Danish Academy of Sciences and Letters, 2004, p. 14.
- ^ a b Ball, 2007, p. 140.
- ^ a b c d e The Royal Danish Academy of Sciences and Letters, 2004, p. 47.
- ^ a b c d The Royal Danish Academy of Sciences and Letters, 2004, p. 48.
- ^ a b The Royal Danish Academy of Sciences and Letters, 2004, p. 90.
- ^ The Royal Danish Academy of Sciences and Letters, 2004, p. 85.
- ^ a b The Royal Danish Academy of Sciences and Letters, 2004, p. 46.
- ^ le Strange, 1890, p. 416.
- ^ The Royal Danish Academy of Sciences and Letters, 2004, p. 49.
- ^ Riley-Smith, 2012, p. 243.
- ^ Riley-Smith, 2012, p. 91.
- ^ Riley-Smith, 2012, p. 211.
- ^ Baedeker, 1876, p. 544.
Bibliography
- Baedeker, Karl (1876). Palestine and Syria, Handbook for Travellers. Vol. 1. Karl Baedeker.
- Ball, Warwick (2007). Syria: A Historical and Architectural Guide. Interlink Books. ISBN 978-1566566650.
Paltos.
- Riley-Smith, Jonathan (2012). The Knights Hospitaller in the Levant, c.1070-1309. Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN 978-0230290839.
- Royal Danish Academy of Sciences and Letters (2004). Historisk-filosofiske Skrifter. Vol. 28. Kgl. Danske Videnskabernes Selskab. ISBN 8778763673.
- 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. p. 493.
Lajjun Guy le Strange.