Bloudan
Bloudan
بلودان | |
---|---|
Village | |
UTC+2 (EEST) | |
Area code | 13 |
Bloudan (
Bloudan is situated on top of a hill that overlooks the
Etymology
The current name, Bloudan, is derived from the
J. E. Hanauer suggested that the name "Bloudan" may be related to the Greco-Roman deity Pluto, because Arabic-speakers typically do not use the letter 'p'. However, he also speculated that "Bludan" might come from the plural of "Blota" in the Maaloula dialect, which means ''district'.[4]
History
Bloudan is a very ancient village whose history goes back to the Roman era, as is evident by the paintings and carvings found in southern Bloudan. Remains of an ancient
In 1838, the population was noted as being Greek Orthodox, Protestant, and Muslim.[5]
In 1909, J. E. Hanauer shared observations and stories from a visit in Bludan, noting the local customs, linguistic peculiarities, and the impact of religious and cultural traditions on the daily life and landscape. He recounted discovering a Byzantine convent's ruins near Bludan, called "Deir Mar Jirius", believed to have been destroyed in the thirteenth century AD, and shared a local legend about the sanctuary of "El 'Areija Om Esh-Sharif", or "the Little Lame Mother of Potsherds", where women break new jars as part of a vow fulfillment, a practice he speculated might stem from ancient fertility worship.[4]
Modern Bloudan, constructed of rendered concrete, has largely replaced the Greek Orthodox village built in the 18th and 19th centuries.[6]
Culture
In 1909, Hanauer documented his visit to "El 'Areija Om Esh-Sharif", or "the Little Lame Mother of Potsherds", a maqam (sanctuary) located on a steep hillside about a mile south of Bloudan. The site, featuring a stone-terraced area with partially buried stone circle, is named after the scattered shards of new jars found there, under the shade of ancient oaks. Hanauer noted that the site serves as a place of worship where both Christian and Muslim women from surrounding villages break new jars to fulfill vows, as offerings of old jars are not accepted. He documented a tale of a jar that purportedly followed a woman home for not breaking it. Furthermore, Hanauer mentioned annual spring religious processions that include this site and suggested that the jar-breaking ritual could stem from ancient fertility worship practices, possibly honoring deities such as Mylitta or Astarte, with the shattered jars symbolizing related sacrifices. [4]
Climate
Bloudan has a relatively cool-summer Mediterranean type of climate. Being about 1000 metres higher than the city centre of Damascus means that Bloudan and other settlements in its vicinity are sought-after by those who want to escape the arid and hot climate of the capital city. Summers in Bloudan are long, dry, and cool while the winter season is three months long with heavy rain and snow.[citation needed]
Climate data for Bloudan | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 6.1 (43.0) |
6.6 (43.9) |
10.1 (50.2) |
14.0 (57.2) |
18.9 (66.0) |
22.7 (72.9) |
24.9 (76.8) |
25.3 (77.5) |
24.1 (75.4) |
19.2 (66.6) |
13.2 (55.8) |
6.9 (44.4) |
16.0 (60.8) |
Daily mean °C (°F) | 2.1 (35.8) |
2.6 (36.7) |
5.4 (41.7) |
9.1 (48.4) |
13.2 (55.8) |
17.0 (62.6) |
19.0 (66.2) |
19.5 (67.1) |
17.7 (63.9) |
13.5 (56.3) |
8.8 (47.8) |
3.4 (38.1) |
10.9 (51.7) |
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −1.8 (28.8) |
−1.4 (29.5) |
0.8 (33.4) |
4.3 (39.7) |
7.5 (45.5) |
11.4 (52.5) |
13.1 (55.6) |
13.7 (56.7) |
11.4 (52.5) |
7.9 (46.2) |
4.4 (39.9) |
0.0 (32.0) |
5.9 (42.7) |
Average precipitation mm (inches) | 146 (5.7) |
118 (4.6) |
99 (3.9) |
44 (1.7) |
23 (0.9) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
2 (0.1) |
27 (1.1) |
68 (2.7) |
129 (5.1) |
656 (25.8) |
Source: climate-data.org[7] |
References
- ^ a b General Census of Population and Housing 2004. Syria Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS). Rif Dimashq Governorate. (in Arabic)
- ISBN 9781852070601.
- ^ Grateful but grieving: Syrian refugee family grapples with uprooting. Tallahassee Democrat. Retrieved on 2018-01-23.
- ^ ISSN 0031-0328.
- ^ Robinson and Smith, 1841, vol 3, 2nd appendix, p. 146
- ^ Syria & Lebanon (Footprint Travel Guide) 2001:135.
- ^ "Climate: Bloudan". Climate-Data.ORG. Retrieved 17 October 2018.
Bibliography
External links
- Information, Syrian Tours. Retrieved on 1 December 2006.
- بلودان, Syria Atlas. Retrieved on 1 December 2006.