Ras al-Ayn

Coordinates: 36°51′01″N 40°04′14″E / 36.8503°N 40.0706°E / 36.8503; 40.0706
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Ras al-Ayn, al-Hasakah
)
For other uses, see Ras al-Ayn (disambiguation).
Ras al-Ayn
رَأْس ٱلْعَيْن
سەرێ کانیێ
UTC+3 (EEST)
Area code+963 52
GeocodeC4988

Ras al-Ayn (

Classical Syriac: ܪܝܫ ܥܝܢܐ, romanized: Rēš Aynā[2]), also spelled Ras al-Ain, is a city in al-Hasakah Governorate in northeastern Syria, on the Syria–Turkey border
.

One of the oldest cities in

divided city when its northern part, today's Ceylanpınar
, was ceded to Turkey.

With a population of 29,347 (as of 2004[update]),[1] it is the third largest city in al-Hasakah Governorate, and the administrative center of Ras al-Ayn District.

During the

captured by the Turkish Armed Forces and the Syrian National Army during the 2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria.[3][4][5][6]

Etymology

The first mention of the town is in Akkadian Rēš ina[7] during the reign of the Assyrian king Adad-nirari II (911-891 BC).[7] The Arabic name Ras al-Ayn is a literal translation of the Akkadian name and has the same meaning; "head of the spring",[7] or idiomatically, "hill of the spring", indicating a prominent mountain formation close to a well.

Jazira (Upper Mesopotamia), showing Ras al-Ayn as part of Diyar Rabi'a
administrative division

The ancient Greek geographer

Rabi'a). He also described it as a big city with plenty of water, around 300 springs from which most of al-Khabur river starts.[10] In addition to Ras al-Ayn, medieval Arab Muslim sources refer to the town sometimes as Ain Werda.[8] Nineteenth-century English sources refer to the town as Ras Ain, Ain Verdeh (1819),[11] or Ras el Ain (1868).[8] The Kurdish name Serê Kaniyê also means "head of the spring" or "head of the fountain", referring to water source areas. This name is probably a modern literal translation of the ancient Semitic name.[citation needed
]

British ethnographical map from 1910 showing the name "Ras el Ain" in the red ellipse (top center). The blue color represents Arab population and yellow represents Kurds
Ottoman map from 1893 showing "Ras al-Ain" (رأس العين) (in red circle, top center)

Geography and climate

Ras al-Ayn is located in the Upper Khabur basin in the northern

karstic springs of the Ras al-Ayn area that is considered the river's main perennial source.[13]

Ras al-Ayn springs

Ras al-Ayn has more than 100 natural

springs. The most famous spring is Nab'a al-Kebreet, a hot spring with a very high mineral
content, containing calcium, lithium, and radium.

Water supply

The Allouk water pumping station, which distributes water to the Hasakah Governorate, is close to Ras al-Ayn. Since the Turkish occupation began, the water supply has been interrupted several times.[14] Previously, the station supplied about 460,000 people in Al-Hasakah, Tell Tamer, and the Al-Hawl refugee camp, but not since the last interruption in March 2020, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.[15]

History

Oriental Institute Museum
, Chicago, USA.

Neolithic and ancient history

The area of Ras al-Ayn was inhabited at least since the

Tell Fekheriye bilingual inscription was found. The nearby town of Tell Halaf
is also a former site of an Aramean city.

Classical era

In later times, the town became known as "

Byzantine emperor Theodosius I who granted the settlement city rights. The latter name was also shared with the Armenian city of Karin (modern Erzurum) making it difficult to distinguish between them.[16]

The

Sasanians destroyed the city twice in 578 and 580 before rebuilding it and constructing one of the three Sassanian academies in it (the other two being Gundishapur and Ctesiphon
) in it.

Medieval history

The city fell to the Arabs in 640 who confiscated parts of the city which were abandoned by their inhabitants.[16] The Byzantines raided the city in 942 and took many prisoners. In 1129, Crusader Joscelin I managed to hold the city briefly, killing many of its Arab inhabitants.[16]

At its height the city had a West Syrian bishopric and many monasteries. The city also contained two mosques and an East Syrian church and numerous schools, baths, and gardens.[16]

Ras al-Ayn became contested between the

al-Jazira.[16]

Ottoman history

In the 19th century a colony of Muslim

Chechen refugees fleeing the Russian conquest of the Caucasus were settled in the town by the Ottoman Empire.[8] The Ottomans also built barracks and a fort for a thousand soldiers to control and protect the refugees.[8]

During the

Deir ez-Zor Camps further south, the Ras al-Ayn Camps became "synonymous with Armenian suffering."[19]

Modern history

After the

Berlin–Baghdad Railway on the Turkish side. The only border crossing is located in the western outskirts of Ras al-Ayn. The town was first part of the French colonial empire's Mandate for Syria and the Lebanon and, from 1946, the independent state of Syria
.

Civil War

Main articles: Battle of Ras al-Ayn (2012–13) and Battle of Ras al-Ayn (2019)

During the

People's Protection Units (YPG), present from the outset, gradually entrenched its position, and eventually formed an alliance with a non-jihadist FSA faction. On 21 July 2013, this alliance expelled the jihadists
after a night of heavy fighting.

The town was part of

Second Battle of Ras al-Ayn.[20][4] After 11 days of clashes and siege, the Syrian Democratic Forces retreated from Ras al-Ayn as part of a ceasefire agreement.[21]

Bombings

On December 10, 2020, a car bomb exploded at a checkpoint run by Turkish-supported

Peoples Protection Units (YPG) for the car bombing as Turkey claims they are affiliated with the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK).[25][26] According the ABC, no group has claimed responsibility for the bombing.[23]

Bombing continued in January and February 2021.[27][28]

Demographics

Historical population
YearPop.±%
198114,278—    
200429,347+105.5%

In 2004 the population was 29,347.

Syrian refugees from other parts of Syria in Ras al-Ayn has further altered the town's demographics.[32][33]

Churches in the town

  • Syriac Orthodox Church of Saint Thomas the Apostle (كنيسة مار توما الرسول للسريان الأرثوذكس)
  • Syriac Catholic Church of Mary Magdalene (كنيسة مريم المجدلية للسريان الكاثوليك)
  • Armenian Orthodox Church of Saint Hagop (كنيسة القديس هاكوب للارمن الارثوذكس)


  • People in the city center
    People in the city center
  • Orthodox church
    Orthodox church
  • A view in October 2013. The city fell under SDF control during the Syrian Civil War
    A view in October 2013. The city fell under SDF control during the Syrian Civil War

See also

  • Battle of Ras al-Ayn
  • Second Battle of Ras al-Ayn (2019)
  • Ras al-Ayn camps

References

  1. ^ a b c "2004 Census Data for Nahiya Ras al-Ayn" (in Arabic). Syrian Central Bureau of Statistics. Also available in English: UN OCHA. "2004 Census Data". Humanitarian Data Exchange.
  2. ^ Thomas A. Carlson et al., “Reshʿayna — ܪܝܫ ܥܝܢܐ ” in The Syriac Gazetteer last modified December 9, 2016, http://syriaca.org/place/172.
  3. ^ "Kurdish-led fighters battle pro-Turkish forces for control of key border town". Middle East Eye. Retrieved 2023-07-05.
  4. ^ a b "Turkey claims capture of key Syrian border town as offensive continues". NBC News. Retrieved 12 October 2019.
  5. ^ "8 days of Operation "Peace Spring": Turkey controls 68 areas, "Ras al-Ain" under siege, and 416 dead among the SDF, Turkish forces and Turkish-backed factions • The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights". October 17, 2019.
  6. ^ "Turkish army takes control over Syrian border city of Ras al-Ayn - TV". TASS.
  7. ^
    ISBN 978-3-11-026640-5
    .
  8. ^
    The Journal of the Royal Geographical Society. London. pp. 281–360, here: 346–350.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link
    )
  9. ISBN 978-0-486-14338-5
    .
  10. ^ Muhammad al-Idrisi (1154). نزهة المشتاق في اختراق الآفاق: Or, Tabula Rogeriana. عالم الكتب. pp. vol. 2, 661.
  11. ^ Abraham Rees (1819). The Cyclopædia: Or, Universal Dictionary of Arts, Sciences, and Literature. Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme & Brown. pp. 449–.
  12. ISBN 1-85065-214-7
    .
  13. ISBN 0-8093-1572-6
    .
  14. ^ "Turkish-backed group's disruption of water puts 460,000 people at risk, UNICEF warns". www.kurdistan24.net. Retrieved 2020-03-24.
  15. ^ "Interruption to key water station in the northeast of Syria puts 460,000 people at risk as efforts ramp up to prevent the spread of Coronavirus disease". www.unicef.org. Retrieved 2020-03-24.
  16. ^ a b c d e Gibb, Hamilton Alexander Rosskeen (1995). The Encyclopaedia of Islam: NED-SAM. Brill. pp. 433 f.
  17. ^ "Armenian genocide survivors' stories: 'My dreams cannot mourn'". the Guardian. April 24, 2015.
  18. ISBN 978-0-521-51648-8
    .
  19. ISBN 0-415-35385-8. Archived from the original
    (PDF) on 2017-10-10. Retrieved 2015-11-10.
  20. ^ "Turkey claims capture of key Syrian border town". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 2023-07-05.
  21. ^ "Kurdish forces depart border city of Ras al-Ayn as part of cease-fire with Turkey". The Washington Post. Retrieved 27 November 2019.
  22. ^ a b "Car bomb kills at least four in Turkish-controlled north Syria". Reuters. 2020-12-10. Retrieved 2021-04-04.
  23. ^ a b "Car bomb in Syrian city kills 2 Turkish soldiers, 2 locals". ABC News. Retrieved 2021-04-04.
  24. ^ Welle (www.dw.com), Deutsche. "16 Menschen sterben bei Anschlag in Syrien | DW | 10.12.2020". DW.COM (in German). Retrieved 2021-04-04.
  25. ^ Fox, Tessa. "Civilians flee Ain Issa, northeast Syria as clashes escalate". www.aljazeera.com.
  26. ^ "Car bomb explosion kills 11 in rebel-held area in NE Syria - Xinhua | English.news.cn". www.xinhuanet.com.
  27. ^ Musa, Esref; Koparan, Omer; Karaahmet, Ahmet; Misto, Mohamad; Ozcan, Ethem Emre (2 January 2021). "4 civilians dead, 37 injured in Syria bomb blasts". www.aa.com.tr. Retrieved 23 November 2022.
  28. ^ Musa, Esref; Ozcan, Ethem Emre (3 March 2021). "Twin blasts hit northern Syrian district of Ras al-Ayn". www.aa.com.tr. Retrieved 23 November 2022.
  29. ^ "Christians Killed on Syria's Front Lines". Christianity Today.
  30. ^ "How will Syrian border towns react to Turkey's Operation Peace Spring?". Arab News. 10 October 2019.
  31. ^ "Subscribe to The Australian | Newspaper home delivery, website, iPad, iPhone & Android apps". www.theaustralian.com.au.
    Mohammed Rwanduzy. "Turkish-backed groups continue looting, lawlessness in Sari Kani". Rudaw.
    David Enders. "Rebels capture Ras al Ayn, 1st town to fall in Syria's Kurdish region". Mcclatchy DC.
    "US, Allied Kurdish Force Conduct Patrol on Syrian Border". Asharq AL-awsat.
    "Turkish army captures key Kurdish city in Syria's Hasakah - Xinhua | English.news.cn". www.xinhuanet.com.
  32. ^ a b "Inside the ethnic cleansing of Turkey's Syrian 'safe zone'". The Independent. May 16, 2020.
    "Turks and jihadists in 'soft' ethnic cleansing of Kurds and Christians in North East Syria". www.asianews.it.
    Ensor, Josie (November 17, 2019). "Kurds watch their homes burn from afar as picture of 'ethnic cleansing' emerges". The Telegraph – via www.telegraph.co.uk.
    "Ethnic cleansing already taking place in Turkey's Syrian safe zone - Independent". Ahval.
  33. ^ "Majority of refugees forced to return to Turkey's Syria safe zone - report". Ahval.

External links

Media related to Ras al-Ayn, al-Hasakah Governorate at Wikimedia Commons

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