DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.32867#0036
6
NORTHERN CENTRAL SYRIA AND THE HAURAN
The plain which is encircled by the Djebel Halakah is very productive, yielding a
living to several small towns. Among these are Sermeda on the west, Dana in the
center, and Termanin on the northeastern border. The first two are built upon
ancient sites; the last is of recent origin, and is built upon a new site out of material
brought from ruins farther up in the hills. Most of the ancient ruined towns of the
View in the Djebel Halakah, showing the ruins of Serdjibleh in the middle distance.
Djebel Halakah are deserted, and the country is now rocky and barren. Beyond the
circle of this chain of hills, at the eastern foot of the Djebel Shekh Berekat, is a small
town called Derit ‘Azzeh, which has its own little valley near by; but the region to
the north, which embraces the hill of Kal'at Sim‘an with its great ruins, and a num-
ber of large ruined towns, is entirely deserted, its few patches of arable soil being
tilled by the people of Derit ‘Azzeh. To the east stretches a barren tract of rocky
rolling upland which extends almost to Aleppo.
The more southern portion of the mountains of Northern Central Syria, which
includes the Djebel Riha, is more populous than the regions just described. The hills
are not so high and are far less steep and rugged. The lower portions at the extreme
northern and southern ends of thc group of hills are quite well covered with soil, and
large tracts of the western part are still cultivated. At the northern end is the town
of Riha, the seat of a Turkish mudir; near the center is il-Barah, a village of con-
siderable size; while in the south is Ilass, a village made up of rather comfortable
houses. All three settlements occupy the sites of ancient cities. They are sur-
rounded by cultivated fields, pastures, and groves of olive- and almond-trees, repro-
ducing on a small scale the ancient luxuriance of the hill country.
NORTHERN CENTRAL SYRIA AND THE HAURAN
The plain which is encircled by the Djebel Halakah is very productive, yielding a
living to several small towns. Among these are Sermeda on the west, Dana in the
center, and Termanin on the northeastern border. The first two are built upon
ancient sites; the last is of recent origin, and is built upon a new site out of material
brought from ruins farther up in the hills. Most of the ancient ruined towns of the
View in the Djebel Halakah, showing the ruins of Serdjibleh in the middle distance.
Djebel Halakah are deserted, and the country is now rocky and barren. Beyond the
circle of this chain of hills, at the eastern foot of the Djebel Shekh Berekat, is a small
town called Derit ‘Azzeh, which has its own little valley near by; but the region to
the north, which embraces the hill of Kal'at Sim‘an with its great ruins, and a num-
ber of large ruined towns, is entirely deserted, its few patches of arable soil being
tilled by the people of Derit ‘Azzeh. To the east stretches a barren tract of rocky
rolling upland which extends almost to Aleppo.
The more southern portion of the mountains of Northern Central Syria, which
includes the Djebel Riha, is more populous than the regions just described. The hills
are not so high and are far less steep and rugged. The lower portions at the extreme
northern and southern ends of thc group of hills are quite well covered with soil, and
large tracts of the western part are still cultivated. At the northern end is the town
of Riha, the seat of a Turkish mudir; near the center is il-Barah, a village of con-
siderable size; while in the south is Ilass, a village made up of rather comfortable
houses. All three settlements occupy the sites of ancient cities. They are sur-
rounded by cultivated fields, pastures, and groves of olive- and almond-trees, repro-
ducing on a small scale the ancient luxuriance of the hill country.