Al-Malikiyah ٱلْمَالِكِيَّة دێرکا حەمکۆ | |
|---|---|
| Al-Malikiyah | |
 Al-Malikiyah from the southwest | |
  Al-Malikiyah Location in Syria | |
| Coordinates:37°10′N42°08′E / 37.167°N 42.133°E /37.167; 42.133 | |
| Country | Syria |
| Governorate | al-Hasakah |
| District | al-Malikiyah |
| Subdistrict | al-Malikiyah |
| Control |  Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria |
| Elevation | 500 m (1,600 ft) |
| Population (2004) | |
• Total | 26,311 |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (EET) |
| • Summer (DST) | +3 |
| Area code | 052 |
Al-Malikiyah (Arabic:ٱلْمَالِكِيَّة,romanized: al-Mālikīyah;[1]Kurdish:دێرکا حەمکۆ,romanized: Dêrika Hemko;[2]Syriac:ܕܪܝܟ), also known asDerik, is a city in northeasternSyria and the center of an administrativedistrict belonging to Al-Hasakah Governorate. The district constitutes the northeastern corner of the country, and is where theSyrian Democratic Council convenes. The town is about 20 km (12 mi) west of theTigris river which defines thetriple border between Syria,Turkey andIraq. According to theSyria Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), Al-Malikiyah had a population about 26,311 residents in the 2004 census. Other sources claim that thecity has a population of 39,000 as of 2024.[3] It is the administrative center of a nahiyah ("subdistrict") consisting of 108 localities with a combined population of 125,000. The population enjoys demographic and ethnic diversity that is characteristic of most ofAl-Hasakah Governorate. The town is inhabited byKurds,Assyrians,Arabs andArmenians.
There are two theories on the local Syriac and Kurdish name of the city. The first theory is that the city is named after an ancientmonastery ('dayr' in Syriac) located in its vicinity, while the second one argues that the name "Dêrik" stems from the Kurdish worddu rek meaning 'two roads'. In 1957, the town was named "Al-Malikiyah", after a Syrian army officerAdnan al-Malki.[4] In 1977, a decree was issued to ban all non-Arabic place names. Therefore the Kurdish and Syriac-Aramaic names were banned from being used.[5]
The city is located in the middle of Hesinyan plain between the Tigris and Safan rivers. The region was controlled by the KurdishBohtan principality[6] until 1848 and inhabited mostly by the Kurdish Hesinyan tribe, gaving the plain its name. Before attaining the size of a city, Derik village was given by the princeBedirkhan Botani toHemko Hesinî, who was a military leader for Botan principality in its last years, hence the city has its alternative name: Dêrka Hemko.
AfterWorld War I, the French enlisted help from the Kurdish Milli tribe to control the whole region east ofEuphrates river up to the Tigris. The French chose the village of Ayn Dywar as the center for the region, but in 1927 they moved the administrative center to Derik. And since then the village developed into a city .[7]
As of 2004[update], Al-Malikiyah is the fifth largest city in Al-Hasakah governorate.
As a result of the ongoingcivil war, Al-Malikiyah is currently controlled by theAutonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES). On 21 July 2012, the ethnic KurdishPeople's Defense Units (YPG) reportedly captured Al-Malikiyah, which is located just 10 kilometers from theTurkish border,[8] although another report stated that fighting was still going on in the city.[9] On 22 July, it was reported that YPG forces were still fighting for Al-Malikiyah, and one young Kurdish activist was killed after Pro-Assad government forces allegedly opened fire on protesters.[10] In November 2012, government forces withdrew from the city.
Kurdish-led authorities subsequently installed the "Dêrik prison" for capturedIslamic State members in al-Malikiyah. In April 2019, the prison was the site ofa major prison escape attempt by about 200 ISIL detainees, including several French jihadists. The breakout was foiled, however, and some prisoners were distributed to other detention centers.[11]
In May 2020, reports emerged thatRussia had begun building a new military base in Qeser Dib, a village outside of al-Malikiyah.[12][13] In 2021, theUnited States Army constructed aForward operating base 3.8 kilometers south of the city. The base is operated by United States Special Forces and a Combat Action Team, who routinely conduct patrols near the city inBradley Fighting Vehicles.[14][15][16][13]
On 2 February 2022, four civilians were killed after an armedTurkish drone bombed a power station near the city.[17]
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 13,225 | — |
| 1994 | — | |
| 2004 | 26,311 | — |
The population consists mostly of ethnicKurds andAssyrians in addition to a small minority ofArabs andArmenians. The northern half of the town is mainly inhabited by MuslimKurds, and the southern part by ChristianAssyrians. As the economic center of the district, the town is usually filled with people from the surrounding villages and towns, especially during the morning hours. Al-Malikiyah has seen a dramatic urban expansion and real estate development in recent years which led to many streets being extended to new neighborhoods that are now part of the continually growing town.[citation needed]
As of November 2014, only 200 ethnicArmenians remain in the city out of a pre-civil war figure of 450.[18]
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