Al-Hasakah الحسكة Hesîçê ܚܣܝܟܐ | |
|---|---|
 Assyrian church in Al-Hasakah | |
  Al-Hasakah Location in Syria | |
| Coordinates:36°30′42″N40°44′32″E / 36.51167°N 40.74222°E /36.51167; 40.74222 | |
| Country | Syria |
| Governorate | al-Hasakah |
| District | al-Hasakah |
| Subdistrict | al-Hasakah |
| Control |  Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria |
| Elevation | 300 m (1,000 ft) |
| Population | |
• Estimate (2023) | 422,445[1] |
| Demonym(s) | Arabic:حسكاوي,romanized: Ḥaskāwi |
| Area code | 52 |
| Geocode | C4360 |
Al-Hasakah[nb 1] (Arabic:ٱلْحَسَكَة,romanized: al-Ḥasaka;[2]Kurdish:Heseke / حەسەکە;[3][4][5]Syriac:ܚܣܝܟܐ Hasake[6]) Al-Hasakah is a Syrian city in Northeastern Syria and is the capital city of theAl-Hasakah Governorate. With a 2023 estimated population of 422,445[7] Al-Hasakah is predominantly populated by Kurds with large numbers of Arabs,Assyrians and a smaller number ofArmenians andChechens. Al-Hasakah is 80 kilometres (50 miles) south of the city ofQamishli. TheKhabur River, a tributary of theEuphrates River, flows west–east through the city. TheJaghjagh River flows into the Khabur from the north at Al-Hasakah. The city (and the surrounding countryside) is controlled by theAANES.[8]
An ancienttell has been identified in the city centre byDominique Charpin as the location of the city ofQirdahat.[9] Another possibility is that it was the site of the ancientAramean city ofMagarisu, mentioned by the Assyrian kingAshur-bel-kala, who fought the Arameans near the city.[10] The etymology of "Magarisu" isAramaic (from the root mgrys) and means "pasture land".[11] The city was the capital of the Aramean state ofBit-Yahiri, which was invaded by Assyrian kingsTukulti-Ninurta II andAshurnasirpal II.[12]
Excavations in the tell discovered materials dating to theMiddle-Assyrian,Byzantine andIslamic eras. The last level of occupation ended in the fifteenth century.[2] A period of 1,500 years separated the Middle-Assyrian and Byzantine levels.[13]
There are numerous other archaeological tells in the surrounding area, such asTall Sulaymānī, which is 7.6 kilometers to the north of the city.
InOttoman times, the town was insignificant.[14] Today's settlement was established in April 1922 as a French military post, which soon grew into a town.[14] The establishment of new cities in northern Syria was deemed necessary by the authorities of theFrench Mandate because after the foundation of Turkey, all major economic centers were allocated to Turkey.[14] After theArmenian genocide andAssyrian genocide in the Ottoman Empire, many refugees fled to the area after their expulsion and began to develop it in the 1920s.
During the French mandate period,Assyrians fleeingethnic cleansing inIraq during theSimele massacre, established numerous villages along theKhabur River during the 1930s.[15] French troops were stationed on Citadel Hill at that time. In 1942, there were 7,835 inhabitants in Al-Hasakah, several schools, two churches and a gas station.[citation needed] The new city grew from the 1950s to become the administrative centre of the region. The economic boom in the cities ofQamishli and Al-Hasakah was a result of the irrigation projects started in the 1960s, which transformed northeastern Syria into acotton-growing area.
On 23 March 1993, a large fire broke out in theAl-Hasakah Central Prison after prisoners protested the conditions there, leaving 61 inmates dead and 90 others injured. The detainees accused the police chief and theSyrian forces of having set the fire. The government blamed five inmates, who were then executed on 24 May 1993.[16][17]
On 26 January 2011, in one of the first events of the2011 Syrian protests,[18] Hasan Ali Akleh from Al-Hasakah poured gasoline on himself and set himself on fire, in the same way TunisianMohamed Bouazizi had in Tunis on 17 December 2010. According to eyewitnesses, the action was "a protest against theSyrian government".[19][20][better source needed]
In theBattle of Hasakah of summer 2015, the Syrian Government lost control of much of the city to theIslamic State, which was then captured by theKurdishYPG. Afterwards, some 75% of Hasakah and all of the surrounding countryside were under the administration of theFederation of Northern Syria – Rojava, while only some inner-city areas were controlled by the Syrian government.[21][22][23] The United Nations estimates that violence related to thecivil War has displaced up to 120,000 people.[24] On 1 August 2016, theSyrian Democratic Council opened a public office in Al-Hasakah.[25]
On 16 August 2016, theBattle of al-Hasakah (2016) started, with the YPG andAsayish capturing most of the remaining areas held by government forces.[26] On 23 August 2016, an agreement between the YPG and theSyrian Army resulted in aceasefire within the city.[27] Al-Hasakah has since been part of theJazira Region in the framework of thede facto autonomousFederation of Northern Syria – Rojava.[28][29]
On 20 January 2022, the al-Sina'a prisoncame under attack byIslamic State forces who attempted to free ex-IS fighters that were incarcerated inside the prison. Following the initial attack, clashes spread to the neighbourhoods of al-Zuhour and Ghuwayran as imprisoned Islamic State militants attempted to escape. After a 6-day battle, SDF and Coalition forces managed to push back the attack and secure the area. After thwarting their attack on Ghweran prison, they barricaded themselves in the Faculty of Economics building in the Syrian government-controlled areas in the city of Hasakah, targeting civilians and the movements of the internal security forces' vehicles. Accordingly, international coalition warplanes bombed the college building.[30][31]
The Hasakah "Security Box" was aSyrian governmentenclave within Al-Hasakah, established in August 2016.[32] It contained a prison, immigration office, mayor's palace, police headquarters, and local army command center.[32][33][34]
Following thecapture of the city from ISIS in 2015, government forces controlled 25% of the city while theYPG controlled 75%.On August 16, 2016, a small skirmish erupted into theSecond Battle of al-Hasakah between the Asayish alongside the YPG and the Syrian government. After a week-long battle, Kurdish fighters secured control of over 95% of the city.[35]Russiamediated a ceasefire that was put into place on August 23, 2016, according to which only police officers and interior ministry forces were allowed to return to the "Security Box" to protect the government's department buildings.[36]
In July 2018, theSyrian Army raised the Syrian flag over theAl-Nashwa District, which was previously controlled by theYPG and theAsayish security forces in the city ofHasakah.[37] However, in September through November 2019, Asayish forces were still present in al-Nashwa district and able to make arrests.[38][39]
In January 2021, government controlled parts of Al-Hasakah andQamishli,came under siege by the Asayish due to disputes with the Damascus government.
In March 2023, the US conducted retaliation strikes against IRCG forces in the city, after a drone attack which killed a US contractor.[citation needed]
In August 2024, the SDF imposed another week-long siege on the enclave in retaliation for cross-border attacks by tribal militias on SDF positions inDeir ez-Zor, originating from government-controlled areas. The siege was once again lifted through Russian mediation efforts.[40]
The city came under full control of the Kurdish forces on December 6-7, 2024 after thefall of the Assad Regime.Ba'athist Syrian forces handed over control of the remaining territory with no resistance.[41][42]
Al-Hasakah has aMediterranean-influencedsemi-arid climate (BSh) with very hot dry summers and cool wet winters with occasional frosty nights.
| Climate data for Al-Hasakah (1961–1990) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 10.7 (51.3) | 13.4 (56.1) | 17.9 (64.2) | 23.6 (74.5) | 30.6 (87.1) | 36.6 (97.9) | 40.2 (104.4) | 39.5 (103.1) | 35.5 (95.9) | 28.2 (82.8) | 19.6 (67.3) | 12.5 (54.5) | 25.7 (78.3) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 5.2 (41.4) | 7.4 (45.3) | 11.3 (52.3) | 16.4 (61.5) | 22.6 (72.7) | 28.3 (82.9) | 31.5 (88.7) | 30.4 (86.7) | 25.8 (78.4) | 19.1 (66.4) | 11.7 (53.1) | 6.7 (44.1) | 18.0 (64.4) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 0.6 (33.1) | 2.4 (36.3) | 4.9 (40.8) | 9.3 (48.7) | 14.1 (57.4) | 19.1 (66.4) | 22.4 (72.3) | 21.5 (70.7) | 16.4 (61.5) | 10.8 (51.4) | 5.2 (41.4) | 2.2 (36.0) | 10.9 (51.6) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 51.5 (2.03) | 41.3 (1.63) | 44.1 (1.74) | 49.0 (1.93) | 18.2 (0.72) | 0.5 (0.02) | 0.2 (0.01) | 0.0 (0.0) | 2.1 (0.08) | 16.5 (0.65) | 23.3 (0.92) | 42.2 (1.66) | 288.9 (11.37) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 1.0 mm) | 7.0 | 6.4 | 6.6 | 6.2 | 2.7 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 2.5 | 3.8 | 6.2 | 41.8 |
| Mean monthlysunshine hours | 142.6 | 159.6 | 210.8 | 234.0 | 303.8 | 357.0 | 393.7 | 356.5 | 297.0 | 248.0 | 192.0 | 142.6 | 3,037.6 |
| Mean dailysunshine hours | 4.6 | 5.7 | 6.8 | 7.8 | 9.8 | 11.9 | 12.7 | 11.5 | 9.9 | 8.0 | 6.4 | 4.6 | 8.7 |
| Source: NOAA[43] | |||||||||||||
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1942 | 7,835 | — |
| 1981 | 73,426 | +837.2% |
| 1994 | 119,798 | +63.2% |
| 2004 | 188,160 | +57.1% |
In 1939, French mandate authorities reported[44] the following population numbers for different ethnic/religious groups in al-Hasakah city centre:
| Arabs | Kurds | Assyrians | Armenians |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7,133 | 360 | 5700 | 500 |
In 1992, Al-Hasakah was described as "an Arab city with a growing Kurdish population."[45]Christians—mostlyAssyrians, plus a smaller number ofArmenians—also live in the city.[46][47]In 2004, the city's population was 188,160.[citation needed] Al-Hasakah has an ethnically diverse population ofArabs,Kurds andAssyrians, with a smaller number ofArmenians.[46][47]
There are more than fortymosques in the city, as well as at least nine church buildings, serving a large number of Christians of various rites. The Cathedral of the Assumption of Mary is the episcopal see of the non-metropolitanSyriac Catholic Archeparchy of Al Hasakah-Nisibis, which depends directly on theSyriac Catholic Patriarch of Antioch.
The economy of Hasaka is based on agriculture. TheJazira region, in which the city is situated, has long been known as "breadbasket" and "green island". In 2011, the region'swheat production made up 55% of Syria's total output, with Hasakah alone contributing more than 50%. Meanwhile, the region'scotton yield made up 78% of Syria's total production during that year, with Hasakah contributing 35%.[48][49]
In 2011, the Al-Hasakah Governorate accounted for roughly 200,000barrels per day (bpd) of Syria's output of around 380,000 bpd. The region also holds a substantial amount of natural gas reserves.[49]
Following theSyrian civil war and in particular theTurkish occupation of Rojava many acres of farmland were rendered unusable, as Turkish forces cut off the Allouk water station inSerê Kaniyê (Raʾs al-ʿAin). This also led to a deterioration in the city's health conditions.[50][51] AdditionallyAbdullah Al-Fares, a professor ofeconomics at theUniversity of Aleppo, attributes the decline in agricultural output to prolongeddroughts, decreasingrainfall, large-scale displacement of farmers, rising production costs, a reduction in irrigated farmland due to soaring fuel prices andpower outages, the lack offertilizer, and a decline in seed quality. The displacement of farmers and power outages in particular were caused by Turkish airstrikes, which severely damaged the Hasakah region's only power station. Oil extraction in the region also stalled as energy became scarce, oil tankers were targeted by ISISsleeper cells, and roads and infrastructure were damaged by Turkish airstrikes.[49][52][53]
Over the years various projects have been undertaken by theAutonomous Administration’s Economic Authority and theKongreya Star to improve the city's economic standing and promote women's empowerment. These include agricultural projects for displaced women from Serê Kaniyê, the Centre for Co-operative Societies, which cultivatesbarley in the region, theIshtar Women’s Bakery, Demsal (lit. Season), which offers seasonal products, as well as numeroussewing andtextile workshops,canned food factories,dairy farms,restaurants, andclothing shops.[54][55][56][57][58][59][60]
The city of Al-Hasakah is divided into 5 districts, which are Al-Madinah, Al-Aziziyah, Ghuwayran, Al-Nasra and Al-Nashwa. These districts, in turn, are divided into 29 neighborhoods.[61]
| English Name | Arabic Name | Population | Neighborhoods (Population) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Al-Madinah | المدينة | 30,436 | Al-Matar al-Shamali (9,396), Center / Al-Wusta (6,067), Municipal Stadium / Al-Malaab al-Baladi (5,802), Al-Matar al-Janoubi (4,714), Al-Askari (4,457) |
| Al-Aziziyah | العزيزية | 56,123 | Al-Salehiyah (21,319), Al-Ghazal (11,199), National Hospital / Al-Mashfa al-Watani (11,108), Al-Talaia (4,883), Abou Amshah (4,435), Al-Mufti (3,179) |
| Ghuwayran | غويران | 34,191 | Sports City / Al-Madinah al-Riyadiyah (8,418), Al-Thawra (8,180), Al-Taqaddum (7,623), 16 Tishreen (5,595), Al-Zuhour (3,367), Abou Bakr (1,008) |
| Al-Nasra | الناصرة | 42,070 | Tell Hajjar (10,343), Al-Kallasah (9,721), Al-Meshirfah (8,074), Al-Qusour (7,672), Al-Beitra (2,423), Al-Mashtal (2,306), Al-Maaishiyah (1,531) |
| Al-Nashwa | النشوة | 25,340 | Al-Rasafah (12,618), Al-Masaken (4,968), Al-Khabour (3,805), Al-Liliyah (2,977), Villas / Al-Villat (972) |
Al-Jazeera SC Hasakah is the largest football club in the city and plays atBassel al-Assad Stadium.
According to local reports, the so-called military police and the Asayish forces, the security arms of SDF, arrested hundreds of young people of the Arab tribes this week [...] at Al-Quds park, Marshou, al-Kahrabah and al-Nashwa roundabouts in al-Hasaka.
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