Khan al-Sabil خان السبل Khan Sobol, Khan Sebil, Khan Sabl | |
|---|---|
Village | |
  Khan al-Sabil | |
| Coordinates:35°45′27″N36°45′23″E / 35.75750°N 36.75639°E /35.75750; 36.75639 | |
| Country |  Syria |
| Governorate | Idlib |
| District | Idlib |
| Subdistrict | Saraqib |
| Population (2004)[1] | |
• Total | 6,551 |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (EET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+3 (EEST) |
Khan al-Sabil (Arabic:خان السبل) is a village in northwesternSyria, administratively part ofIdlib District of theIdlib Governorate, located south ofIdlib. It is situated on either side of theAleppo-Damascus highway, just east of theJabal Zawiya mountain. Nearby localities includeMaarrat al-Nu'man andBabila to the south,Masaran to the southeast,Shaykh Idris to the east,Maardibsah,Mardikh andSaraqib to the north andKafr Battikh to the northwest.
According to theSyria Central Bureau of Statistics, Khan al-Sabil had a population of 6,551 at the time of the 2004 census.[1]
The village contains several ancient ruins; among them are buildings with doors made ofbasalt.[2] The doors are the largest of their kind in the greater Aleppo region. They were decorated withChristian symbols. In the 20th century, two of these doors were part of buildings still used by Khan al-Sabil's residents.[3]
Khan al-Sabil is located on an ancientcaravan route[3] and is named after an oldkhan (caravanserai) of the same name located in the village. The modern village was built around thekhan,[4] which was established in 1371 by theBahri Mamluk ruler of Syria,al-Malik al-Ashraf. Its upkeep and amenities were financed by awaqf (Islamic religious trust).[5] Thekhan fell into disuse in the first years of the 20th century, or perhaps even earlier.[2]
During theSyrian Civil War, Khan al-Sabil served as military headquarters for theHazzm Movement, a rebel outfit fighting against the Syrian government. The village was taken over by theal-Qaeda-linked group, theNusra Front, following their victory over the Hazzm Movement in the area.[6]
