Manbij منبج | |
|---|---|
 Manbij in 2005 | |
  Manbij Location in Syria | |
| Coordinates:36°31′41″N37°57′17″E / 36.52806°N 37.95472°E /36.52806; 37.95472 | |
| Country |  Syria |
| Governorate | Aleppo |
| District | Manbij |
| Subdistrict | Manbij |
| Control | Syrian transitional government |
| Elevation | 460 m (1,510 ft) |
| Population (2004)[1] | |
• Total | 99,497 |
Manbij (Arabic:منبج,romanized: Manbiǧ[2]) is a city in the northeast ofAleppo Governorate in northernSyria, 30 kilometers (19 miles) west of theEuphrates. The 2004 census gives its population as nearly 100,000.[1] The population of Manbij is largelyArab,[3] withKurdish,Turkmen,[4]Circassian, andChechen minorities. Many of its residents practiceNaqshbandiSufism.[5]
During theSyrian Civil War, the city was first captured by rebels in 2012, overrun by theIslamic State of Iraq and the Levant in 2014 and finally captured by theSyrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in 2016, bringing it into theAutonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES). From 2018 to 2024, after an agreement with the SDF, theSyrian Arab Army had been deployed on the city's periphery as a buffer between theTurkish occupation of Northern Syria and the AANES. On December 9, 2024, it was reported that the city came under the control of theSyrian Interim Government after a deal was reached between the U.S. and Turkey to allow the safe exit of SDF fighters.[6] The pro-Turkish forces' control over the area did not end until theSIG was incorporated into theSyrian caretaker government at the end of January 2025.
Coins struck at the city beforeAlexander's conquest record theAramean name of the city asManbug (Mnbg,[clarification needed] "Site of the Spring").[7] For theAssyrians it was known as Nappigu or Nanpigi.[clarification needed][8] Its name washellenized asBambyce (Ancient Greek:Βαμβύκη,Bambykē)[clarification needed] and recorded byPliny asMabog (Classical Syriac:ܡܒܘܓ,Mabbog orMabbogh).[9]
As the center of the worship of theSyrianfertility goddessAtargatis, it became known to the Greeks asHieropolis (Ἱερόπολις,Hierópolis), the "City of the Sanctuary", and then asHierapolis (Ἱεράπολις,Hierápolis), the "Holy City".[10]
This worship ofAtargatis was immortalized inDe Dea Syria which has traditionally been attributed toLucian of Samosata, who gave a full description of thereligious cult of the shrine and the tank of sacred fish of Atargatis, of whichAelian also relates marvels. According to theDe Dea Syria, the worship was of aphallic character,votaries offering little male figures of wood andbronze. There were also huge phalli set up likeobelisks before the temple, which were ceremoniously climbed once a year and decorated.[10]
The temple contained a holy chamber into which only priests were allowed to enter. A great bronzealtar stood in front, set about with statues, and in the forecourt lived numerous sacred animals and birds (but not swine) used for sacrifice.[10]
Some three hundred priests served the shrine and there were numerous minor ministrants. The lake was the centre of sacred festivities and it was customary for votaries to swim out and decorate an altar standing in the middle of the water.Self-mutilation and otherorgies went on in the temple precinct, and there was an elaborate ritual on entering the city and first visiting the shrine.[10]
TheArameans called the city "Mnbg" (Manbug).[11] Manbij was part of the kingdom ofBit Adini and was annexed by the Assyrians in 856 BC. The Assyrian kingShalmaneser III renamed itLita-Ashur and built a royal palace. The city was reconquered by the Assyrian kingTiglath-Pileser III in 738 BC.[12] The sanctuary of Atargatis predates the Macedonian conquest, as it seems that the city was the center of a dynasty of Aramean priest-kings ruling at the very end of theAchaemenid Empire;[13] two kings are known, 'Abyati and Abd-Hadad.[14][15] The fate of Abd-Hadad is not known but the city came firmly under the Macedonian empire,[16] and prospered under the rule of theSeleucids who made it the chief station on their main road betweenAntioch andSeleucia on the Tigris. The temple was sacked byCrassus on his way to meet theParthians (53 BC). Thecoinage of the city begins in the 4th century BC with the coins of the priest-kings followed by theAramaic series of the Macedonian and Seleucid monarchs. They show Atargatis either as a bust withmural crown or as riding on alion. She continues to supply the chief type even during imperial Roman times, being generally shown seated with thetympanum in her hand. Other coins substitute the legend Θεάς Συρίας ΙεροπολιτόνTheas Syrias Ieropoliton within awreath.[10]
In the third century, the city was the capital ofEuphratensis province and one of the great cities ofRoman Syria. It was, however, in a ruinous state whenJulian gathered his troops there before marching to his defeat and death inMesopotamia. Sassanid EmperorKhosrau I held it to ransom afterByzantine EmperorJustinian I had failed to defend it.[10]
TheAbbasid caliphHarun al-Rashid restored Manbij at the end of the 8th century, making it the capital of the frontier province ofal-Awasim.[17] Afterward, the city became a point of contention between the Byzantines,Arabs andTurkic groups. The Arab chieftainSalih ibn Mirdas captured it circa 1022, making Manbij, along withBalis andal-Rahba, the foundation of hisMirdasid emirate.[18] At the time, Manbij was one of the most important fortresses in northern Syria.[19] In 1068, the Byzantine emperorRomanos Diogenes captured it, defeated the Mirdasids and theirBedouin allies, killed the city's inhabitants and plundered the surrounding countryside.[20] Romanos later withdrew due to a severe shortage of food and supplies.[19][20] It was later captured by Seljuk SultanMalik-Shah I in 1086.[21] In 1124,Belek Ghazi tried to annex Manbij, after he had imprisoned its emir Hassan al-Ba'labakki, but he was hit and killed by an arrow during the siege.[22]
TheCrusaders never captured Manbij during their 11th–12th century invasions of theLevant, but theLatin Church archbishopric of Hierapolis was re-established in the town ofDuluk by 1134.[23] By 1152, Duluk and Manbij were captured by theZengids underNur ad-Din,[23] who reconstructed and strengthened the city's fortress.[24] TheAyyubid sultan,Saladin, conquered it from its Zengid lord, Qutb ad-Din Inal, in 1175.[25] In 1260, theMongols underHulagu destroyed Ayyubid Manbij, which was consequently abandoned by itsTurkmen andAssyrian inhabitants as they migrated toAleppo.[26]
Manbij's ruins are extensive but mostly belong to the later period of its history.[27] Most of the monuments of Manbij are gone, because it is a strategically important place at a group of crossroads, unlikeCyrrhus whose bishop was under Manbij.Henry Maundrell who visited Mambij in 1699 noticed a rock with large busts of a male and a female with two eagles below them. Another rock had three figures sculpted inlow relief.Volney who visited the place in 18th century mentioned that no remains of Atargatis' temple existed. Alexander Drummond noticed walls of a square building which he said was Atargatis' temple and also a base in the building which he identified as an altar.[28]
Travellers in the 19th century had recorded some of its ancient remains, but now almost all of them, including Atargatis' temple, itssacred lake,colonnades,Roman baths,Roman theatres, walls and churches built by theByzantine Empire as well asmadrassas built in the medieval era, have been destroyed. The sacred lake of Atargatis has disappeared and has been converted into a football field. Only a part of the wall that enclosed the lake has survived but no ruins of Atargatis' temple remains. Some ancient Roman military stele also exist.[29] Ruins of the southern wall that enclosed Atargatis' temple still survive.[30] The walls of the city still exist but have been plundered.[31]
TheOttoman government resettled the area withCircassian refugees from theRusso-Turkish War in 1878.[32] As of 1911, its 1,500 inhabitants were all Circassians.[33]Armenian refugees settled in Manbij during theArmenian genocide. In autumn 1915Djemal Pasha ordered the establishment of a camp for about 1000 families of the ArmenianClergy. In January and February 1916 the sub prefect of Manbij ordered the camp to be cleared and the Armenians to be deported to Meskene.[34] The destruction of pre-modern Manbij has been attributed to its resettlement by Circassians and Armenians.[28]
Before and in the early years of theSyrian Civil War, Manbij had an ethnically diverse population ofArab,Kurdish,Turkmen, andCircassianSunni Muslims, many of whom followed theNaqshbandi Sufi order. The city's socio-political life was dominated by its main tribes. Tribal leaders served as the mediators and arbiters of major disputes in Manbij, while the state's security forces largely dealt with petty offenses. The city was relatively liberal compared to other Sunni Muslim-majority cities in the countryside of Aleppo.[5]
During the civil war, on 20 July 2012, Manbij fell to local rebel forces who thereafter administered the city. In December, there was an election to appoint a local council.[35] In January 2014, forces from theIslamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) took over the city after ousting therebels. The city has since become a hub for trading in looted artifacts and archaeological digging equipment.[36] In June 2016, theSyrian Democratic Forces (SDF) launched anoffensive to capture Manbij,[37] and by 8 June had fully encircled the city.[38] On 12 August the SDF had established full control over Manbij after a two-month battle.[39]
By 15 August, thousands of previously displaced citizens of Manbij were reported returning.[40] On 19 August 2016, theManbij Military Council issued a written statement announcing it had taken over the security of Manbij city center and villages from the SDF, of which it is a component.[41]
Today Manbij is self-administered by the Manbij City Council, co-chaired by Sheikh Farouk al-Mashi and Salih Haji Mohammed,[42] as part ofShahba region within thede facto autonomousFederation of Northern Syria – Rojava framework. While public administration including public schools has regained secular normalcy after the ISIL episode,[43][44] a reconciliation committee to overcome rifts created by the civil war was formed,[45] and international humanitarian aid has been delivered,[46] thedemocratic confederalist political program of Rojava is driving political and societal transformations in terms ofdirect democracy andgender equality.[47][48] Reconstruction after devastations of civil war combat[49] remains a major challenge.
Until October 2019, when US and other Western forces withdrew from northern Syria, Manbij was also a hub forCombined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve training of new SDF recruits in the fight against ISIL and otherIslamist militias in Syria.[50] On 26 February, the United States announced its support for the security of the Manbij Military Council. The United States also reportedly sent special forces and several military convoys to Manbij after the announcement.[51]
On 12 March 2017, the Legislative Assembly of Manbij approved the elected co-presidents who then took office. During the meeting the departments of the committee members, co-presidents and committees were determined after speeches and evaluations. 13 committees were determined.[52] The 13 new committees include 71 Arabs, 43 Kurds, 10 Turkmen, 8Circassians, anArmenian and aChechen.[53]
On 1 November 2018,Turkish andUS troops began joint patrols around Manbij along the front lines of theEuphrates Shieldrebel territory and theManbij Military Council. The joint patrols were seen as part of a "roadmap" for easing tensions between militants in the region and tensions between the twoNATO allies.[54]
On 28 December 2018, theYPG asked the Assad government via Twitter to protect Manbij from attacks by theTurkish-backed Free Syrian Army. The Syrian government's media said the Syrian army had entered Manbij, a claim that was disputed by other sources the same day. TheSyrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that the Syrian Army was still outside of the town.[55][56][57][58]
On 15 January 2019,a suicide attack in Manbij claimed by ISIL left at least 19 casualties. Among them, four U.S. military personnel were reported dead and three wounded. One of the dead was aU.S. Army soldier, one wasU.S. Navy sailorShannon M. Kent, one was a U.S.Department of Defense civilian working in support of theDefense Intelligence Agency, and one was an employee of Valiant Integrated Services, acontractor supporting American operations.[59]
During the2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria, following the withdraw of US and other Western troops from northern Syria, the Syrian Arab Army andRussian Military Police entered Manbij to preempt a Turkish and TFSA offensive.[60]
On 6 December 2024, theSyrian National Army launchedan offensive on Manbij against the Syrian Democratic Forces.[61] On 9 December 2024, it was reported, that the SNA took control of the city.[62] Since the takeover, Manbij has faced a sharp rise in security incidents and looting, mirroring trends in other areas under SNA control. TheSOHR reported that SNA militants had looted the houses of Kurdish residents.[63] On February 3, 2025, aVBIED detonated near the Hassin station, just outside Manbij City, killing at least 19 people. The following day, residents of the city conducted ageneral strike to protest the negligence of pro-Turkish factions in maintaining security and order.[64][65]
Lequien names ten bishops of Hierapolis.[66] Among the best-known areAlexander of Hierapolis, an ardent advocate ofNestorianism, who died in exile in Egypt;Philoxenus of Mabbug, a famousMiaphysite scholar; andStephen of Hierapolis (c. 600), author of a life ofSt. Golindouch. In the sixth century, the metropolitan see had nine suffragan bishoprics.[67] Chabot mentions thirteenJacobite archbishops from the ninth to the twelfth century.[68] One Latin bishop, Franco, in 1136, is known.[33][69]
Hierapolis in Syria is the nominal see of three Catholic successor titular sees:
Manbij has acold semi-arid climate (Köppen climate classificationBSk) with influences of a continental climate during winter with hot dry summers and cool wet and occasionally snowy winters. The average high temperature in January is 7.8 °C (46.0 °F) and the average high temperature in August is 38.1 °C (100.6 °F). The snow falls usually in January, February or December.
| Climate data for Manbij | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 7.9 (46.2) | 10.5 (50.9) | 15.6 (60.1) | 23.4 (74.1) | 28.3 (82.9) | 34.3 (93.7) | 37.7 (99.9) | 38.1 (100.6) | 33.2 (91.8) | 26.3 (79.3) | 15.3 (59.5) | 9.1 (48.4) | 23.3 (73.9) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −1.2 (29.8) | −0.6 (30.9) | 4.3 (39.7) | 7.2 (45.0) | 12.5 (54.5) | 15.1 (59.2) | 19.9 (67.8) | 20.9 (69.6) | 16.3 (61.3) | 12.4 (54.3) | 6.4 (43.5) | −0.5 (31.1) | 9.4 (48.9) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 69 (2.7) | 54 (2.1) | 38 (1.5) | 28 (1.1) | 8 (0.3) | 3 (0.1) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 3 (0.1) | 25 (1.0) | 36 (1.4) | 58 (2.3) | 322 (12.6) |
| Average rainy days | 10 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 9 | 46 |
| Average snowy days | 2.5 | 1.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 6 |
| Averagerelative humidity (%) | 71 | 63 | 56 | 52 | 38 | 36 | 31 | 31 | 39 | 43 | 51 | 70 | 48 |
| Source: Weather Online, Weather Base, BBC Weather and My Weather 2, retrieved 10 November 2012 | |||||||||||||
Manbij is served by two major roads, Route M4 and Route 216.
There is no airport near Manbij, the nearest is inAleppo.
One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Wilson, Charles William;Hogarth, David George (1911). "Hierapolis". InChisholm, Hugh (ed.).Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 13 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 451–452.
36°31′39″N37°57′19″E / 36.52750°N 37.95528°E /36.52750; 37.95528
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