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Marmarita مرمريتا | |
|---|---|
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  Marmarita Location in Syria | |
| Coordinates:34°47′N36°15′E / 34.783°N 36.250°E /34.783; 36.250 | |
| Country |  Syria |
| Governorate | Homs |
| District | Talkalakh |
| Subdistrict | Al-Nasirah |
| Population (2004) | |
• Total | 2,206 |
| Time zone | UTC+3 (EET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (EEST) |
Marmarita (Arabic:مرمريتا,Marmarītā) is a village in northwesternSyria, located west of Homs. Marmarita is one of the largest villages inWadi al-Nasara ("Valley of theChristians"), a region north ofTalkalakh. In 2004, Marmarita had a population of 2,206, according to theCentral Bureau of Statistics (CBS).[1] Its inhabitants are predominantlyGreek Orthodox andGreek CatholicChristians and is one of the largest Christian villages in the Wadi al-Nasara ('valley of the Christians').[2][3] Marmarita is a popular summer destination and tourist attraction in Syria. The village has been part of theHoms Governorate since 1953; prior to that, it was part of theLatakia Governorate. The village has threeGreek Orthodox Church, aGreek Catholic Church and aProtestant Church.[4][5][6]
The name Marmarita is believed to be derived from theSyriac wordMarmanitha, meaning "a place that overlooks" in possible reference to Marmarita's location above theAkkar Plateau andMediterranean Sea.
Marmarita was settled in the early 17th century by four farming families from theHauran plateau. These families built three churches (St. John, St. Saba, and St. Boutros) which still remain on the outskirts of the village.[citation needed] Local folklore suggests that the site of the village may have been occupied as early as the 6th century CE, but any habitation was destroyed by a volcanic eruption of theLevant Fault zone.[7]
On 17 August 2013Syrian News Channel reported that militants killed and wounded Syrian Christians in Marmarita and the neighboring town ofal-Husn during the religious festival known as theDormition of the Theotokos.[8]Jund al-Sham (Soldiers of the Levant) claimed responsibility. It was later claimed that the militant group retreated to Lebanon.[9]
In Marmarita, the climate is warm and temperate. In winter there is much more rainfall in Marmarita than in summer. The Köppen-Geiger climate classification is Csa. The average annual temperature in Marmarita is 16.5 °C (61.7 °F). About 1,017 mm (40.04 in) of precipitation falls annually.
| Climate data for Marmarita | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 11.0 (51.8) | 12.2 (54.0) | 15.4 (59.7) | 20.3 (68.5) | 24.5 (76.1) | 28.1 (82.6) | 29.2 (84.6) | 30.1 (86.2) | 28.5 (83.3) | 24.9 (76.8) | 19.2 (66.6) | 13.4 (56.1) | 21.4 (70.5) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 3.6 (38.5) | 4.5 (40.1) | 6.4 (43.5) | 9.7 (49.5) | 13.2 (55.8) | 17.0 (62.6) | 19.5 (67.1) | 20.0 (68.0) | 17.2 (63.0) | 13.6 (56.5) | 9.5 (49.1) | 5.7 (42.3) | 11.7 (53.0) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 207 (8.1) | 174 (6.9) | 143 (5.6) | 88 (3.5) | 28 (1.1) | 2 (0.1) | 1 (0.0) | 2 (0.1) | 13 (0.5) | 44 (1.7) | 95 (3.7) | 220 (8.7) | 1,017 (40.0) |
| Average snowy days | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 |
| Source: Climate-Data.org, Climate data | |||||||||||||
Marmarita is surrounded by a number of ruins and historical sites. The best known of these is theKrak des Chevaliers (also known as "Qal'at al-Ḥiṣn"), aCrusader castle built by theOrder of Saint John of Jerusalem between 1142 and 1271. The castle is regarded as one of the most important preserved medieval castles in the world byUNESCO.[10]
The annualCarnival Marmarita was established in 1972 and features processions of vehicles and dancers in costumes.[citation needed].
Marmarita's population changes with the seasons: in winter, the population is about 2,500; in summer it increases to between 25,000 and 30,000 as formerly local families return from jobs in nearby cities to vacation in the area.[1]
Marmarita is located approximately 13 km north of theM1 motorway, roughly halfway betweenTartus andHoms.
The closest airports to Marmarita areBassel Al-Assad International Airport (LTK) in Syria (93.1 km),Beirut International Airport (BEY) in Lebanon (163.2 km), andDamascus International Airport (DAM) in Syria (196.2 km).
