Azaz أَعْزَاز | |
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  Azaz Location in Syria | |
| Coordinates:36°35′10″N37°02′41″E / 36.5861°N 37.0447°E /36.5861; 37.0447 | |
| Country |  Syria |
| Governorate | Aleppo |
| District | Azaz |
| Subdistrict | Azaz |
| Control | Syrian transitional government |
| Elevation | 560 m (1,840 ft) |
| Population (2004) | |
• Total | 31,623 |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (EET) |
| • Summer (DST) | +3 |
Azaz (Arabic:أَعْزَاز,romanized: ʾAʿzāz) is a city in northwestSyria, roughly 20 miles (32 kilometres) north-northwest ofAleppo. According to theSyria Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), Azaz had a population of 31,623 at the 2004 census.[1] As of 2015[update], its inhabitants were almost entirelySunni Muslims, mostlyArabs but also someTurkmen.[2]
It is historically significant as the site of theBattle of Azaz between theCrusader States and theSeljuk Turks on June 11, 1125. It is close to aSyria–Turkey border crossing, which enters Turkey atÖncüpınar, south of the city ofKilis. It was the capital of theSyrian Interim Government.[3] 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.
The city was known in ancient times with different names: inHurrian asAzazuwa, inMedieval Greek as Αζάζιον (Azázion), inOld Aramaic asḤzz (later evolved inNeo-Assyrian asḪazazu).
In excavations of the site of Tell Azaz, considerable quantities of ceramics from the early and middle Islamic periods were found.[4] Despite the importance of Azaz as indicated by archaeological finds, the settlement was rarely mentioned in Islamic texts prior to the 12th century. However, a visit to the town by the Muslim musicianIshaq al-Mawsili (767–850) gives some indication of Azaz's importance duringAbbasid rule.[4] TheHamdanids ofAleppo (945–1002) built a brick citadel at Azaz.[5] It was a square fortress with two enclosures, situated atop atell.[6]
On 10 August 1030,Tubbal near Azaz became the scene of ahumiliating defeat of theByzantine emperorRomanos III at the hands of theMirdasids. In December of the same year, the Byzantine generalsNiketas of Mistheia and Symeon besieged and captured Azaz, and burned Tubbal to the ground in retaliation.[7]
During the Crusader era, Azaz, which was referred to in Crusader sources as "Hazart", became of particular strategic significance due to its topography and location, overlooking the surrounding region.[6] In the hands of the Muslims, Azaz stymied communications between the Crusader states ofEdessa andAntioch, while in Crusader hands it threatened the major Muslim city ofAleppo.[6] Around December 1118, the Crusader princeRoger of Antioch and theArmenian princeLeo I besieged and captured Azaz from the Turcoman princeIlghazi ofMardin.[6]
In January 1124, Balak andToghtekin, theBuridatabeg ofDamascus, breached Azaz's defenses, but were repulsed by Crusader reinforcements.[6] In April 1125, theSeljuk atabegAqsunqur al-Bursuqi ofMosul and Toghtekin invaded the Principality of Antioch and surrounded Azaz.[6] In response, in May or June 1125, a 3,000-strong Crusader coalition commanded by KingBaldwin II of Jerusalem confronted and defeated the 15,000-strong Muslim coalition at theBattle of Azaz, raising the siege of the town.[8]
However, the Crusaders' strength in the region was dealt a blow following theZengidcapture of Edessa in 1144.[8] Afterward, the other fortresses in the County of Edessa, including Azaz, gradually became neglected.[8] In 1146,Humphrey II of Toron sent sixty knights to reinforce the garrison at Azaz.[8] Despite its strong fortifications, the fortress of Azaz finally fell to the Muslims under the Zengid emir of Aleppo,Nur ad-Din in June 1150.[8]
TheAyyubid emir of Aleppo,al-Aziz Uthman, rebuilt the earlier Hamdanid structure at Azaz with stone.[5] During Ayyubid rule, in 1226, the local historianYaqut al-Hamawi, described Azaz as a "fine town", referring to the settlement as "Dayr Tell Azaz".[4] It was the center of a district bearing its name that also included the market towns or forts ofKafr Latha,Mannagh, Yabrin, Arfad, Tubbal andInnib.[4] TheMamluk Sultanate ruled over the area from the 13th century. TheOttomans entered the area in 1516 with a victory at theBattle of Marj Dabiq. Azaz continued to be inhabited byTurkmen in the Ottoman era. It was asanjak administrative division along with that ofKilis.[9] After thefall of the Ottoman Empire in the early 20th century, the newSyria-Turkey border ran just north of Azaz. The town was first part of theFrench colonial empire'sMandate for Syria and the Lebanon and, from 1946, the independent state ofSyria.
On 19 July 2012, during theSyrian civil war, rebels opposed to theSyrian government succeeded incapturing the town.[10] The town is highly valued as a logistical supply route close to the Turkish–Syrian border.
TheIslamic State of Iraq and the Levant took control of Azaz in October 2013, but withdrew from the city in February 2014 after having been cut off from the rest of its territory.[11][12]
Following the departure of ISIL, Azaz was left under the control ofNorthern Storm, a brigade under the authority of theIslamic Front, nominally a part of theFree Syrian Army (FSA) at that time.[13] A Sharia Committee was responsible for the administration ofsharia law, and was policed by the Northern Storm brigade. A Civil Council governed the field of public services.[14] During its northern offensive in 2015, ISIL approached Azaz, but fell short of directly assaulting the city; takingKafra and surrounding territory.[15] While regular ISIL forces were finally expelled from the Aleppo Governorate in October 2016, theJanuary 2017 Azaz bombing was attributed toISIL.
In January 2015,al-Nusra Front had a limited presence in the town and controlled one mosque.[14] By October 2015, the control of the town was shared betweenAl-Nusra and a brigade of theFSA.[16]
Turkey began organisingTurkmen militia bases in Azaz during thePeople's Protection Units (YPG) advance against rebels in February 2016, in order to prevent theKurdishYPG from obtaining a land bridge between theAfrin andKobanî Cantons.[17][18] The Turkish government declared Azaz to be a "red line" which Kurdish forces must not cross.[19] Azaz became one of the first towns to come under theTurkish occupation of northern Syria during the 2016Operation Euphrates Shield. By late 2017, Azaz was the headquarters of theSyrian Interim Government.[20][21]
Azaz has ahot-summer Mediterranean climate (Köppen climate classificationCsa).
| Climate data for Azaz, elevation 555 m (1,821 ft) | |||||||||||||
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| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 9.1 (48.4) | 10.8 (51.4) | 15.1 (59.2) | 20.7 (69.3) | 26.7 (80.1) | 32.0 (89.6) | 34.5 (94.1) | 34.7 (94.5) | 31.0 (87.8) | 25.5 (77.9) | 17.6 (63.7) | 10.8 (51.4) | 22.4 (72.3) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 5.3 (41.5) | 6.5 (43.7) | 10.0 (50.0) | 14.6 (58.3) | 19.7 (67.5) | 24.6 (76.3) | 27.0 (80.6) | 27.2 (81.0) | 24.1 (75.4) | 19.1 (66.4) | 12.5 (54.5) | 7.0 (44.6) | 16.5 (61.7) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 1.3 (34.3) | 2.2 (36.0) | 4.8 (40.6) | 8.6 (47.5) | 12.8 (55.0) | 17.2 (63.0) | 19.5 (67.1) | 19.7 (67.5) | 17.2 (63.0) | 12.8 (55.0) | 7.5 (45.5) | 3.5 (38.3) | 10.6 (51.1) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 89 (3.5) | 82 (3.2) | 68 (2.7) | 44 (1.7) | 22 (0.9) | 3 (0.1) | 1 (0.0) | 1 (0.0) | 4 (0.2) | 22 (0.9) | 44 (1.7) | 89 (3.5) | 469 (18.4) |
| Source:FAO[22] | |||||||||||||
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