Darkush دَرْكُوش | |
|---|---|
Town | |
 Darkush in 2020 | |
  Darkush | |
| Coordinates:35°59′33″N36°23′35″E / 35.99250°N 36.39306°E /35.99250; 36.39306 | |
| Country |  Syria |
| Governorate | Idlib Governorate |
| District | Jisr al-Shughur District |
| Subdistrict | Darkush Subdistrict |
| Population (2004 census)[1] | |
• Total | 5,295 |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (EET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+3 (EEST) |
Darkush (Arabic:دَرْكُوش,romanized: Darkūš; also spelledDarkoush orDerkush) is a town in northernSyria, administratively part of theIdlib Governorate, located northwest ofIdlib along the Syrian–Turkish borders on theOrontes River. Nearby localities includeal-Janudiyah,Zarzur andal-Najiyah to the southwest,Jisr al-Shughur to the south andMillis andMaarrat Misrin to the east. According to theSyria Central Bureau of Statistics, Darkush had a population of 5,295 in the 2004 census.[1] The town is also the administrative center of the Darkushnahiyah which consists of 19 villages with a combined population of 23,022.[1] Its inhabitants are predominantlySunni Muslims.[2]
An inscription at the town, dating back toRoman times, attests to the existence of ashipwright in the town, building river-going boats to use on the Orontes.[3] The town also has the remains of an ancient bridge.[4] TheChristianization of the city probably happened after 322.[5]
During theCrusades, the town was the property of thePrincipality of Antioch[4] until it was captured bySaladin in 1188. Crusaders underBohemond VI of Antioch andTripoli recaptured the town in 1260.[6] The Mamluk SultanBaibars gained control in 1267. Nothing remains of the town's Crusader citadel, as it was quarried for building stones.[4] Darkush was visited by Syrian geographerYaqut al-Hamawi in the 1220s, duringAyyubid rule. He noted that it was a "fortress nearAntâkiyyah, in the'Awâsim Province."[7]
On 13 August 1822 the town and its surrounding areas were devastated by a massive earthquake, killing 20,000 people.[8]
In the early 1960s it was described a large village of 2,500 residents and "one of the most picturesque" places in the area by geographer and author Robert Boulanger.[2]
During the ongoingSyrian civil war which started in March 2011, Darkush was Liberated by anti-government forces in November 2012.[9] Until then, the town was roughly divided politically with the residents in the northern part supporting the opposition while the south largely supported the government. Damaged buildings formerly belonging to the Regime forces marked the dividing line between the two sections. By late January 2013, the town was firmly in rebel hands and is used as a launching point for military operations against Regime-held positions in the mountains to the south.[10]
The town of Darkush lies in awadi in theOrontes River basin, at the foothills of thean-Nusayriyah Mountains.[11]
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