Fan Shamali فان شمالي Al-Fan Ashamali | |
|---|---|
Village | |
  Fan Shamali Location in Syria | |
| Coordinates:35°18′38″N36°55′05″E / 35.310433°N 36.918011°E /35.310433; 36.918011 | |
| Country |  Syria |
| Governorate | Hama |
| District | Hama |
| Subdistrict | Suran |
| Population (2004) | |
• Total | 1,877 |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (EET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+3 (EEST) |
Fan Shamali (Arabic:فان شمالي, also spelledal-Fan Ashamali orFan esh-Shemali) is a village in northernSyria, administratively part of theHama Governorate, located northeast ofHama. Nearby localities includeSuran andKawkab to the west,Ma'an to the northwest,Atshan to the north,Qasr Abu Samrah to the northeast,al-Hamraa to the east,Sabburah to the southeast,Fan Qibli andZighrin to the south andMaar Shahur to the southwest. According to theSyria Central Bureau of Statistics, Fan Shamali had a population of 1,877 in the 2004 census.[1] Its inhabitants are predominantlySunni Muslims, although most of the surrounding villages and hamlets are inhabited byAlawites.[2]
Fan Shamali contains the ruins of aByzantine tower dating back to 576 CE.[3]
In early September 2012, during theSyrian civil war, opposition activists reported that a "massacre" occurred in Fan al-Shamali committed by local members of theShabiha, a pro-government militia. According to activists, at least 30 residents were killed, including women and children.[2]
