Halban حلبان | |
|---|---|
Village | |
  Halban Location in Syria | |
| Coordinates:35°14′09″N37°00′38″E / 35.235875°N 37.010450°E /35.235875; 37.010450 | |
| Country |  Syria |
| Governorate | Hama |
| District | Salamiyah |
| Subdistrict | Salamiyah |
| Population (2004) | |
• Total | 653 |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (EET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+3 (EEST) |
| City Qrya Pcode | C3248 |
Halban (Arabic:حلبان) is a village in centralSyria, administratively part of theSalamiyah District of theHama Governorate, located about 30 kilometers (19 mi) north ofSalamiyah.[1] According to theSyria Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), Halban had a population of 653 in the 2004 census.[2]
Halban is one of severalByzantine-era villages in theal-A'la plateau east ofHama. It contains considerable remains, mainlybasaltic building blocks reused in more modern constructions. Several basaltic lintels withGreek inscriptions were found in the village during archaeological expeditions in 1904–1905. The earliest dated to 362 CE. Another inscription dated to 534. On the east side of Halban, facing the desert steppe, stood a defensive tower with an inscription dating it to 543 and crediting local stone masons Ioannes and Symeones. The builders were noted as natives of 'Holbanoi', the ancient name of Halban.[3]
The modern village of Halban was foundedc. 1900. The village was owned by a landlord and the inhabitants were tenant farmers until the 1958 Land Reform Laws which redistributed its lands to the residents.[1]
As of 2023, agriculture and livestock raising remained the mainstay of the village economy, with the main crops being olives, pistachios, cumin, grapes, almonds, chickpeas and grain. Education levels were relatively high and a relatively large number of residents had professional careers in law, engineering, education and pharmaceauticals.[1]
