Morek مورك Murak, Murik | |
|---|---|
Town | |
  Morek Location in Syria | |
| Coordinates:35°22′31″N36°41′14″E / 35.37528°N 36.68722°E /35.37528; 36.68722 | |
| Country |  Syria |
| Governorate | Hama |
| District | Hama |
| Subdistrict | Suran |
| Population (2004) | |
• Total | 14,307 |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (EET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+3 (EEST) |
| City Qrya Pcode | C3029 |
Morek (Arabic:مورك,romanized: Mūrik, also spelledMurik,Mork, orMurak) is a town in centralSyria, administratively part of theSuran Subdistrict ofHama District, about 25 kilometers (16 mi) northeast ofHama city.[1] It is located on theM5 highway, which connects Hama withAleppo.[2]
According to theSyria Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), Morek had a population of 14,307 in the 2004 census.[3] Its inhabitants areSunni Muslims. Morek is the center of the country'spistachio production.[4]
Murik contains the ruins, includingmosaics, of a 5th-centuryByzantine church, similar to those found in nearbyQamhana andTaybet al-Imam.[1]
In 1818, due to the impoverished state of its inhabitants, Morek was partially exempted from taxes.[5] In a tax record from that year, the village consisted of 23feddans, paid the relatively small amount of 1,100qirsh in taxes but also was extorted to pay 4,720 qirsh by themutasallim of Hama,Faraj Agha, who was dismissed from his post for corrupt practices.[6]
In 1838, its inhabitants were noted to be predominantlySunni Muslims.[7] In May 1841, amid the chaotic withdrawal of Egyptian forces from Syria, which they had controlled since 1831,Bedouins from theAnaza tribes ofFad'an andSba'a raided Morek, kidnapping a boy and stealing numerous livestock from the inhabitants.[8]
In the early 20th century, duringFrench Mandatory rule, Morek's 300 small landowners were split between two disputing factions. They sought arbitration from thenotables ofHama city, who thereupon took ownership of two-thirds of the village's lands. The inhabitants of Morek were Sunni Muslim Arabs ofBedouin origin.[9]
During theSyrian civil war, the city was the site of theBattle of Morek. By 2018 it was under the control ofHayat Tahrir al Sham and had become the sight of an important crossing point from rebel held areas into those held by the Syrian government.[10] On August 12, 2018, theSyrian Arab Army closed that crossing in preparation for their assault on rebel held territory in the region.[10] The Turkish government had also deployed special forces to Morek in preparation for the SAA's anticipated advance on the Idlib region.[11] The anticipated advance was averted by ade-militarization agreement signed betweenRussia andTurkey in September 2018. By May 2019 a group calledJaysh al-Izza[12] was stationed in the city and was refusing to allow Russian patrols within the demilitarized zone.
On 20 August, theSyrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that the rebel and Islamic factions including jihadi groups likeHayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) had completely withdrawn from Morek in the northern countryside of Hama.[13] Turkish Foreign MinisterMevlüt Çavuşoğlu said that the Turkish troops were staying at the Turkish observation post in Morek.[14]
Turkey withdrew its military presence from Morek on 19 October 2020.[15] On 30 November 2024, HTS rebels captured the city from the Syrian Army during theHama offensive.[16][17]
