Muzayrib مُزَيْرِيب | |
|---|---|
Town | |
 Muzayrib Lake | |
  Muzayrib | |
| Coordinates:32°42′39.2″N36°1′35.8″E / 32.710889°N 36.026611°E /32.710889; 36.026611 | |
| PAL | 246/235 |
| Country |  Syria |
| Governorate | Daraa |
| District | Daraa |
| Subdistrict | Muzayrib |
| Control | Syrian Opposition |
| Population (2004 census)[1] | |
• Total | 12,640 |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (EET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+3 (EEST) |
Muzayrib (Arabic:مُزَيْرِيب, also spelledMzerib,Mzeireb,Mzereeb,Mezereeb oral-Mezereeb) is a town in southernSyria, administratively part of theDaraa Governorate, located northwest ofDaraa on theJordan–Syria border. Nearby localities includeal-Shaykh Saad andNawa to the north,Da'el,Tafas andal-Shaykh Maskin to the northeast, andal-Yadudah to the southeast. According to theSyria Central Bureau of Statistics, Muzayrib had a population of 12,640 in the 2004 census.[1] The town is also the administrative center of the Muzayribnahiyah (subdistrict) consisting of nine villages with a combined population of 72,625.[1] Muzayrib also has a community ofPalestinian refugees.[2]
Under theOttomans, the town, well known for its springs andbazaars, served as the first major resting place along theHajj caravan route fromDamascus toMecca. Along withal-Shaykh Saad, Muzayrib served as the main administrative center for the region ofHauran.[3] In the 16th century, a fort was built in the town on the orders ofOttoman Sultan,Selim I.[4] Its builder was a certain Hatim Tay.[5] The fort had a bent gateway, unlike other Hajj forts which had straight entrances, and was built from locally quarriedbasaltic rock.[4] Strategically located in the hinterland of Damascus, the fort at Muzayrib was the most solid demonstration of Ottoman power over Damascus, which experienced several revolts, including by the inhabitants or the localJanissary corps. Thus, the provincial leadership of Damascus stringently controlled Muzayrib. Because of its important role in the Hajj route, large quantities of dry cakes were stored in the fort to provide for pilgrims who were dependent on the cakes for sustenance during their traversal of the desert or to supply the inhabitants of Damascus in case of a shortage.[6] The fort also served as a place where the Damascus authorities collected taxes from pilgrims and where theamir al-hajj (Hajj caravan commander) distributed money toBedouin tribal chiefs to dissuade them from attacking the Hajj pilgrims.[5]
Instead of local Janissaries, imperial Ottoman troops were stationed at the fort of Muzayrib.[7] By 1672, the fort had an 80-man imperial garrison, a 300-man force of irregulars commanded by alocal military official.[8] It was also the residence of theqadi (Islamic head judge) ofHauran.[8] At the time, the fort contained amosque, smallbathhouse and storage rooms containing government and merchant goods.[8] Between 1517 and 1757, theHajj caravan at Muzayrib was attacked five times by nomadicBedouins.[9] In 1770, the rebel Egyptian army ofAli Bey al-Kabir led byIsmail Bey and an allied force led byZahir al-Umar, theArab ruler of theGalilee, stopped at Muzayrib on their way to captureDamascus. When they reached Muzayrib to face off with GovernorUthman Pasha, Ismail Bey decided to retreat because the encounter coincided with the arrival of theHajj caravan in the town. Zahir al-Umar unsuccessfully protested the move and the rebel armies withdrew.[10]
In 1838Eli Smith noted that the place was located west of theHajj road, and that it was populated withSunni Muslims.[11] In the 19th century, the fort at Muzayrib contained large warehouses, minor dwellings and a smallmosque. A spring located to the northeast emptied into a pond containing abundant fish. Ruins were situated along the western banks of the spring. Hajj pilgrims who came to Muzayrib, which was still the main resting place of the caravan route, remained in the town for several days, and during each Hajj a large open market was held.[12] An observer remarked at the end of the century that the place would have been blossoming, had it not been for its marshy and fever-producing surroundings.[13]
The city was connected to the Ottoman telegraph network based inDamascus by 1875.[14] In the late 1880s, the fortress was in a decaying state.[8] Anarrow gauge 103 kilometres (64 mi) long railway line connecting Muzayrib with Damascus was inaugurated on 14 July 1894; the line was extended to the port city ofBeirut in 1895.[14] The railway, owing to its construction along an undeveloped trade route, was a financial failure. However, it helped to open upLebanon and develop the agricultural industry in the fertile volcanic plains of theGolan and theHauran, making them the leading producers of wheat crops in the Middle East.[15] By 1898, the fort at Muzayrib was largely ruined and within ten years, about two-thirds of its masonry had been reused by the local inhabitants for modern buildings in Muzayrib and villages in the vicinity.[8]
Muzayrib.
Capital:Daraa | |||||||||||||||||||||
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