Maskanah مسكنة | |
|---|---|
Town | |
  Maskanah | |
| Coordinates:35°57′47″N38°02′08″E / 35.963158°N 38.035566°E /35.963158; 38.035566 | |
| Country |  Syria |
| Governorate | Aleppo |
| District | Manbij |
| Subdistrict | Maskanah |
| Control |  Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria |
| Population (2004 census)[1] | |
• Total | 15,477 |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (EET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+3 (EEST) |
Maskanah (Arabic:مَسْكَنَة), also spelledMeskene, is a town in northernSyria, administratively part of theManbij District of theAleppo Governorate. The town is located 100 kilometres (62 mi) southeast ofAleppo on theLake Assad part of theEuphrates. Nearby localities includeDayr Hafir,Humaymah Kabirah andTell Ayoub to the northwest andal-Thawrah to the southeast. According to theSyria Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), Maskanah had a population of 15,477 in the 2004 census.[1] The Syrian government took control of Maskanah on 3 June 2017 from theIslamic State.[2] TheSDF took control of the town on 1 December 2024.
TheBronze Age city ofEmar lies a few kilometres north of the present town. The earliest mention of Maskanah comes throughStephanus of Byzantium where it is mentioned in the context ofSeptimius Severus's campaigns against theParthian Empire.[3]
After theMuslim conquest of Syria, the town was overshadowed by the nearbyBalis. The region was under the lordship of the rulers ofAleppo until the 12th century when theAtabegs of Mosul started asserting more control. The area was devastated by theMongol invasions in the 13th and 14th centuries.[3] In 1210, duringAyyubid rule, the al-Adil Minaret was constructed. The brick structure was built in the simple,Persian architectural style. It was further developed during theMamluk period. It was restored duringHafez al-Assad's rule (1970-2000) and is one last historic architectural remains in the town.[4]
DuringOttoman rule, the area was mostly inhabited by nomadicBedouin tribes.[3] In 1838, Maskanah was classified as a ruined village ("khirba") by Biblical scholarEli Smith.[5] The cultivable lands of theAleppo Vilayet, including Maskanah, were confiscated in 1876 bySultan Abdul Hamid II as his own personal property. The lands were later integrated back into the state as public property. In 1915 the town was visited by orientalistAlois Musil who mentions the town having barracks, a largekhan, and the residence of the head of the telegraph service.[3] A year later, Maskanah became a major deportation route during theArmenian genocide where an estimated 80,000 Armenians died.[6]
Under theFrench mandate, the town was the center of aqadaa, and served as a center for milk production and cattle merchants. In 1945 the village had 430 inhabitants.[3]
On 3 June 2017, the city wascaptured by theSyrian Army from theIslamic State.
TheSDF took control of the town on 1 December 2024 following the withdrawal of theSyrian Army.
The pre-Islamic Hadidin tribe is attested in the region of Maskanah through a tomb of Shaykh Hadid, a venerated ancestor of the tribe. After the Muslim conquest, the area was continuously inhabited by theAnizzah andBanu Bakr tribes. The 17th and 18th centuries saw another wave of migration to the area by the Anizzah. Nowadays, the region is mostly composed of the Anizzah andShammar tribes.[3]
The town lies on the left bank of theEuphrates in an area where the river bends eastwards due to a Pleistocene terrace. The town's distance to the river has varied over the years due to changes in the river's bed.[3] Maskanah lies on the border between theSyrian Desert to the south, and the northern fertileManbij Plain.[3]
