Wadi Barada (Arabic: وادي بردى) is a river valley in southwestern Syria. The valley is home to 17 villages and towns.[1]
Etymology
editThe word wadi (وادي) means valley in Arabic.[1] "Barada" is thought to be derived from the word barid (بارد), which means "cold" in Semitic languages.[2] The ancient Greek name (Greek: Χρυσορρόας, translit. Chrysorrhoas), means "streaming with gold".[3] The river has also suffered from severe drought in the last decades, mainly due to the lower rainfall rates and the large increase in the population in the area.
Geography
editWadi Barada is located in the north-western part of the Syrian capital of Damascus, in the Qalamoun district. It is known for being a mountainous area and in direct contact with the eastern mountain range of Lebanon. The Barada River is located in the western suburb of Damascus, it is 84 km long, stems from Zabadani, and drains in Al Otaiba Lake. The region also has a main water source. The water of Ein Fajja in the Barada valley is a major source of the capital, providing drinking water to more than six million people in Damascus and its countryside.[4]
Villages and towns of Wadi Barada
editThe following villages and towns make up Wadi Barada. The population numbers are according to the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) for 2004.
| English Name | Arabic Name | Population | Subdistrict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Souq Wadi Barada | سوق وادي بردى | 3,678 | al-Zabadani |
| Kafr al-Awamid | كفر العواميد | 1,588 | al-Zabadani |
| Barheliya | برهليا | 821 | al-Zabadani |
| Hurayra | هريرة | 2,455 | Madaya |
| al-Husseiniyah | الحسينية | 1,563 | Ain al-Fijah |
| Deir Qanun | دير قانون | 4,213 | Ain al-Fijah |
| Kfeir al-Zayt | كفير الزيت | 4,170 | Ain al-Fijah |
| Deir Muqaran | دير مقرن | 4,803 | Ain al-Fijah |
| Efra | افرة | 1,029 | Ain al-Fijah |
| Ain al-Fijah | عين الفيجة | 3,806 | Ain al-Fijah |
| Basimah | بسيمة | 2,812 | Qudsaya |
| Ashrafiyat al-Wadi | أشرفية الوادي | 2,101 | Qudsaya |
| Jdeidat al-Wadi | جديدة الوادي | 5,227 | Qudsaya |
| Jamraya | جمرايا | 1,156 | Qudsaya |
| al-Hamah | الهامة | 10,045 | Qudsaya |
| Qudsaya | قدسيا | 33,571 | Qudsaya |
| Dummar | دمر | 96,962 | Damascus |
Syrian civil war
editSyrian rebels captured the village of Ain al-Fijah in February 2012.[5] Engineers and technicians who worked at the water spring remained in place. After the rebel capture of Wadi Barada, government forces imposed a blockade on the villages.[6] The army retook control of the town on 28 January 2017 and the next day the Army took full control of Wadi Barada.[7]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b "After Battle for Wadi Barada, the Damascus Water War Isn't Over". newsdeeply.com. Retrieved 25 February 2018.
- ^ Rihani, Ameen (2016). The Book of Khalid: A Critical Edition. Syracuse University Press. p. 455. ISBN 0815653328.
- ^ Kraeling, Emil G. H. (2008). Aram and Israel: The Aramaeans in Syria and Mesopotamia. Wipf and Stock Publishers. p. 46. ISBN 1606083945.
- ^ "وادي بردى.. منطقة سورية تواجه مصير حلب". www.aljazeera.net.
- ^ "الجيش السوري الحر من داخل نبع عين الفيجة 2 2 2012" – via www.youtube.com.
- ^ "Wadi Barada uses water spring to keep regime invasion at bay". Syria:direct. 20 November 2013.
- ^ Paul Antonopoulos (29 January 2017). "Syrian Army to take full control of Wadi Barada with expulsion of militants". Al-Masdar News. Retrieved 29 January 2017.