Al-Hajar al-Aswad
{{About|the city in Rif Dimashq, Syria|the Islamic holy relic|Black Stone}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2020}}
{{Infobox settlement
|official_name = Al-Hajar al-Aswad
|other_name =
|native_name = الحجر الأسود
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|settlement_type = City
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|pushpin_map = Syria
|pushpin_label_position =bottom
|pushpin_mapsize =250
|pushpin_map_caption =Location in Syria
|subdivision_type = Country
|subdivision_name = {{flagicon image|Flag of the Syrian revolution.svg}} Syria
|subdivision_type1 = Governorate
|subdivision_name1 = Rif Dimashq
|subdivision_type2 = District
|subdivision_name2 = Darayya
|subdivision_type3 = Subdistrict
|subdivision_name3 = al-Hajar al-Aswad
|subdivision_type4 = Control
|subdivision_name4 = {{flagicon image|Flag of the Syrian revolution.svg}} Syrian opposition
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|population_total = 84948
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|timezone = EET
|utc_offset = +2
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|coordinates = {{coord|33|27|50.5|N|36|18|16|E|region:SY|display=inline,title}}
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Al-Hajar al-Aswad ({{langx|ar|اَلْحَجَرُ ٱلْأَسْوَدُ|al-Ḥajaru l-Aswad|lit=The Black Stone}}) is a Syrian city just {{convert|4|km|0|abbr=on}} south of the centre of Damascus in the Darayya District of the Rif Dimashq Governorate.[https://www.google.nl/maps/place/Damascus,+Syri%C3%AB/@33.513,36.292,12z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x1518e6dc413cc6a7:0x6b9f66ebd1e394f2 map of suburbs of Damascus], google.maps
According to the Syria Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), Al-Hajar al-Aswad had a population of 84,948 in the 2004 census, making it the 13th largest city per geographical entity in Syria.[https://web.archive.org/web/20200704080121/http://www.cbssyr.org/new%20web%20site/General_census/census_2004/NH/TAB03-36-2004.htm General Census of Population and Housing 2004]. Syria Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS). Rif Dimashq Governorate. {{in lang|ar}}
History
During the Syrian Civil War, on 26 July 2012, fighting was reported in the Al-Hajar al-Aswad suburb of the capital, a place described as home to thousands of poor refugees from the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights who were at the forefront of the movement against Assad.{{cite web|url=http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2012/07/201272553949300881.html|title=Syria bolsters troops in battle for Aleppo|access-date=25 October 2014}} The Free Syrian Army had withdrawn to the southern suburb of Al-Hajar al-Aswad with the suburb being shelled by Government forces and an activist in the area said that there were still ongoing clashes in the south of the city.{{cite news|title=Syria crisis: Aleppo battle looms - Thursday 26 July 2012|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/middle-east-live/2012/jul/26/syria-crisis-aleppo-battle-looms-live?intcmp=239#block-8|newspaper=The Guardian|date=26 July 2012|location=London|first1=Matthew|last1=Weaver|first2=Brian|last2=Whitaker}} On 27 July 2012, the army took it back. On 30 October 2012, clashes broke out in Al-Hajar Al-Aswad between rebels and the army, spreading into the adjacent Yarmuk Palestinian camp.{{cite web|url=http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/breaking-news/air-raids-bombs-rock-damascus/story-e6frf7k6-1226506293707|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150713120037/http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/breaking-news/air-raids-bombs-rock-damascus/story-e6frf7k6-1226506293707|url-status=dead|archive-date=13 July 2015|title=Herald Sun.|access-date=25 October 2014}}{{cite web|url=http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2012/Oct-30/193220-syria-clashes-erupt-in-palestinian-refugee-camp.ashx#axzz2AmZd4Qsl,|title=Lebanese Daily Star.|work=The Daily Star Newspaper - Lebanon|access-date=25 October 2014|archive-date=12 June 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612144318/http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2012/Oct-30/193220-syria-clashes-erupt-in-palestinian-refugee-camp.ashx#axzz2AmZd4Qsl,|url-status=dead}}
On 19 November, rebels seized the headquarters of an army battalion and air defense base on the edge of the suburb, making it the nearest military base to Central Damascus to fall under rebel control.{{cite news| url=https://www.reuters.com/article/syria-crisis-base-idUSL5E8MJJ8B20121119 | work=Reuters| title=UPDATE 1-Syria rebels say they seize army base on Damascus outskirts | date=19 November 2012}} In January 2014, reports indicated that opposition fighters fleeing the fallen towns are concentrated in the remaining strongholds, particularly Al-Hajar al-Aswad.{{cite web|url=http://www.understandingwar.org/sites/default/files/ISWAssadStrikesDamascus_26JAN.pdf|title=Assad Strikes Damascus|work=Institute for the Study of War|date=January 2014|author=Valerie Szybala}}
The district became a hotspot for Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant militant activity, whom controlled large areas of the district and used it for a staging ground for their assault on Yarmouk Camp in 2015.{{cite web|author=Haytham |first=Mustafa |url=http://aranews.net/2016/04/clashes-break-isis-al-qaeda-damascus/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160410084015/http://aranews.net/2016/04/clashes-break-isis-al-qaeda-damascus/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=10 April 2016 |title=Clashes break out between ISIS and al-Qaeda in Damascus |date=8 April 2016 |publisher=ARA News |access-date=2017-03-02}}
The entire location of Al Hajar al Aswad was captured from ISIL by the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) on 16 May 2018. Yarmouk Camp still remained under ISIL control.[https://twitter.com/SyriaDM/status/992916650973368320 Fierce clashes continued in Al Hajar Aswad ] Syrian Digital Media Twitter Account The SAA has been attacking both locations as part of an offensive that started on 1 May 2018.{{cite web|url=http://www.syriahr.com/en/?p=92209|title=More than two weeks after losing al-Kadam neighborhood and in conjunction of losing in Yarmouk Camp, ISIS loses al-Hajar al-Aswad neighborhood completely for the regime forces and allies|date=15 May 2018|publisher=SOHR}}
In popular culture
In 2022, Al-Hajar al-Aswad served as a filming location for the Chinese action film Home Operation that dramatizes the 2015 evacuation of hundreds of Chinese citizens and other citizens from Yemen.{{Cite news |date=2022-08-05 |title=Displaced Syrians voice anger as bombed-out town doubles as film set |work=Financial Times |url=https://www.ft.com/content/8dbbfe44-9057-4439-b08a-c7d512139dbe |access-date=2022-08-06}}
References
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External links
{{Rif Dimashq Governorate|darayya}}
Category:Populated places in Darayya District
{{RifDimashqSY-geo-stub}}