Al-Husn

image:Church bells, Al Husun Orthodox Church, al-Husn, Jordan.jpg

Al-Husn is one of the possible sites of Dion, a city dating from when the Romans occupied northern Jordan and the region. The Decapolis cities (a ten-city Greco-Roman federation, or league, created under Pompey about 64-63 BCE). According to Pliny the Elder, (CE 23–79) the cities included: Scythopolis (Bet She'an), Hippos (Susieh), Gadara (Umm Qais), Pella (Tabaqat Fahl), Philadelphia (Amman), Gerasa (Jerash), Dion, Kanatha (Kanawat), Damascus, and Raphana (Abila).

Al-Husn has one of the oldest Orthodox churches in Jordan. It was originally built in the second century (CE), but destroyed in 1680 by the Ottoman army. A church was later rebuilt in 1886 by the local Christians. Traditionally, al-Husn has been home to a relatively large Christian community, including Melkites; al-Husn, along with Fuhais, still includes a high percentage of Christians.

In 1596 it appeared in the Ottoman tax registers named as part of the nahiya (subdistrict) of Bani Atiyya, part of the Sanjak of Hawran. It had 24 households and 15 bachelors; all Muslim. The villagers paid a fixed tax-rate of 25% on agricultural products; including wheat, barley, summer crops/fruit trees, goats and bee-hives; in addition to occasional revenues. The total tax was 17,153 akçe. 1/4 of the revenue went to a waqf.Hütteroth and Abdulfattah, 1977, p. 204

In 1806, the German traveler named Seetzen arrived in al-Husn and became a guest of Al Sheikh Abdalla Ghanma. He narrates in his book, which describes his travels in the east, that when he got to al-Husn Pond and asked about the town's sheikh, he was directed to Abdalla's residence, where he stayed with him for two weeks. In 1812, the Swiss tourist and discoverer of Petra, Johann Ludwig Burckhardt, arrived in al-Husn. He also became a guest of Sheikh Abdalla Ghanma for ten days. Both these early travelers wrote about their stay in al-Husn and about their host; the description is full of compliments, appreciation and respect. In 1838 al-Husn's inhabitants were predominantly Sunni Muslims and Greek Christians.Smith, in Robinson and Smith, 1841, vol 3, 2nd appendix, p. [https://archive.org/stream/biblicalresearch03robiuoft#page/164/mode/1up 164]

In 1961 the population of al-Husn was 3,728 inhabitants,Government of Jordan, Department of Statistics, 1964, p. [http://users.cecs.anu.edu.au/~bdm/yabber/census/JordanCensusPages/JordanCensus1961-p13.pdf 13] of whom 2,030 were Christians.Government of Jordan, Department of Statistics, 1964, pp. [http://users.cecs.anu.edu.au/~bdm/yabber/census/JordanCensusPages/JordanCensus1961-pp115-116.pdf 115–116]

Al-Husn is notable for its Roman-era artificial hill, situated in the northern part of the town, referred to by locals as "Al-Taal". The Taal used to be the property of the Nusairat family; it was later taken over by the Jordanian government. Local legend says there are "castle ruins" or a Byzantine church within the tell which gave the town its name; Husn means "castle" in Arabic. The hill is approximately 200 meters high and 800 meters in diameter.{{citation needed|date=June 2022}}

• Husn Camp
• Al-Husun SC

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{{refbegin}}

• {{cite book | title = First Census of Population and Housing. Volume I: Final Tables; General Characteristics of the Population | author = Government of Jordan, Department of Statistics | year = 1964|url=http://cs.anu.edu.au/~bdm/yabber/census/JordanCensus1961bits.pdf}}
• {{cite book

| last1= Hütteroth |first1=W.-D.|author-link1=Wolf-Dieter Hütteroth

| last2 =Abdulfattah|first2=K. |author-link2=Kamal Abdulfattah

| title = Historical Geography of Palestine, Transjordan and Southern Syria in the Late 16th Century

|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=wqULAAAAIAAJ

| year = 1977

| publisher = Erlanger Geographische Arbeiten, Sonderband 5. Erlangen, Germany: Vorstand der Fränkischen Geographischen Gesellschaft

|isbn= 3-920405-41-2}}

• {{cite book

|last1=Robinson|first1=E.|authorlink1=Edward Robinson (scholar)

|last2=Smith|first2=E.|authorlink2=Eli Smith

|year=1841

|url=https://archive.org/details/biblicalresearch03robiuoft

|title=Biblical Researches in Palestine, Mount Sinai and Arabia Petraea: A Journal of Travels in the year 1838

| location=Boston|publisher=Crocker & Brewster

|volume=3}}

{{refend}}

• [https://acor.digitalrelab.com/index.php?s=filter=place_name:Al-Husn%20(Jordan) Photos of Al-Husn] at the American Center of Research

{{Irbid Governorate}}

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Category:Populated places in Irbid Governorate

Category:Irbid Governorate

Category:Jordan