Al-Thawrah#Syrian Civil War
{{Short description|City in Syria}}
{{For|the village near Hama, Syria|Thawra, Salamiyah}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2017}}{{Infobox settlement
| name = Al-Thawrah / Al-Tabqah
| settlement_type = City
| native_name = {{lang|ar|ٱلثَّوْرَة}} / {{lang|ar|ٱلطَّبْقَة}}
| image_skyline = Al-Thawrah in 1995.jpg
| image_caption = Al-Thawrah in 1995
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| pushpin_map = Syria
| pushpin_label_position = bottom
| pushpin_map_caption = Location in Syria
| pushpin_mapsize = 250
| subdivision_type = Country
| subdivision_name = Syria
| subdivision_type1 = Governorate
| subdivision_name1 = Raqqa
| subdivision_type2 = District
| subdivision_name2 = al-Thawrah
| subdivision_type3 = Subdistrict
| subdivision_name3 = al-Thawrah
| parts_type = Control
| parts_style = para
| p1 = {{flagicon|Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria}} Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria
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| population_total = 69,425
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| timezone = EET
| utc_offset = +2
| timezone_DST = EEST
| utc_offset_DST = +3
| coordinates = {{coord|35|50|12|N|38|32|53|E|display=inline,title}}
| elevation_footnotes =
| elevation_m = 328
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Al-Thawrah ({{langx|ar|ٱلثَّوْرَة|ad-Ṭhawrah}}), also known as Al-Tabqah ({{langx|ar|ٱلطَّبْقَة|aṭ-Ṭabaqah}}, Kurdish: Tebqa),[http://www.geographic.org/geographic_names/name.php?uni=-3486032&fid=5996&c=syria "At Tabqah: Syria "] Geographical Names is a city in Raqqa Governorate, Syria, approximately {{convert|55|km}} west of Raqqa. Al-Thawrah was the original name the settlement, which up until the 1960s had been relatively small.{{Cite web |last=Al-Jeloo |first=Dr. Nicholas |date=2 August 2013 |title=Stranded: the Forgotten Assyrians of Al-Thawrah, Syria |url=http://www.aina.org/releases/20130802050632.htm |access-date=2024-09-28 |website=www.aina.org}} The city had a population of 69,425 as of the 2004 census. https://web.archive.org/web/20200124185441/http://www.cbssyr.org/new%20web%20site/General_census/census_2004/NH/TAB11-8-2004.htm Al-Thawrah population] It is part of the Tabqa Region of the Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria.
Etymology
The name "al-Thawrah" literally means "The Revolution", in reference to the Baathist March 8th revolution in 1963.{{Cite web |date=June 2021 |title=Beyond Rojava: North and East Syria's Arab Regions |url=https://rojavainformationcenter.com/storage/2021/06/RIC-Dossier-Arab-regions.pdf |website=Rojava Information Center |page=9}}
History
= Syrian civil war =
File:Syrian Air Force airstrike in Tabqa.png airstrike in June 2013]]
On 26 November 2012, during the Syrian civil war, a main route from Raqqa to Aleppo passing through al-Thawrah along the Euphrates was dotted with both government and Syrian rebel checkpoints.{{cite news|title=Syria rebels seize dam |url=http://www.perthnow.com.au/news/breaking-news/syria-battle-reaches-damascus-outskirts/story-e6frg13l-1226523898402 |newspaper=AAP |date=November 26, 2012 |access-date=November 26, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121129050853/http://www.perthnow.com.au/news/breaking-news/syria-battle-reaches-damascus-outskirts/story-e6frg13l-1226523898402 |archive-date=November 29, 2012}} On 11 February 2013, Syrian opposition rebel groups including the jihadist al-Qaeda-linked al-Nusra Front and Liwa Owais al-Qorani took over the city.{{cite web |url=https://now.mmedia.me/lb/en/nowsyrialatestnews/rebels-take-control-of-military-airport-in-north-syria-ngo-says |title=Rebels take control of military airport in North Syria, NGO says |publisher=Now.mmedia.me |access-date=2013-08-29 |archive-date=25 July 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180725184105/https://now.mmedia.me/lb/en/nowsyrialatestnews/rebels-take-control-of-military-airport-in-north-syria-ngo-says |url-status=dead }} On 21 November, there was fierce fighting between government troops and rebels in the town,{{cite news|title=Fierce Syria clashes on Lebanese border force government to launch tighter border policies|url=http://www.albawaba.com/news/syria--535295|work=Al Bawaba|date=21 November 2013|access-date=19 December 2013}} but by 25 November, the rebels were back in control.
In January 2014, The Islamic State took control of the city.{{cite news|url=http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2014/Jan-05/243140-syrian-rebels-battle-al-qaeda-linked-fighters.ashx#axzz2oNa3sbT8|title=Syrian rebels battle Al-Qaeda-linked fighters |work=The Daily Star|date=5 January 2014|author=Diaa Hadid}} During ISIL rule, the town's Catholic, Antiochian Orthodox Church and Assyrian Church of the East churches were turned into a parking garage, a weapons factory and a barn, with ISIL militants destroying all Christian symbols on the three churches. The Shia Al Zahraa' Mosque was destroyed and an Ismaili place of worship was turned into a children's training centre.{{Cite web |url=http://en.hawarnews.com/is-eliminated-all-shiites-christians-and-ismailis-belongings/ |title=IS eliminated all Shiites, Christians and Ismailis belongings | ANHA |access-date=7 February 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180208123456/http://en.hawarnews.com/is-eliminated-all-shiites-christians-and-ismailis-belongings/ |archive-date=8 February 2018 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all}} In addition, high ranking IS members would reside in the city, to escape the bombardments on its capital Raqqa.
On 22 March 2017, the Syrian Democratic Forces began the Battle of Tabqa to retake the city, as the international coalition assisted by conducting airstrikes. SOHR reported that the airstrikes killed or injured more than 40 people,"{{Cite web |url=http://www.syriahr.com/en/?p=63311 |title=More than 40 casualties, wounded and missing in a new massacre carried out by international coalition’s warplanes in Tabaqa city |publisher=syriahr.com |date=March 22, 2017 |access-date=March 23, 2017}} while the BBC reported 27 killed and 40 wounded.{{Cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-39355294 |title=IS conflict: US airlift backs new assault near Raqqa stronghold |publisher=bbc.co.uk |date=March 22, 2017 |access-date=March 23, 2017}} On May 10, 2017, the SDF successfully recaptured the city,{{cite web|url=http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/05/backed-syrian-forces-fully-capture-tabqa-isil-170510174620917.html|title=US-backed Syrian forces 'fully capture' Tabqa from ISIL|publisher=Al Jazeera|access-date=10 May 2017}}{{cite web|url=http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2017/05/10/US-backed-forces-seize-Syria-s-Tabqa-nearby-dam-monitor.html|title=US-backed forces seize Syria's Tabqa, dam from ISIS|work=Agence-France Presse|date=10 May 2017 |publisher=Al Arabiya|access-date=10 May 2017}} during which an estimated 40% of the buildings were either damaged or destroyed.
Demographics
Prior to the Civil War, the majority of the city's inhabitants were Sunni Arabs, with Kurdish, Armenian, Assyrian as well as Ismaili and Shiite Arab minorities.{{Cite web |url=https://alshahidwitness.com/eliminated-shiites-christians-ismailis-belongings/ |title=IS Eliminated All Shiites, Christians and Ismailis Belongings |access-date=30 March 2018 |archive-date=30 March 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180330212833/https://alshahidwitness.com/eliminated-shiites-christians-ismailis-belongings/ |url-status=usurped }} The Assyrian minority consisted of around 1,000 people, with about half belonging to the Assyrian Church of the East, originating from the Khabour River villages, and the other half being Syriac Orthodox Christians, along with a few Chaldean Catholic, Syriac Catholic and Protestant families.{{cite web | title =Stranded: the Forgotten Assyrians of Al-Tharwah, Syria | url =http://www.aina.org/releases/20130802050632.htm |website=Assyrian International News Agency | date =2 August 2013 | access-date = 24 October 2015}} But now the Christians have left and very few returned after liberation.{{Cite web |title=Will Raqqa’s church bells ring again? |publisher=Syria Direct |date=June 6, 2023 |quote=Among the reasons why many Christians have not returned to Raqqa and other cities in the province, such as Tabqa, is that “SDF-affiliated factions have prevented them from returning to their homes, with the Northern Democratic Brigade currently controlling the homes of Christians in Tabqa,” Murad said. |url=https://syriadirect.org/will-raqqas-church-bells-ring-again/ |archive-date=February 29, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240229153355/https://syriadirect.org/will-raqqas-church-bells-ring-again/ }}
File:Al-Tabqa nahiyah.svg and the Al-Thawrah District.]]
Geography
The Tabqa Dam and Lake Assad on the Euphrates, an important energy source for Syria, are near the town.{{Cite web |last=Fergus |first=Kelly |date=2017-09-12 |title=Tabqa Schools Reopen for Syrian Children Despite Ongoing War |url=https://theglobepost.com/2017/09/12/tabqa-schools-reopen-syrian-children/ |access-date=2022-06-13 |website=The Globe Post |language=en-US}}
= Climate =
{{Weather box
|width = auto
|metric first = yes
|single line = yes
|location = Al-Thawrah
|Jan high C=11.1
|Feb high C=13.8
|Mar high C=18.5
|Apr high C=24.2
|May high C=30.3
|Jun high C=35.1
|Jul high C=37.7
|Aug high C=37.7
|Sep high C=34.2
|Oct high C=27.9
|Nov high C=20.0
|Dec high C=12.7
|Jan mean C=6.0
|Feb mean C=8.0
|Mar mean C=11.9
|Apr mean C=16.8
|May mean C=22.2
|Jun mean C=26.6
|Jul mean C=29.0
|Aug mean C=29.0
|Sep mean C=25.4
|Oct mean C=19.6
|Nov mean C=12.8
|Dec mean C=7.5
|Jan low C=1.0
|Feb low C=2.2
|Mar low C=5.4
|Apr low C=9.4
|May low C=14.2
|Jun low C=18.2
|Jul low C=20.4
|Aug low C=20.4
|Sep low C=16.6
|Oct low C=11.3
|Nov low C=5.7
|Dec low C=2.3
|precipitation colour=green
|Jan precipitation mm=37
|Feb precipitation mm=24
|Mar precipitation mm=34
|Apr precipitation mm=25
|May precipitation mm=15
|Jun precipitation mm=0
|Jul precipitation mm=0
|Aug precipitation mm=0
|Sep precipitation mm=1
|Oct precipitation mm=10
|Nov precipitation mm=18
|Dec precipitation mm=32
|source = Climate-Data.org {{cite web
|url = https://en.climate-data.org/location/429601/
|title = Climate: Al-Thawrah
|publisher = Climate-Data.org
|access-date = September 23, 2018
}}
}}
See also
{{Commons|Al-Tabqah}}
Notes
{{Reflist}}
{{Raqqa Governorate|Al-Thawrah}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Thawrah, al-}}