al-Ariqah
{{Short description|Village in southern Syria}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name = Ariqah
| official_name =
| native_name = عريقة
| other_name =
| settlement_type = Village
| image_skyline =Shrine_of_Ammar_bin_Yasser_in_Ariqah.jpg
| image_caption =Shrine of Ammar bin Yasser in Ariqah
| image_flag =
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| image_map =
| map_caption =
| pushpin_map = Syria
| pushpin_label_position = bottom
| pushpin_mapsize = 250
| pushpin_map_caption = Location in Syria
| coordinates = {{coord|32|53|20|N|36|29|00|E|region:SY|display=inline}}
| grid_position = 288/255
| subdivision_type = Country
| subdivision_name = {{flagicon image|Flag of the Syrian revolution.svg}} Syria
| subdivision_type1 = Governorate
| subdivision_name1 = as-Suwayda
| subdivision_type2 = District
| subdivision_name2 = Shahba
| subdivision_type3 = Subdistrict
| subdivision_name3 = al-Ariqah
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| unit_pref = Metric
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| elevation_footnotes =
| elevation_m = 800
| population_footnotes =
| population_total = 3,000
| population_as_of = 2008 est.
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| timezone = EET
| utc_offset = +2
| timezone_DST = +3
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}}
Ariqah ({{langx|ar|عريقة|ʿArīqa}}), formerly known as Ahira, is a village in southern Syria with a population of about 3,000. It is located in the heart of the rocky volcanic plateau of Lejah (also called Lajat). Administratively Ariqah is situated in the Mantiqat Shahba (Shahba district) of As Suwayda Governorate.
Ariqah is known for its volcanic cave which is located in a 10 meters deep hollow in the centre of the village. This cave is known as Ariqa Cave which extends from 2 to 3 kilometers in the old lava streams, it is the biggest known cave in southern Syria.
History
=Ottoman era=
In 1596 Al-Ariqah appeared in the Ottoman tax registers as 'Ahiri and was part of the nahiya of Bani Abdullah in the Hauran Sanjak. It had an entirely Muslim population consisting of 18 households and 3 bachelors. The villagers paid a fixed tax rate of 25% on wheat, barley, summer crops, goats and/or beehives and a water mill; a total of 6,500 akçe.Hütteroth and Abdulfattah, 1977, p. 215.
In 1838, it was noted as Ahiry, a Druze and Catholic village, situated "in the Lejah, south of Dama".Robinson and Smith, 1841, vol 3, 2nd appendix, p. [https://archive.org/stream/biblicalresearch03robiuoft#page/156/mode/1up 156]
References
{{reflist |25em}}
Bibliography
{{refbegin}}
- {{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}}
External links
- [https://www.google.com/maps/place/Ariqa,+Syria/@32.8888846,36.4852953,15z Map of the town], Google Maps
- [http://www.nla.gov.au/apps/cdview/?pi=nla.map-vn745520-s20m Ezra-map, 20m]
{{coord|32|53|10|N|36|28|50|E|display=title}}
{{Al-Suwayda Governorate|shahba}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ariqah}}