Khan Shaykhun (Arabic: خَان شَيْخُون, romanized: Khān Shaykhūn) is a town in the Maarrat al-Nu'man District, within the southern Idlib Governorate of northwestern Syria.
Khan Shaykhun
خَان شَيْخُون | |
|---|---|
Town | |
  Khan Shaykhun Location in Syria | |
| Coordinates: 35°26′20″N 36°39′4″E / 35.43889°N 36.65111°E | |
| Country | Syria |
| Governorate | Idlib |
| District | Maarrat al-Nu'man |
| Subdistrict | Khan Shaykhun |
| Control |  Syrian opposition |
| First settled | 20th century BC |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Abdul Karim Najjar[1] |
| Area | |
• Total | 202.98 km2 (78.37 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 350 m (1,150 ft) |
| Population (2004) | |
• Total | 50,469 |
| Time zone | UTC 3 (EET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC 2 (EEST) |
| Climate | BSk |
Khan Shaykhun is located at an altitude of 350 meters on the main highway between Aleppo and Damascus. The local economy is primarily agricultural, focusing on the growing of cotton and cereals.[2] The town was formerly known for producing embroidery.[3] Nearby localities include Hbit to the west, Kafr Zita to southwest, Murak to the south and Al-Tamanah to the east.
The city was first settled in the 20th century BC during the Bronze and Iron Ages and had multiple civilisations, of which at least 4 are confirmed through excavations done by the French in 1932. The ancient civilisations range from Assyria Empire, Neo-Babylonian Empire, Achaemenid Empire to other, older empires.[4][5] In the 2010 census, the population was recorded at 50,469.[6] During the Syrian Civil War, this number doubled due to the waves of refugees the city experienced. However, many of its original inhabitants, as well as the refugees, left the city as a result of the intense bombardments it was subjected to.[7]
History
editKhan Shaykhun takes its name from a 14th-century khan or caravanserai built by the Mamluk emir Sayf al-Din Shaykhu al-'Umari.[8][9] The town grew up around the khan and is situated below a prominent tell, where excavations carried out in 1930 under the French Comte du Mesnil du Buisson revealed evidence of habitation dating back to the 20th century BC.[2][10] The tell, which measures about 200–250 m long by 18–24 m high, was levelled off in the Bronze and Iron Ages to provide a platform for a series of walled towns built successively on top of each other. The second of these, dating to about 700 BC, has been identified as the Assyrian town of Ashkhani. The site was abandoned around 300 BC.[5]
In more recent times, Khan Shaykhun was noted for its beehive houses, an architectural style found across the Levant and probably exported from there to North Africa.[11]
Geography
editThe city of Khan Shaykhun is part of the Maarat al-Numan district in the southern countryside of Idlib and is administratively linked to the Idlib Governorate in northwestern Syria. It is located 35 kilometers from Hama, 100 kilometers from Aleppo, and 70 kilometers from Idlib.
The city holds strategic importance, as it serves as a connection between the northern countryside of Hama and the southern countryside of Idlib. Additionally, it is situated on the international highway that connects Aleppo with Damascus.[7]
The climate of Khan Shaykhun is warm and temperate. Rainfall occurs mainly in winter, with relatively little precipitation in the summer. The average annual temperature is 17.6 °C, and the yearly rainfall averages 379 mm. The residents of Khan Shaykhun primarily rely on trade and agriculture for their livelihood. The city has commerce in automobiles and grain, and crops such as olives, pistachios, wheat, and potatoes are cultivated.[7]
Volleyball is the most popular sport in Khan Shaykhun. The city's volleyball club has achieved excellent rankings and competes in the top league. In 2007, it placed third in Syria. The city also has a football club that plays in the third division.[7]
Personalities
editKhan Shaykhun is distinguished by a strong family structure, which includes notable families such as Al-Najm, Al-Dyoub, Al-Halawa, Abed, Biserini, Al-Kutaini, Al-Mawas, Al-Youssef, Al-Sarmani, Al-Sawadi, and Al-Khattab. The city is also known as the birthplace of the poet and scholar Abu al-Huda al-Sayyadi.[1]
Over the years, Khan Shaykhun has produced many prominent figures, including politicians, intellectuals, and significant individuals in the fields of science, administration, and the military. Former mayor Majed Abdulkader Al Kutaini, who was born in the city in 1917, studied there and in the city of Hama. He held the position of mayor from 1950 to 1975. During his tenure, he played a vital role in the organization and management of the city. He was known for his humility, his love for the city's residents, and his constant willingness to help.[7]
Climate
editThe current atmospheric condition in Khan Shaykhun is recognised as a regional steppe climate. There is not much rainfall in Khan Shaykhun all year long. The climate is classified as BSh according to Köppen and Geiger.
| Climate data for Khan Shaykhun | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 12.4 (54.4) |
14.5 (58.1) |
18.6 (65.4) |
23.1 (73.5) |
28.0 (82.5) |
32.3 (90.1) |
34.9 (94.9) |
35.3 (95.5) |
32.4 (90.3) |
27.4 (81.3) |
19.9 (67.8) |
14.0 (57.2) |
25.65 (78.17) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 7.4 (45.3) |
9.1 (48.4) |
12.6 (54.7) |
16.7 (62.1) |
21.3 (70.3) |
25.2 (77.4) |
27.7 (81.8) |
27.9 (82.2) |
25.2 (77.3) |
20.8 (69.5) |
13.9 (57.1) |
8.8 (47.9) |
19.63 (67.34) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 3.0 (37.3) |
4.3 (39.7) |
6.9 (44.5) |
10.4 (50.8) |
14.3 (57.8) |
18.1 (64.6) |
20.7 (69.2) |
21.2 (70.2) |
18.7 (65.7) |
15.1 (59.1) |
8.9 (48.0) |
4.5 (40.1) |
12.81 (55.06) |
| Average precipitation cm (inches) | 52 (2) |
44 (1) |
33 (1) |
20 (0) |
14 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
3 (0) |
12 (0) |
26 (1) |
45 (1) |
249 (6) |
| Average relative humidity (%) | 76 | 71 | 63 | 57 | 52 | 48 | 51 | 53 | 53 | 53 | 58 | 71 | 59 |
| Source: Climate-Data.org [12] | |||||||||||||
Syrian Civil War
editDuring the Syrian Civil War, the town initially fell under control of the Syrian opposition, and later, in 2014 fell to Jabhat al-Nusra.[13] In 2017, Deutsche Welle reported: "Idlib province, where Khan Sheikhun is located, is mostly controlled by the Tahrir al-Sham alliance, which is dominated by the Fateh al-Sham Front, formerly known as the al-Qaeda affiliated al-Nusra Front."[14]
On 4 April 2017, the town came under a heavy air attack, using chemical weapons.[15] 92 people were killed and several hundred injured.[16][17][18][19] After a few months of relative calm, the town was bombed again in September 2017.[20] Jets believed to belong to the Russian Air Force destroyed the town's power plant, which feeds northern Hama and southern Idlib.[21] The al-Rahma clinic was also struck.[22]
On 27 February 2018, pro-government media reported that Tahrir al-Sham withdrew from the city of Khan Shaykhun, and was expelled from western Aleppo by other rebel groups.[23] In mid-April 2018, pro-opposition media reported that Tahrir al-Sham once again seized the town, which had been devoid of rebel military presence.[24] In August 2018, the town again came under aerial bombardment by pro-government forces.[25][26] By 2019, almost all of the town's residents had abandoned it.[27]
On 19 August 2019, the Syrian Army was reported to have taken control of the city's eastern and northern districts.[28] The next day, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that rebel and Islamic factions and jihadi groups withdrew from Khan Shaykhun completely.[29] On 21 August 2019, the Syrian Army fully secured the town after capturing the strategic hill of Tell al-Tara and Al-Khazanat Camp in southern Idlib.[30][31]
References
edit- ^ "Roads in Khan Sheikhoun area in Idleb countryside rehabilitated". SANA. 13 June 2022. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
- ^ a b Cohen, Saul Bernard (1998). The Columbia Gazetteer of the World: A to G. Columbia University Press. ISBN 978-0-231-11040-2.
- ^ Condra, Jill (2013). Encyclopedia of National Dress: Traditional Clothing Around the World. ABC-CLIO. p. 431. ISBN 978-0-313-37637-5.
- ^ Du Mesnil du Buisson, Robert (1932). "Une campagne de fouilles à Khan Sheikhoun". Syria. Archéologie, Art et histoire. 13 (2): 171–188. doi:10.3406/syria.1932.3615.
- ^ a b Ancient Egypt and the East. 1931. p. 63.
- ^ "Wayback Machine". Wayback Machine. Archived from the original on Oct 4, 2018.
- ^ a b c d e "خان شيخون.. مدينة سورية مأهولة منذ العصر البيزنطي". الجزيرة نت (in Arabic). Retrieved 2024-09-21.
- ^ Nahrawālī, Muḥammad ibn Aḥmad; Blackburn, Richard (2005). Journey to the Sublime Porte: the Arabic memoir of a Sharifian agent's diplomatic mission to the Ottoman Imperial Court in the era of Suleyman the Magnificent; the relevant text from Quṭb al-Dīn al-Nahrawālī's al-Fawāʼid al-sanīyah fī al-riḥlah al-Madanīyah wa al-Rūmīyah. Orient-Institut. p. 93. ISBN 978-3-89913-441-4.
- ^ Boulanger, Robert (1966). The Middle East: Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Iraq, Iran. Hachette. p. 376.
- ^ Du Buisson, "Une campagne de fouilles a Khan Sheikhoun", Syria 13 (1932)
- ^ Myers, Bernard Samuel (1959). Encyclopedia of world art. McGraw-Hill. p. 305. ISBN 9780070194663.
- ^ https://en.climate-data.org/asia/syria/idlib/khan-shaykhun-425894/#climate-table
- ^ "Syrian Army violently disrupts al-Nusra meeting in Khan Shaykhun, Idlib Archived 2017-04-06 at the Wayback Machine". 3 May 2016. Al-Masdar News.
- ^ "Death toll rises in Syria 'gas attack'". Deutsche Welle. 4 April 2017.
- ^ "The Khan Sheikhoun Chemical Attack, The Evidence So Far - bellingcat". bellingcat. 2017-04-05. Retrieved 2017-04-08.
- ^ Assad regime responsible for ‘awful’ Syria ‘chemical’ attack: EU’s Mogherini Al Arabiya. 4 April 2017. 5 April 2017.
- ^ "An 'infantile argument': Experts pour cold water on Russia's 'fanciful' explanation for Syrian gas attack". Business Insider. Retrieved 2017-04-07.
- ^ "Syria 'chemical attack': What we know". BBC News. 6 April 2017.
- ^ Shaheen, Kareem (2017-04-06). "'The dead were wherever you looked': inside Syrian town after gas attack". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2017-04-07.
- ^ Civil Defense: ‘Life at a complete standstill’ in Khan Sheikhoun after dozens of airstrikes in past week Archived 2017-09-28 at the Wayback Machine, Syria Direct, 25 September 2017
- ^ Suleiman Al-Khalidi Russia, Syria intensify bombing of rebel-held Idlib, witnesses say, Reuters, 24 September 2017
- ^ Hospital that treated Syrian chemical attack victims bombed in widespread air strikes, Telegraph, 22 September 2017
- ^ "HTS withdraws from key city in southern Idlib". AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز. 2018-02-27. Archived from the original on 2020-01-30. Retrieved 2018-02-28.
- ^ Dozens of medical facilities close in protest after rebel infighting damages Idlib hospital, SyriaDirect APR. 16, 2018
- ^ Humanitarian situation in Syria remains worrisome: UN official : Xinhua 2018-08-29
- ^ Syrian anti-air unit engage 'enemy target' as regime gears up for Idlib push, The National, August 11, 2018
- ^ "Regime forces advance towards key town in northwest Syria". France 24. 2019-08-14. Retrieved 2019-08-14.
- ^ "Syrian government forces march into Khan Sheikhoun in Idlib –..." Reuters. 2019-08-19. Archived from the original on August 19, 2019. Retrieved 2019-08-19.
- ^ "Fearing to fall in a complete siege, the factions and jihadi groups withdraw from Khan Shaykhun city and towns and villages south of it in the northern countryside of Hama". Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (in Arabic). 20 August 2019.
- ^ "Syria regime forces take full control of key town — monitor". Jordan Times. 2019-08-21. Retrieved 2019-08-21.
- ^ "Syrian regime forces take full control of key town". France 24. 2019-08-21. Retrieved 2019-08-21.