Introduction
Deir ez Zor or Dayr Az Zawr is a city in
northeastern Siria on the
Euphrates River and capital of the Deir ez Zor Governorate, 450 km
from the capital, Damasco, 320 Km
south east of Alepo and 206 Km from
Palmira. It has a population of 133,000
(1994 estimate). It is a prosperous farming area, with
cattle-breeding, cereals and cotton crops. Since the discovery of
light crude oil in the Syrian desert it has become a centre for
the country's oil extraction industry. It is also a minor centre
for tourism with many tourist facilities as traditional riverbank
restaurants up to 5-star hotels, a hub for trans-desert travel and
has an airport in Al-Jafra suburb. Also there are salt rock mines
nearby.
History
Deir ez Zor and the Euphrates valley date back a long way.
Starting in the 3rd century BC, Deir ez Zor was a part of the
Akkadian empire under the King Sargon I from 2700 to 2550 BC. It
then fell into the hands of Hammurabi the famous king who setup
the first steps of law. Then it went through the Assyrians,
Chaldeans, and Persians.
After the defeat of the Persians it became part of the Hellenistic
empire under Alexander the Great then it became part of the
Seleucid empire. In the Roman period it flourished as a trading
point between the Mediterranean and the Indian subcontinent.
During Roman times it was an important trading post between the
Roman Empire and India. Conquered by Zenobia, it became part of
the kingdom of Palmira.
Islamic conquest of the area took place in the 4th century Hegira
and it was ruled by the Hamdanids of Alepo,
then the Ayyubids and Mamelukes successively. It was destroyed in
the Mongol invasion and left to the desert, till recently when it
was redeveloped for the benefit of the Syrian economy to service
Oil and Petrol production in the fields nearby.
Deir ez Zor is situated 85 km to the northwest of the
archaeological remains of Dura-Europos
and 120 km northwest of the remains of the ancient city of
Mari.
The modern town was built by the Ottoman Empire in 1867. France
occupied Deir ez Zor in 1921 and made it the seat of a large
garrison. In 1941 British-led forces defeated the French during
the Siria-Lebanon campaign, which included a battle over Deir, and
they handed administration of the region to the Free French. In
1946 it became part of independent
Siria.
Main attractions and historical building
Deir ez Zor itself does not have much of a history or any
attraction for historical visitors and tourists. However nearby
are Dura Europos, Halabiye
and Zalabiye, and the excavation site at
Mari.
The city is famous for its suspension bridge that spans the
Euphrates and was built by the French in 1930.
It also has a regional-level museum and big Arab
Cultural Centre. The newly established Al-Furat University
has its centre in Deir ez Zor. Of this University, faculties of
Agriculture, Science, Arts and Humanities, Education, Law,
Petrochemical Engineering and Medicine are located in the city,
while other faculties spread in neighbouring districts. Many other
vocational schools and professional institutes also provide
post-secondary education. The local daily newspaper Al Furat is
published there.
|
