Fairouzeh ( ar, فيروزة, Fayrūzah) is a village 3 miles southeast of the city of

Homs ar, حمصي, Himsi , population_urban = , population_density_urban_km2 = , population_density_urban_sq_mi = , population_blank1_title = Ethnicities , population_blank1 = , population_blank2_t ...

in Syria. Due to urban development in the area, Fairouzeh, like nearby Zaydal, is now considered one of Homs' suburbs. In 2004, it had a population of 6,456.General Census of Population and Housing 2004
Syria Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS). Homs Governorate. Its inhabitants are predominantly Syriac Christians.Smith, 1841, p. 175.

Etymology

The origin of the name "Fairouzeh" is disputed. Many believe it originates from the word ''fayruz'', meaning "

turquoise Turquoise is an opaque, blue-to-green mineral that is a hydrated phosphate of copper and aluminium, with the chemical formula . It is rare and valuable in finer grades and has been prized as a gemstone and ornamental stone for thousands of year ...

" in Syriac (a dialect of the

Aramaic The Aramaic languages, short Aramaic ( syc, ܐܪܡܝܐ, Arāmāyā; oar, 𐤀𐤓𐤌𐤉𐤀; arc, 𐡀𐡓𐡌𐡉𐡀; tmr, אֲרָמִית), are a language family containing many varieties (languages and dialects) that originated i ...

language still spoken there), in reference to the green color of the surrounding landscape. However, some historians believe the name "Fairouzeh" was mentioned in the Old Testament as " Berothah" (

Second Book of Samuel The Book of Samuel (, ''Sefer Shmuel'') is a book in the Hebrew Bible, found as two books (1–2 Samuel) in the Old Testament. The book is part of the narrative history of Ancient Israel called the Deuteronomistic history, a series of books (Joshu ...

, 8:8).

History

The majority of the village's inhabitants were farmers. The majority of people owned enough land to grow wheat, barley, lentil, olive trees and wine grapes. Almost every family raised sheep, goats and chickens. The original farmers also owned horses, donkeys and cows. They were self-sufficient of basic food supply throughout the whole year. The water source was acquired from deep wells about (18 to 20 meters). The two most famous wells (Jub) were Jub Hamza and Jub Jaaber. Without the existence of these two wells, the continuous life in Fayruzah as we know it would have not existed. The structure of Jub Hamza in the middle of the village was preserved as a “monument” for current and future generations. The village now uses city running water and electricity. The elders in the village were known for their colorful and unique clothes. Most men, women and kids wore similar traditional outfits. The homes were built similar in shape and architectural design. Traditional home walls were built from hardened mud pieces and the roofs from wood and topped with mixed hay and mud. Some of the early big homes had several families living together side by side. The most known family names in Fairouzah are: Abdullatif, Abdulnour, Abdulhai, Abdel Aziz, Askar, Assaf, Assfour, Attiyah, Ballat, Dabbas, Dabbous, Danial, Deeb, Dib, Diab, Darghali, Fattali, Fedail, Fleyeh, Ghanem, Ghreer, Habahab, Habroun, Hannoun, Hamad, Hawara, Hourany, Howarah, Hushaan, Hussary, Jubi, Joudi, Kassas, Khalil, Khazael, Maida, Mbarkeh, Maleh, Makhool, Mashhour, Masoudi, Mushamel, Nader, Nahim, Nasser, Nakkoud, Noufal, Nussais, Rahal, Roboz, Sayegh, Shahadeh, Shahla, Taweel, Trad, Watfa, Wanis, Younan. In the last 50 years, many more families have moved to Fairouzah from neighboring towns and villages and made it their home. St. Elias Syriac Orthodox Fairouzah’s population comprises about 7,000 people. Based on a current and future civil plan, it will occupy about of land when it is completed. The village is estimated to have been established around the 16th century. Its first inhabitants were mostly Syriac Orthodox Christians who came from Sadad in the 16th century. They migrated to Fayruzah to be closer to Homs and thus benefit from better living conditions. Most of them were farmers.

Modern era

In the early 20th-century all children attended elementary school. They were taught religious and general education. The first middle school was built in Fayruzah in 1949 as one of very few middle schools around Homs. Many students from Fayruzah and neighboring villages graduated from this school and continued their higher education in Homs and Damascus. From the end of

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

until after the 1960s, a large wave of Fayruzah's residents emigrated to

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the sou ...

and to the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

, seeking better living conditions. Currently there exists a large community of Fairouzian people in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world ...

and smaller ones in

Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at t ...

Jacksonville Jacksonville is a city located on the Atlantic coast of northeast Florida, the most populous city proper in the state and is the List of United States cities by area, largest city by area in the contiguous United States as of 2020. It is the co ...

and

Miami Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a coastal metropolis and the county seat of Miami-Dade County in South Florida, United States. With a population of 442,241 at ...

. There are also a few families from the village living in Salta,

Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest ...

. This is believed to be one of the reasons why the villagers were introduced to the traditional Argentinian drink, mate.

References

Bibliography

External links

* http://www.dorgalli.com * https://web.archive.org/web/20080714075415/http://www.fayrozah-sy.net/ * https://web.archive.org/web/20110202090736/http://fairouzah.com/ * https://web.archive.org/web/20080607111311/http://www.fairoza4u.com/ {{Homs Governorate, homs Populated places in Homs District Syriac Orthodox Christian communities in Syria