Al-Hawash ( ar, الحواش / ALA-LC: ''al-Ḥwāsh'') is a

Greek Orthodox The term Greek Orthodox Church ( Greek: Ἑλληνορθόδοξη Ἐκκλησία, ''Ellinorthódoxi Ekklisía'', ) has two meanings. The broader meaning designates "the entire body of Orthodox (Chalcedonian) Christianity, sometimes also cal ...

Christians Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρ� ...

town in northwestern

Syria Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...

close to the Lebanese border and administratively belonging to the

Homs Governorate Homs Governorate ( ar, مُحافظة حمص / ALA-LC: ''Muḥāfaẓat Ḥimṣ'') is one of the fourteen governorates (provinces) of Syria. It is situated in central Syria. Its area differs in various sources, from to . It is thus geographic ...

. Nearby towns include al-Husn and

Marmarita Marmarita ( ar, مرمريتا, syc, ܡܪܡܪܝܬܐ, ) is a village in northwestern Syria, located west of Homs. Marmarita is one of the largest villages in Wadi al-Nasara ("Valley of the Christians"), a region north of Talkalakh. In 2004, Mar ...

to the west, Shin to the east and Talkalakh to the southwest. According to the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) Hawash had a population of 4,067 in 2004.General Census of Population and Housing 2004
Syria Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS). Homs Governorate. Its inhabitants are predominantly

, much like most of the villages in the area. The village has two

Greek Orthodox Church The term Greek Orthodox Church ( Greek: Ἑλληνορθόδοξη Ἐκκλησία, ''Ellinorthódoxi Ekklisía'', ) has two meanings. The broader meaning designates "the entire body of Orthodox (Chalcedonian) Christianity, sometimes also cal ...

and a

Greek Catholic Church The term Greek Catholic Church can refer to a number of Eastern Catholic Churches following the Byzantine (Greek) liturgy, considered collectively or individually. The terms Greek Catholic, Greek Catholic church or Byzantine Catholic, Byzantine Ca ...

. Its location in the midst of a coniferous mountain makes it a popular and favored summer destination. Hawash is the largest village in

Wadi al-Nasara Wadi al-Nasara ( ar, وادي النصارى / ALA-LC: ''Wādī an-Naṣārá'', Greek: Κοιλάδα των Χριστιανών, ''Koiláda ton Christianón'', which both mean "Valley of Christians") is an area in western Syria, close to th ...

("Valley of Christians") region. It is an important historic site and used to be a popular tourist attraction before the outbreak of the Syrian civil war.

Etymology

The name ''Hawash'' is derived from ''Hoshe'' which is Arabic for "

Corsage A corsage is a small bouquet of flowers worn on a woman's dress or around her wrist for a formal occasion. They are typically given to her by her date. Today, corsages are most commonly seen at homecoming Homecoming is the tradition of welc ...

" or place of flowers. It has been also suggested that ''Wash'' is a word form an old

Syriac language The Syriac language (; syc, / '), also known as Syriac Aramaic (''Syrian Aramaic'', ''Syro-Aramaic'') and Classical Syriac ܠܫܢܐ ܥܬܝܩܐ (in its literary and liturgical form), is an Aramaic language, Aramaic dialect that emerged during ...

which mean 'the good soil'.

History

Al-Hawash is said to date to the 18th-century. Along with many other villages in the area, the earliest inhabitants of Hawash had immigrated from Lebanon and the southern

Hauran The Hauran ( ar, حَوْرَان, ''Ḥawrān''; also spelled ''Hawran'' or ''Houran'') is a region that spans parts of southern Syria and northern Jordan. It is bound in the north by the Ghouta oasis, eastwards by the al-Safa field, to the s ...

plain. It has buildings built as early as the late 17th century, and it is also known that the village was part of the

Phoenicia Phoenicia () was an ancient thalassocratic civilization originating in the Levant region of the eastern Mediterranean, primarily located in modern Lebanon. The territory of the Phoenician city-states extended and shrank throughout their his ...

territory. In 1838, the villagers were noted as being

. Smith, in Robinson and Smith, 1841, vol 3, 2nd appendix, p
181
/ref>

References

Bibliography

External links

Alhwash's official websiteAl-Wadi International University HPU Al-hwash Private University Alhwash In Wikimapia
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hawash Populated places in Talkalakh District Towns in Syria Eastern Orthodox Christian communities in Syria Christian communities in Syria