Deir Atiyah or Dayr Atiyah ( ar, ديرعطية) is a town in

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 ...

, located between the Qalamoun Mountains and the Eastern Lebanon Mountains Series, north of the capital

Damascus )), is an adjective which means "spacious". , motto = , image_flag = Flag of Damascus.svg , image_seal = Emblem of Damascus.svg , seal_type = Seal , map_caption = , ...

and on the road to 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 ...

. According to the Syria Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), Deir Atiyah had a population of 10,984 in the 2004 census.General Census of Population and Housing 2004
Syria Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS). Rif Dimashq Governorate. Deir Atiyah enjoys a moderate climate in summer and cold in the winter as it is located at an altitude of above sea level. The proximity to a

desert A desert is a barren area of landscape where little precipitation occurs and, consequently, living conditions are hostile for plant and animal life. The lack of vegetation exposes the unprotected surface of the ground to denudation. About on ...

region, where the average

rainfall Rain is water droplets that have condensed from atmospheric water vapor and then fall under gravity. Rain is a major component of the water cycle and is responsible for depositing most of the fresh water on the Earth. It provides water f ...

does not exceed more than annually, means that environmental conditions, including poor soil, does not provide adequate resources to economically sustain the local population. Many locals immigrated to the Americas in the early 20th century, to the

Persian Gulf The Persian Gulf ( fa, خلیج فارس, translit=xalij-e fârs, lit=Gulf of Fars, ), sometimes called the ( ar, اَلْخَلِيْجُ ٱلْعَرَبِيُّ, Al-Khalīj al-ˁArabī), is a mediterranean sea in Western Asia. The bo ...

countries after the emergence of job opportunities there, and to

East Asia East Asia is the eastern region of Asia, which is defined in both geographical and ethno-cultural terms. The modern states of East Asia include China, Japan, Mongolia, North Korea, South Korea, and Taiwan. China, North Korea, South Korea ...

Agriculture

Farmers cultivate

grape A grape is a fruit, botanically a berry, of the deciduous woody vines of the flowering plant genus '' Vitis''. Grapes are a non- climacteric type of fruit, generally occurring in clusters. The cultivation of grapes began perhaps 8,000 years a ...

apricot An apricot (, ) is a fruit, or the tree that bears the fruit, of several species in the genus '' Prunus''. Usually, an apricot is from the species '' P. armeniaca'', but the fruits of the other species in ''Prunus'' sect. ''Armeniaca'' are al ...

cherries A cherry is the fruit of many plants of the genus '' Prunus'', and is a fleshy drupe (stone fruit). Commercial cherries are obtained from cultivars of several species, such as the sweet ''Prunus avium'' and the sour ''Prunus cerasus''. The ...

fig The fig is the edible fruit of ''Ficus carica'', a species of small tree in the flowering plant family Moraceae. Native to the Mediterranean and western Asia, it has been cultivated since ancient times and is now widely grown throughout the world ...

s and other fruits. Deir Atiyah benefits from groundwater located in its valley. Deir Atiyah has a number of windmills (sometimes referred to as Air Wheels). The power generated by the windmills is used to pump water from deep wells. The origins of the windmills are not known, but they are reported to be a major source of power to pump water for agriculture for more than a hundred years.

Culture

Deir Atiyah has a museum, a sports center and cultural center. In 2003, the first private university in Syria,

University of Kalamoon The University of Kalamoon ( ar, جامعة القلمون الخاصة) is a private, accredited university located in Deir Atiyah An-Nabek District Rif Dimashq Governorate in Syria, located between the Qalamoun Mountains and the Eastern Lebanon M ...

, was opened in Deir Atiyah. People in Deir Atiyah consume a hot drink called Mate, which Syrian expatriates brought and introduced from South America. The invitation "Come and drink Mate" is typical of this region's hospitality. The invitation implies not only the sharing of a drink, but also a meal.

History

Historians match the name of this city with a supposed Roman or Byzantine official, Theodorus Paulus, whose first name means "Gift of God" ( ar, عطاء الله). This name has been associated in minds of successive generations in Dair Atiah for more than thousand years. A number of ancient Roman channels can be found in Yabroud, close to Deir Atiyah. In 1838, its inhabitants were predominantly

Sunni Muslim Sunni Islam () is the largest branch of Islam, followed by 85–90% of the world's Muslims. Its name comes from the word '' Sunnah'', referring to the tradition of Muhammad. The differences between Sunni and Shia Muslims arose from a disagre ...

s and Greek Orthodox Christians. Smith, in Robinson and Smith, 1841, vol 3, 2nd appendix, p
173
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Main sights

* The Museum of Deir Atiyah: The

Museum A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and other objects of artistic, cultural, historical, or scientific importance. Many public museums make th ...

of Deir Atiyah is one of the biggest and richest museums in Damascus suburb, Reif Dimashq. It contains the heritage and folklore of the region. * The Canonical Museum of Deir Atiyah * The Cultural Palace of Deir Atiyah * The Village of Special Needs * Hammam el-Souk el-Tahtanye

Civil War

Deir Atiyah was affected by the Syrian civil war, like any Syrian town and city in Damascus suburbs. It underwent multiple attacks from both the

Syrian Armed Forces The Syrian Arab Armed Forces ( ar, الْقُوَّاتُ الْمُسَلَّحَةُ الْعَرَبِيَّةُ السُّورِيَّةُ, al-Quwwāt al-Musallaḥah al-ʿArabīyah as-Sūrīyah) are the military forces of the Syrian Arab Re ...

, and opposition groups. The major impact was in 2013 and 2014.

References

Bibliography

External links

Dara3ta.com

DairAtiah.net

DairAtiah.com
{{Authority control Cities in Syria Populated places in An-Nabek District Christian communities in Syria