Artouz (, �ar'tˤuːz Syriac: ܥܰܪܛܽܘܙ;

Hebrew Hebrew (; ''ʿÎbrit'') is a Northwest Semitic languages, Northwest Semitic language within the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family. A regional dialect of the Canaanite languages, it was natively spoken by the Israelites and ...

: עַרטוּז) is a town situated to the southwest of

Damascus Damascus ( , ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in the Levant region by population, largest city of Syria. It is the oldest capital in the world and, according to some, the fourth Holiest sites in Islam, holiest city in Islam. Kno ...

Syria Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, is a country in West Asia located in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Levant. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to Syria–Turkey border, the north, Iraq to Iraq–Syria border, t ...

. According to the Syria Central Bureau of Statistics, the town had a population of 16,199 in the 2004 census.General Census of Population and Housing 2004
Syria Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS). Rif Dimashq Governorate. Its inhabitants are predominantly

Sunni Muslims Sunni Islam is the largest branch of Islam and the largest religious denomination in the world. It holds that Muhammad did not appoint any successor and that his closest companion Abu Bakr () rightfully succeeded him as the caliph of the Musli ...

Etymology

The name of the town is of uncertain etymology. The prevalent presumption traces the meaning of ''ʻArṭūz'' back to Syriac (ܥܰܪܛܽܘܙ), loosely translating into ''being aside'' or ''the one out of the way,'' which is a reference to the town's original, secluded location on a nearby mountain away from the usual routes back then. Furthermore, the two,

Arabic Arabic (, , or , ) is a Central Semitic languages, Central Semitic language of the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family spoken primarily in the Arab world. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) assigns lang ...

quadriliteral roots of ''ʻ-r-ṭ-z'' and ''ʻ-r-ṭ-s'' both mean ''to evade,'' which supports the presumption that the town was named after its remote position. A less popular translation assumes that ''ʻArṭūz'' means the scent of apple, and that the nearby mountain it was once situated on was called the mountain of apples.

History

Evidence of the town's history is scarce. Throughout time, the region that cradles modern-day Artouz has been under the rule of a plethora of peoples, e.g., ancient Middle Eastern civilisations, the

Neo-Assyrian Empire The Neo-Assyrian Empire was the fourth and penultimate stage of ancient Assyrian history. Beginning with the accession of Adad-nirari II in 911 BC, the Neo-Assyrian Empire grew to dominate the ancient Near East and parts of South Caucasus, Nort ...

, the

Byzantine Empire The Byzantine Empire, also known as the Eastern Roman Empire, was the continuation of the Roman Empire centred on Constantinople during late antiquity and the Middle Ages. Having survived History of the Roman Empire, the events that caused the ...

, the

Umayyad Caliphate The Umayyad Caliphate or Umayyad Empire (, ; ) was the second caliphate established after the death of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and was ruled by the Umayyad dynasty. Uthman ibn Affan, the third of the Rashidun caliphs, was also a member o ...

, the

Abbasid Caliphate The Abbasid Caliphate or Abbasid Empire (; ) was the third caliphate to succeed the Islamic prophet Muhammad. It was founded by a dynasty descended from Muhammad's uncle, Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib (566–653 CE), from whom the dynasty takes ...

, the

Mamluk Sultanate The Mamluk Sultanate (), also known as Mamluk Egypt or the Mamluk Empire, was a state that ruled Egypt, the Levant and the Hejaz from the mid-13th to early 16th centuries, with Cairo as its capital. It was ruled by a military caste of mamluks ...

, the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...

, and more. There are historical references to a town in approximately the same location as Artouz during the Neo-Assyrian Empire. A system of canals constructed at the time of the Roman reign is still in use to this day to irrigate the fields in the northwestern part of Artouz. Artouz is believed to be the location of the

New Testament The New Testament (NT) is the second division of the Christian biblical canon. It discusses the teachings and person of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus, as well as events relating to Christianity in the 1st century, first-century Christianit ...

event known as the Conversion of Saint Paul the Apostle. On his road to Damascus in pursuit of persecuting

early Christians Early Christianity, otherwise called the Early Church or Paleo-Christianity, describes the historical era of the Christian religion up to the First Council of Nicaea in 325. Christianity spread from the Levant, across the Roman Empire, and bey ...

Saul Saul (; , ; , ; ) was a monarch of ancient Israel and Judah and, according to the Hebrew Bible and Old Testament, the first king of the United Monarchy, a polity of uncertain historicity. His reign, traditionally placed in the late eleventh c ...

(later christened

Paul Paul may refer to: People * Paul (given name), a given name, including a list of people * Paul (surname), a list of people * Paul the Apostle, an apostle who wrote many of the books of the New Testament * Ray Hildebrand, half of the singing duo ...

) was interrupted by the ascended Jesus in the whereabouts of today's Artouz, a place called Tal Kokab (

Levantine Arabic Levantine Arabic, also called Shami (Endonym and exonym, autonym: or ), is an Varieties of Arabic, Arabic variety spoken in the Levant, namely in Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, Israel and southern Turkey (historically only in Adana Prov ...

: تَل كوكَب, /'tal koː'kab/). The location where Jesus Christ appeared is now commemorated by an

abbey An abbey is a type of monastery used by members of a religious order under the governance of an abbot or abbess. Abbeys provide a complex of buildings and land for religious activities, work, and housing of Christians, Christian monks and nun ...

named ''the Vision of Saint Paul the Apostle Patriarchal Monastery,'' which was visited by

Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II (born Karol Józef Wojtyła; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 16 October 1978 until Death and funeral of Pope John Paul II, his death in 2005. In his you ...

during his pilgrimage to Syria in May, 2001. Originally, and during the Ottoman Empire's rule, Artouz was located on a nearby mountain 2000 metres to the northwest of its present place. However, the destructive

Near East earthquakes of 1759 The 1759 Near East earthquakes shook a large portion of the Levant in October and November of that year. This geographical crossroads in the Eastern Mediterranean were at the time under the rule of the Ottoman Empire (includes portions of what a ...

reduced the little town to ruins. The inhabitants who survived and chose not to migrate elsewhere became displaced, and later descended from the mountains and occupied the region that is known today as Artouz. The region was an ideal choice because the people depended on water for their

agriculture Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created ...

, and the Awaj river ran there after the earthquakes had altered its course. In 1838,

Eli Smith Eli Smith (September 13, 1801 – January 11, 1857) was an American Protestant missionary and scholar. Biography Smith was born in Northford, Connecticut, to Eli and Polly (née Whitney) Smith. He graduated from Yale College in 1821 and from A ...

noted ''Artuz'' as being located in the ''Wady el-'Ajam'', and being populated by

Sunni Muslim Sunni Islam is the largest branch of Islam and the largest religious denomination in the world. It holds that Muhammad did not appoint any successor and that his closest companion Abu Bakr () rightfully succeeded him as the caliph of the Musli ...

s. Artouz al-Kharaab (

: عَرْطُوْز الخَرَاب,

romanized In linguistics, romanization is the conversion of text from a different writing system to the Roman (Latin) script, or a system for doing so. Methods of romanization include transliteration, for representing written text, and transcription, ...

: ''ʻArṭūz al-ḵarāb'', /ʕar'tˤuːz elxa'raːb/) is a term used by the present inhabitants to refer to the remaining shambles of the old Artouz that used to exist on the nearby mountain. It means ''Artouz the Ruins,'' and the remnants still stand to this day. Most of the farms were owned by few rich families from

during the Ottoman and

French French may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France ** French people, a nation and ethnic group ** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices Arts and media * The French (band), ...

periods, then the land was redistributed during the presidency of

Gamal Abdel Nasser Gamal Abdel Nasser Hussein (15 January 1918 – 28 September 1970) was an Egyptian military officer and revolutionary who served as the second president of Egypt from 1954 until his death in 1970. Nasser led the Egyptian revolution of 1952 a ...

Geography

Artouz is south west of Damascus, east of Qatana. It lies on the main road between Damascus and the

Golan Heights The Golan Heights, or simply the Golan, is a basaltic plateau at the southwest corner of Syria. It is bordered by the Yarmouk River in the south, the Sea of Galilee and Hula Valley in the west, the Anti-Lebanon mountains with Mount Hermon in t ...

. The

Awaj The Awaj ( ''Nahr al-A‘waj'', literally 'crooked') is a river in Syria. It rises on the eastern slopes of Mount Hermon near Arnah, flows east for to the south of Damascus and terminates in the Buhairat al-Hijanah. The Awaj is usually identifie ...

river passes through the town and splits into three branches. Artouze has a twin town only north called Jdeidat Artouz. Expansion of the two towns has erased the green spaces between them. Artouz has great military importance, with many army detachments nearby.

Economy

Until the 1980s, the economy of Artouz depended largely on agriculture.

Olives The olive, botanical name ''Olea europaea'' ("European olive"), is a species of Subtropics, subtropical evergreen tree in the Family (biology), family Oleaceae. Originating in Anatolia, Asia Minor, it is abundant throughout the Mediterranean ...

wheat Wheat is a group of wild and crop domestication, domesticated Poaceae, grasses of the genus ''Triticum'' (). They are Agriculture, cultivated for their cereal grains, which are staple foods around the world. Well-known Taxonomy of wheat, whe ...

and

garlic Garlic (''Allium sativum'') is a species of bulbous flowering plants in the genus '' Allium''. Its close relatives include the onion, shallot, leek, chives, Welsh onion, and Chinese onion. Garlic is native to central and south Asia, str ...

were the main agricultural products. However, with the expansion of Damascus, Artouz developed a fast-growing construction and service economy, which is now the main source of employment for its population. Artouz has no industrial region. Light industry located in and near the town is mainly limited to some dairy and poultry facilities. Trade is a source of income of many people, with the town serving as a commerce centre for several surrounding small villages.

Health care

There is only a small health centre, for day cases. The centre is not officially working as many of the public health centres in Syria. The nearest hospital is from the town centre: a private hospital in the nearby town of Jdeidat Artouz (Al kamal). Most patients go to Damascus for hospital care. Artouz has a central water and sewage system. However, the water shortage is a serious problem affecting the whole region. There is no recycling centre.

Transport

Artouz is well connected by roads to all neighbouring villages. A highway connecting Damascus to Al Quneitra (

Golan Golan (; ) is the name of a biblical town later known from the works of Josephus (first century CE) and Eusebius (''Onomasticon'', early 4th century CE). Archaeologists localize the biblical city of Golan at Sahm el-Jaulān, a Syrian village eas ...

) passes through the town. There is also a train station servicing a rail line built by the French between Damascus and the city of Qatana. However, the train has stopped running decades ago. Public transport is now limited to buses and mini buses, which serve to connect Artouz to Damascus. Residents also use the small mini cabs as taxis for short trips within the town.

Demographics

The main historical ethnic group are

Arabs Arabs (, , ; , , ) are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in West Asia and North Africa. A significant Arab diaspora is present in various parts of the world. Arabs have been in the Fertile Crescent for thousands of yea ...

, and the town is predominantly

. However, the nearby town of Jdeidat Artouz hosts a mix of

Greek Orthodox Greek Orthodox Church (, , ) is a term that can refer to any one of three classes of Christian Churches, each associated in some way with Greek Christianity, Levantine Arabic-speaking Christians or more broadly the rite used in the Eastern Rom ...

, Melkite Greek Catholics,

Druze The Druze ( ; , ' or ', , '), who Endonym and exonym, call themselves al-Muwaḥḥidūn (), are an Arabs, Arab Eastern esotericism, esoteric Religious denomination, religious group from West Asia who adhere to the Druze faith, an Abrahamic ...

and

Alawites Alawites () are an Arab ethnoreligious group who live primarily in the Levant region in West Asia and follow Alawism, a sect of Islam that splintered from early Shia as a ''ghulat'' branch during the ninth century. Alawites venerate Ali ...

.(Page10) https://shs.hal.science/halshs-03175765/document There have been no sectarian issues in Artouz, but since 1967 many refugees (mainly

Bedouin The Bedouin, Beduin, or Bedu ( ; , singular ) are pastorally nomadic Arab tribes who have historically inhabited the desert regions in the Arabian Peninsula, North Africa, the Levant, and Mesopotamia (Iraq). The Bedouin originated in the Sy ...

) have come to live in Artouz, and the newcomers (called ''nazheen'' (نازحين)) have clashed with the long-term residents. Some of these clashes have resulted in casualties. Also, a few

Iraqis Iraqis ( ; ) are the citizens and nationals of the Republic of Iraq. The majority of Iraqis are Arabs, with Kurds accounting for the largest ethnic minority, followed by Turkmen. Other ethnic groups from the country include Yazidis, As ...

have moved to Artouz following the American invasion of Iraq. Artouz has several

mosques A mosque ( ), also called a masjid ( ), is a place of worship for Muslims. The term usually refers to a covered building, but can be any place where Islamic prayers are performed; such as an outdoor courtyard. Originally, mosques were simple p ...

. Churches of other faiths are located only in nearby Jdeidat Artouz. Secularism flourished in the town in the 1970s, but the last two decades have witnessed growing religious fervour among the population.

Education

Schools are mixed in the town, with boys and girls attending the same schools. There are two secondary schools, one of which has been set up to serve the refugee community exclusively. Artouz has good percentage of educated people in its population. English is the second language for most of the educated people, but the knowledge of it is also limited and not enough to communicate efficiently. French is also understood with limitation, especially between old educated Artouzians.

References

Bibliography

External links

* http://thawra.alwehda.gov.sy/_archive.asp?FileName=44277363020071121002931 * http://wikimapia.org/3420123/ar/%D8%AC%D8%AF%D9%8A%D8%AF%D8%A9-%D8%B9%D8%B1%D8%B7%D9%88%D8%B2 * https://web.archive.org/web/20080915215741/http://nourelalam.org/churches.php?page=churches&church=8 {{Rif Dimashq Governorate, qatana Populated places in Qatana District Towns in Syria