Karnaz (
Syriac ܟܪܢܵܫْܹܐ, ''Kirnaz'' or ''Kernaz'') modified from ''Kafr Naz'' ܟܦܪ ܐܢܵܫْܹܐ, is a town in northern
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 ...
, administratively part of the
Hama Governorate
Hama Governorate ( / ALA-LC: ''Muḥāfaẓat Ḥamā'') is one of the 14 Governorates of Syria, governorates of Syria. It is situated in western-central Syria, bordering Idlib Governorate, Idlib and Aleppo Governorates to the north, Raqqa Gove ...
, located northwest of
Hama
Hama ( ', ) is a city on the banks of the Orontes River in west-central Syria. It is located north of Damascus and north of Homs. It is the provincial capital of the Hama Governorate. With a population of 996,000 (2023 census), Hama is one o ...
, its elevation rang is 220-240 meter. Nearby localities include
Kafr Zita
Kafr Zita (; also transliterated ''Kfar Zita'', ''Kafr Zayta'', ''Kfar Zeita'', ''Keferzita'' or ''Kafr Zeita'') is a town in central Syria, administratively part of the Hama Governorate, located } north of Hama. Nearby localities include Kafr Nab ...
and
Khan Shaykhun
Khan Shaykhun () is a town in the Maarrat al-Nu'man District, within the southern Idlib Governorate of northwestern Syria.
Khan Shaykhun is located at an altitude of 350 meters on the main highway between Aleppo and Damascus. The local economy is ...
to the east,
Kafr Nabudah
Kafr Nabudah (, also spelled Kafar Nabuda) is a town in northern Syria, administratively part of the Hama Governorate, located northwest of Hama. Nearby localities include Qalaat al-Madiq and Jamasat Udayat to the west, al-Suqaylabiyah to the sout ...
to the north,
Qalaat al-Madiq
Qalaat al-Madiq ( also spelled Kal'at al-Mudik or Qal'at al-Mudiq; also known as Afamiyya or Famiyyah) is a town and medieval fortress in northwestern Syria, administratively part of the Hama Governorate, located northwest of Hama. It is situated ...
and
al-Suqaylabiyah
Al-Suqaylabiyah () is a city in western Syria, administratively part of the Hama Governorate. It is located about from Hama and overlooks the Ghab Valley. According to the 2004 official census, the town had a population of 13,920.[Kafr Hud
Kafr Hud () is a Syrian town located in the Mahardah Subdistrict of the Mahardah District in Hama Governorate. According to the Syria Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), Kafr Hud had a population of 2,736 in the 2004 census. Its inhabitants are pr ...]
,
Tremseh
Tremseh (, ''al-Turaymisah''), or in various dialects ''Tremseh'', ''Treimsa'', ''Taramsah'', ''Taramseh'' in the Hama Governorate in northern Syria. It is roughly 22 miles northwest of the central city of Hama. Nearby localities include district c ...
, and
Shaizar
Shaizar or Shayzar (; in modern Arabic Saijar; Hellenistic name: Larissa in Syria, Λάρισσα εν Συρία in Greek language, Greek) is a town in northern Syria, administratively part of the Hama Governorate, located northwest of Hama. Near ...
to the south.
According to the
Syria Central Bureau of Statistics, Karnaz had a population of 14,075 in the 2004 census.
[General Census of Population and Housing 2004](_blank)
. Syria Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS). Hama Governorate. Its inhabitants are predominantly
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. People of Karnaz are known for openness and coexistence with other groups in Syrian society. They are living in harmony with other nearby
Christian
A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...
villages like al-Suqaylabiyah and
Mhardeh
Maharda (, ; also transliterated ''Mhardeh'', ''Muhardah'', ''Mahardah'' or ''Mharda'') is a Christian city in western Syria, administratively part of the Hama Governorate, located about 23 kilometers northwest of Hama. It is situated along the O ...
, as well as with nearby
Alawite
Alawites () are an Arabs, 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 A ...
villages like
Hurat Ammurin,
Ein Elkorum and
Tell Salhab
Tal Salhab (, also spelled Tal Selhab) is a town in the western center of Syria, administratively part of the Hama Governorate, located northwest of Hama. It is situated on the southern edge of the Ghab plain and by the western bank of the Oront ...
to the west. This feature stands despite the complications of the
Civil War
A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...
after 2012.
Etymology
''Karnazes'' is modified from ''Kafr Naz'' or ''Kafrnaz'' (also spelled ''Kfar Naz''), likewise many villages in the area: ''Kafr'' ܟܦܪ is a
Syriac word which means "farm" or small "village". The second part ''Naz'' is probably derived from the root ''nasheh'' ܐܢܵܫْܹܐ, which means either irrigated land or people. That coincides with the existence of an intermittent river that crosses the village. So, ''Karnaz'' means the irrigated village. ''Kurnaz'' is another spelling in some local dialects, and ''Kur'' is a ''
Syriac'' word which means ''local'', so ''Kurnaz'' means local people.
Syrian Civil War
During the
Syrian Civil War, rebel forces had controlled the town until early February 2013, when
Syrian Army
The Syrian Army is the land force branch of the Syrian Armed Forces. Up until the fall of the Assad regime, the Syrian Arab Army existed as a land force branch of the Syrian Arab Armed Forces, which dominanted the military service of the fo ...
and pro-government forces surrounded the town from the west and south. On February 8, 2013, government and rebel sources confirmed the battle ended with the withdrawal of rebel forces. Later on March 14, 2018, rebel forces launched an offensive on the city along with
Hamamiyat and Magha'ir. This offensive is known as the
Anger for Ghouta campaign. Rebel forces captured all 3 towns and surrounding areas. The government in response launched several airstrikes at the city and recapture it later that day.
On 18 September 2018, to avoid a possible attack of the government forces on Idlib and possible consequences on civilians, and to avoid a possible refugees stream,
Russia
Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...
and
Turkey
Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...
made an agreement to create a buffer zone of about around Idlib. Karnaz is located in the Russian observed part of the buffer zone.
From June 2019 to November 2024, it was
controlled by the
Syrian Army
The Syrian Army is the land force branch of the Syrian Armed Forces. Up until the fall of the Assad regime, the Syrian Arab Army existed as a land force branch of the Syrian Arab Armed Forces, which dominanted the military service of the fo ...
. On 30 November 2024,
HTS rebels captured the city from the Syrian Army during the
Hama offensive.
Two days later, on 2 December, it was recaptured by HTS following a Syrian Army counter-attack.
References
Bibliography
*
{{Hama Governorate, mhardeh
Populated places in Mahardah District
Towns in Hama Governorate