Markada (, sometimes ''Markadah'' or ''Margada'') is a town in southern

al-Hasakah Governorate Al-Hasakah Governorate (; ; , also known as , ''Gozarto'') is one of the fourteen Governorates of Syria, governorates (provinces) of Syria. It is located in the far north-east corner of Syria and distinguished by its fertile lands, plentiful water ...

, northeastern

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 ...

. It is the

administrative center An administrative centre is a seat of regional administration or local government, or a county town, or the place where the central administration of a commune, is located. In countries with French as the administrative language, such as Belgiu ...

of the

Nahiya Markada Markada Subdistrict () is a subdistrict of al-Hasakah District in southern al-Hasakah Governorate, northeastern Syria. The Administrative centre An administrative centre is a seat of regional administration or local government, or a county to ...

consisting of 13 municipalities. In the 2004 census, Markada had a population of 2,530. The town is divided by the Khabur River.

History

Markada succeeded the village of "Makîsîn" (also spelled "Makasîn", "Maykasan" or "Makîs"). During early Islamic rule (7th–10th centuries), Makisin was a town in the district of

Diyar Rabi'a Diyar Rabi'a () is the medieval Arabic name of the easternmost and largest of the three provinces of the Jazira (Upper Mesopotamia), the other two being Diyar Bakr and Diyar Mudar. According to the medieval geographer al-Baladhuri, all three prov ...

with a bridge that crossed the Khabur River. Large quantities of cotton were grown around the site. In the late 680s, numerous

Arab 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 years ...

Taghlib The Banu Taghlib (), also known as Taghlib ibn Wa'il, were an Arab tribe that originated in Jazira. Their parent tribe was the Rabi'a, and they thus traced their descent to the Adnanites. The Taghlib were among the most powerful and cohesive no ...

tribesmen were killed in an ambush at Makisin by the Sulaym tribe as part of the long-running Qays–Yaman feud.

Obadiah the Proselyte Obadiah the Proselyte (Hebrew: ), also known as Johannes of Oppido (Italian: ) was an early-12th-century Italian convert to Judaism. He is best known for his memoirs and the oldest surviving notation of Jewish music, both unique survivals. Biograph ...

visited Makisin in the 12th century and found there a

Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...

community and

synagogue A synagogue, also called a shul or a temple, is a place of worship for Jews and Samaritans. It is a place for prayer (the main sanctuary and sometimes smaller chapels) where Jews attend religious services or special ceremonies such as wed ...

, which then housed the Codex Sassoon.

Civil War

Markada saw fighting between the Syrian Government forces and the

al-Nusra Front Al-Nusra Front or Jabhat al-Nusra or Jabhat Nusrat Ahl al-Sham, also known as Front for the Conquest of the Levant, and also later known as Jabhat Fatah al-Sham was a Salafi-jihadist organization that fought against Ba'athist Syria, Ba'athist ...

during 2013. Having gained control of the town, the al-Nusra Front were driven out the following year by

Islamic State The Islamic State (IS), also known as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and Daesh, is a transnational Salafi jihadism, Salafi jihadist organization and unrecognized quasi-state. IS ...

in the

Battle of Markada The Battle of Markada (also spelled "Markadah" or "Markadahin") was a military confrontation between two jihadist groups, al-Qaeda's al-Nusra Front and the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), over the town of Markada in the Al-Hasakah ...

. By March 2014 thousands of residents had fled from Markada, many to al-Sur in

Deir ez-Zor Governorate Deir ez-Zor Governorate ( / ALA-LC: ''Muḥāfaẓat Dayr az-Zawr,'' Kurdish'':'' ''Parêzgeha Dêrezor'') is one of the fourteen governorates (provinces) of Syria. It is situated in eastern Syria, bordering Iraq. It has an area of 33,060 k ...

. US-led Coalition airstrikes against ISIL targeted the town in September 2017, with many casualties, including

Iraqi refugees Throughout the 20th century, Iraq witnessed multiple periods of instability and conflict that prompted the creation and flight of many refugees. Earlier examples include the exodus of Iraqi Jews and the flight of Iraqi Kurds. The Iraqi invasi ...

, reported. On 19 October, the SDF attacked the town, capturing part of it. The town was fully captured by the SDF on 9 November 2017.

References

{{AlHasakahSY-geo-stub Populated places in al-Hasakah District

History

Civil War

See also

References