Maharda ( ar, محردة, Maḥarda, ), also spelled Mhardeh or Muhardah, is a city in northern

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 ...

, administratively part of the

Hama Governorate Hama Governorate ( ar, مُحافظة حماة / 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 ...

, located about 23 kilometers northwest of

Hama , timezone = EET , utc_offset = +2 , timezone_DST = EEST , utc_offset_DST = +3 , postal_code_type = , postal_code = , ar ...

. It is situated along the

Orontes River The Orontes (; from Ancient Greek , ) or Asi ( ar, العاصي, , ; tr, Asi) is a river with a length of in Western Asia that begins in Lebanon, flowing northwards through Syria before entering the Mediterranean Sea near Samandağ in Turkey. ...

, near the Ghab plain. Nearby localities include Halfaya and Taybat al-Imam to the east, Khitab to the southeast, Maarzaf to the south, Asilah and

Jubb Ramlah Jubb Ramlah ( ar, جب رملة, also spelled Jub Ramleh) is a village in northwestern Syria, administratively part of the Hama Governorate, located west of Hama. Nearby localities include Deir Shamil to the west, Tell Salhab to the north, Safsa ...

to the southwest, Shaizar, Safsafiyah, Tremseh and Kafr Hud to the west and Kafr Zita and al-Lataminah to the north. According to the Syria Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), Maharda had a population of 17,578 in the 2004 census. It is the center of

Mahardah District Mahardah District ( ar, محردة ') is a district ( mantiqah) administratively belonging to Hama Governorate, Syria. At the 2004 Census it had a population of 143,953. Its administrative centre is the city of Mahardah. Sub-districts The distri ...

, one of the Hama Governorate's five districts, and the '' nahiyah'' ("subdistrict") of Mahardah, which contained 21 localities with a combined population of 80,165 in 2004.General Census of Population and Housing 2004
Syria Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS). Hama Governorate. Maharda's population was estimated to be 22,442 in 2010. Its inhabitants are predominantly

Christian 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 ...

s. Maharda's residents mostly work in agriculture, industry and trade. The educational level of population is reported to be high. The climate in the city is mild in summertime and occasional snowfall may be seen in winter.http://www.mhardeh.com/efs/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=50&Itemid=55&b681d71039827043016b25192ac0cf2f=5aea53297d292e9c187988d333f7445f The

was recently dammed 3 kilometers north, and the Mahardah Dam on the Ghab plain is used to generate

hydroelectric power Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies one sixth of the world's electricity, almost 4500 TWh in 2020, which is more than all other renewable sources combined a ...

. Maharda dates back to the same

Hellenistic In Classical antiquity, the Hellenistic period covers the time in Mediterranean history after Classical Greece, between the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BC and the emergence of the Roman Empire, as signified by the Battle of Actium i ...

period of Apamea and the most notable archaeological remnant from this period is an old temple with stone doors and columns with Corinthian capitals transformed later into a church. Ghada Shouaa, the first Syrian

track and field Track and field is a sport that includes athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name is derived from where the sport takes place, a running track and a grass field for the throwing and some of the jumping eve ...

athlete to win an

Olympic Olympic or Olympics may refer to Sports Competitions * Olympic Games, international multi-sport event held since 1896 ** Summer Olympic Games ** Winter Olympic Games * Ancient Olympic Games, ancient multi-sport event held in Olympia, Greece b ...

gold medal, was born in Maharda as well as Patriarch

Ignatius IV of Antioch Ignatius is a male given name and a surname. Notable people with the name include: Given name Religious * Ignatius of Antioch (35–108), saint and martyr, Apostolic Father, early Christian bishop * Ignatius of Constantinople (797–877), Cat ...

. Maharda is the nearest large town to Tremseh in which killings took place on 12 July 2012. Additionally, a suicide bomber killed three civilians and one security officer in Maharda on 14 July 2012. During the Syrian Civil War, Maharda has been targeted by rebels, yet remained under government control. According to pro-government media, the rate of attacks on Maharda increased during the course of the 2017 Hama offensive.

References

{{Authority control Cities in Syria Populated places in Mahardah District Christian communities in Syria

See also

References