Tell Mannas (), sometimes spelled ''Telminnes'', ''Tal Minnis'', ''Talmanis'', ''Talmanes'' or ''Telmans'', is a village east of

Maarrat al-Nu'man Maarat al-Numan (), also known as al-Ma'arra, is a city in northwestern Syria, south of Idlib and north of Hama, with a population of about 58,008 before the Civil War (2004 census). In 2017, it was estimated to have a population of 80,000, inc ...

. The village is administratively a part of the

Maarrat al-Nu'man District Ma'arrat Nu'man District () is a district of the Idlib Governorate in northwestern Syria. The administrative centre is the city of Maarat al-Numan. At the 2004 census, the district had a population of 371,829. Sub-districts The district of Ma'arr ...

in the

Idlib Governorate Idlib Governorate ( / ALA-LC: ''Muḥāfaẓat Idlib'') is one of the 14 governorates of Syria. It is situated in northwestern Syria, bordering Turkey's Hatay province to the north, Aleppo Governorate to the east, Hama Governorate to the sou ...

. According to the Syria Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), Tell Mannas had a population of 11,359 in the 2004 census.

History

During the late

Umayyad 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 membe ...

period, the olive groves of Tall Mannas were used by the troops of Caliph

Marwan II Marwan ibn Muhammad ibn Marwan (; – 6 August 750), commonly known as Marwan II, was the fourteenth and last caliph of the Umayyad Caliphate, ruling from 744 until his death. His reign was dominated by a Third Fitna, civil war, and he was the l ...

to ambush the rebel Umayyad prince

Sulayman ibn Hisham Sulaymān ibn Hishām ibn ʿAbd al-Malik (; ) was an Arab general, the son of the Umayyad Caliph Hisham ibn Abd al-Malik (). He is known for his participation in the expeditions against the Byzantine Empire as well as his prominent role in the c ...

as he passed through the area. In the early 9th century, Tall Mannas was controlled by the

Tanukhids The Tanukh (, sometimes referred to as the Tanukhids (, ), was an Arab tribal group whose history in the Arabian Peninsula and the Fertile Crescent spanned the 2nd century CE to the 17th century. The group began as a confederation of Arab tribes ...

under their chieftain al-Hawari ibn Hittin, during their rebellion against the Abbasid princely family, the Banu Salih. Tall Mannas was used a residence by the

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

caliph

al-Mutawakkil Ja'far ibn al-Mu'tasim, Muḥammad ibn Harun al-Rashid, Hārūn al-Mutawakkil ʿalā Allāh (); March 82211 December 861, commonly known by his laqab, regnal name al-Mutawwakil ala Allah (), was the tenth Abbasid Caliphate, Abbasid caliph, rul ...

when he visited the area in 858.le Strange 1890, p. 544. It was described by local geographer

Yaqut al-Hamawi Yāqūt Shihāb al-Dīn ibn-ʿAbdullāh al-Rūmī al-Ḥamawī (1179–1229) () was a Muslim scholar of Byzantine ancestry active during the late Abbasid period (12th–13th centuries). He is known for his , an influential work on geography con ...

as a fortress near

Ma'arrat al-Nu'man Maarat al-Numan (), also known as al-Ma'arra, is a city in northwestern Syria, south of Idlib and north of Hama, with a population of about 58,008 before the Civil War (2004 census). In 2017, it was estimated to have a population of 80,000, inc ...

. In 1079, the

Tutush I Abu Sa'id Taj al-Dawla Tutush (; died 25 February 1095) or Tutush I, was the Seljuk emir of Damascus from 1078 to 1092, and sultan of Damascus from 1092 to 1094. Years under Malik Shah Tutush was a brother of the Seljuk sultan Malik-Shah I. In ...

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 ...

besieged but failed to capture Tall Mannas during his campaign in northern Syria.Honigman 1934, p. 60. Later, in 1098/97 Tall Mannas was inhabited by Christian community of Oriental Orthodox Syriacs and its inhabitants gave safe haven and assistance to the

Crusaders The Crusades were a series of religious wars initiated, supported, and at times directed by the Papacy during the Middle Ages. The most prominent of these were the campaigns to the Holy Land aimed at reclaiming Jerusalem and its surrounding ...

under Raymond Pilet of Antioch during their failed siege of Ma'arrat al-Nu'man.Riley-Smith 1993, p. 110. Some months later, Ma'arrat al-Nu'man was captured and its entire population massacred by the Crusaders.

References

Bibliography

* * * * * {{Idlib Governorate, Maarrat al-Nu'man Populated places in Maarat al-Numan District