جولة (۹) : الرقة - تل أبيض، والعكس .. كتاب في ربوع سورية

Round (9) - Raqqa - Tell Abyad, and vice versa

A tour on both sides of the Balikh River and its extension is long, and for this we take two asphalt roads, one of which is modern, extending directly to the east of the Balikh stream, not far from it (1-3 km on average) after crossing its course in km 8 north-northeast of Raqqa, and the other is the oldest and is represented On Ain Issa Road and continuing north to Tell Abyad. And we will leave between the two roads that we take (one going to Tell Abyad and the other returning from it) fertile plains extending on both sides of the Balikh, which has become in our current days dry after the spread of underground wells in its northern sector, which still contribute to watering large areas of the northern sector of the Balikh Basin. While the greater part of the lower sector of the Balikh basin entered within the lands that are irrigated from the Euphrates Dam through irrigation that was extended. In general, we pass plain areas that range in height from about 200 meters at Raqqa to about 350 meters at Tell Abyad. Northern canals

And we will walk on the road to go through the eastern asphalt road, starting from the city of Raqqa, heading north-east, for a distance of 8 km, to cross the Balikh Valley, then our destination will become the north. We will pass through dozens of human settlements, and we will pass green areas planted with cotton, corn and various grains, and among the most important human gatherings that we encounter in our tour We mention: South Mushirifa from
Al-Shamalia, Helw Abed (west of the road about (km), ferry (20 km from Al-Raqqa), Al-Kalta; it is about 25 km from Al-Raqqa, and its construction dates back to about 120 years ago, although the area was known for habitation since ancient times, as evidenced by the presence of an old ruin to the north of Kalata. It is called Khirbet al-Zabin, and most of its houses are old, built of mud and regular stones, with a flat roof made of reeds or wood covered with mud or cement now.Its population is estimated at about 1,500 people.

To the north of Kalata from - we pass by three villages known as Al-Khuniz: Thulth Al-Khuniz, Khuniz Mujadmah, and Khuniz Fawqani. Khneiz Mujadmah is about 55 km from Raqqa, and its population is about 1,000 people. Their dwelling is old, and their bread is on sheet metal. To the north of Khneiz Fawqani (600 people), about 5 km, we pass by the village of Sheikh Hassan, which is attributed to a hill near it known as Tal Sheikh Hassan. After that, we pass through the village of Al-Ghazili, then the village of Al-Khalta, the village of Al-Mushairfa, which is located at the intersection of our road with the Aleppo-Al-Jazeera road, and after that intersection, about 10 km, we reach the village of Hammam Al-Turkman, near which there is an archaeological hill known as Tal Al-Hamam called Zalba, where archaeological excavations are being carried out by a Dutch mission. Its reconstruction dates back to the early fifties of this century. Most of the dwellings are old, dominated by mud-brick construction, with a clear domed style. Its population is estimated at about 5,000 people. To the west of Hammam al-Turkman, about 2 km on the western edge of Balikh, there is the village of Al-Dimjaliya, 300 inhabitants, built on the ruins of an old town called Zalba Al-Qadima. About 7 km after Hammam al-Turkman, we pass a small village called Tal Hammam Gharbi, to the east of which is the hill known by its name. As for the Tal Abyad road, we will continue to the north

With a deviation towards the northwest, after which we will pass through the villages: Al-Manara, Al-Zubaqiyya, Al-Mustiha, and Shari’an (south of Tell Abyad, about 12 km), to the north of which the archaeological hill of Suweih stands out, and the village of Hawija, and then we will pass close to Ain Arous and its famous spring that forms the sources of the Balikh River. Thus, we will have oversaw the arrival of the city of Tell Abyad.

On the return tour from Tell Abyad to Raqqa, our path will be to the west of the Balikh River Valley, not far from the eastern road (the way to go is more than your average. We will walk southwest for a distance of 4 km to reach the village of Ain Arous, which is ancient and some attribute its initial reconstruction to the era of Abraham. Hebron, and they claim that his marriage took place there.It was a military center during the days of the Ottomans, and after them the French. Five ancient stones with ancient inscriptions were found in its mosque. Beautiful, but unfortunately, the spring began to suffer from intermittent drought at times, and it continued for several years at other times.

After Ain Arous, about 7 km, we pass a small human settlement that does not exceed the number of its ten earthen houses, and is inhabited by about 60 people, called Al-Badi’, after which a road branches towards the southwest to several villages, and continuing south through the main road, we pass the village of Al-Qaisariya, and from its north a road goes east for a distance of km to the village of Khirbet Al-Raz It is located in the south of an archaeological site called Tal Aslan, and the Al-Marfoo’ River, one of the tributaries of Al-Balikh, passes through it. Its urbanization spreads on both sides of the river, and its population is estimated at 1200 people. After al-Qaysariyya, about 4 km, we pass the village of al-Zanbaq, whose houses are scattered east of the road, and which consist of about 40 mostly earthen houses, inhabited by about 400 people. After about 3 km, an asphalt road branches off.