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Al-Zarah الزارة
Village
Al-ZarahLocation in Syria
Coordinates: 34°42′57″N 36°15′20″E / 34.71583°N 36.25556°E / 34.71583; 36.25556
Country	Syria
Governorate	Homs
District	Talkalakh
Subdistrict	Talkalakh
Population
• Total	4,336
Time zone	UTC+3 (EET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (EEST)

Al-Zarah (Arabic: الزارة, romanized: al-Zārah, also spelled Zara) is a village in northwestern Syria, administratively part of the Homs Governorate, located west of Homs. Nearby localities include district center Talkalakh to the south, Aridah to the southeast, Hadidah to the east, al-Husn and Anaz to the northeast, Zweitinah to the north, Tell Hawsh to the northwest, Naarah to the west and Halat to the southwest.

According to the Syria Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), al-Zarah had a population of 4,336 in the 2004 census. It is second largest locality in the Talkalakh nahiyah ("subdistrict") which consists of 40 localities with a collective population of 62,069 in 2004. The inhabitants of the town are predominantly Sunni Muslims.

History

In 1838, al-Zarah's population was listed as Turkmen. It was one of a few Turkmen villages located in the mostly Alawite and Christian-populated area west of al-Husn.

Burj Zara tower

Al-Zarah is the site of a medieval tower known as Burj Zahra, which in turn was built on the remains of a Roman era temple. It was constructed by the Crusaders in sometime during the early 12th century and is among several isolated towers located in the Homs Gap region of County of Tripoli. It served as a means of passive defense against the Muslim armies and was closely linked to the stronger, permanent fortresses of the Krak des Chevaliers, Safita, Margat and Tortosa. It was largely ignored by medieval Latin and Arabic chroniclers.

Burj Zara was built on a small podium with a ground plan of 121 square meters surrounded by greenery. The ruins of the ancient temple are strewn around the building. The tower itself was mostly constructed of basaltic rock, except for the edges of its doors and arches, which consist of white limestone that had probably been reused from the temple's remains. Only the northern wall is still standing and there are also remnants of the arches, the door and the steps of the stairway.

References

1. General Census of Population and Housing 2004. Syria Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS). Homs Governorate. (in Arabic)
2. "Battle edges closer to Syrian crusader castle". Reuters. 2014-01-29. Archived from the original on March 7, 2016. Retrieved 2015-08-30.
3. Smith, in Robinson and Smith, 1841, vol 3, 2nd appendix, p. 182
4. Smith, in Robinson and Smith, 1841, vol 3, 2nd appendix, p. 181
5. Steinsapir, 2005, p. 89.
6. ^ Burj Zara. Fortresses of the East. 2006-03-12.

Bibliography

• Robinson, E.; Smith, E. (1841). Biblical Researches in Palestine, Mount Sinai and Arabia Petraea: A Journal of Travels in the year 1838. Vol. 3. Boston: Crocker & Brewster.
• Steinsapir, Ann Irvine (2005). Rural Sanctuaries in Roman Syria: The Creation of a Sacred Landscape. John and Erica Hedges Ltd. ISBN 9781841717227.

v t e Homs Governorate
Homs District Homs Subdistrict Homs Abil Abu Dali Ashrafiyah al-Dar al-Kabirah Fahilah Fairouzeh Hubub al-Rih Halmuz al-Hurriyah Jawalik Jawbar Judaydat al-Assi Judaydat al-Sharqiyah Kafr Abed Kafr Aya Maskanah al-Mubarakiyah al-Mukhtariyah al-Najmah al-Naqirah Qattinah al-Rayyan al-Riyadh Sakrah Teir Maalah Tell Ahmar Tell al-Naqa Tell al-Shur Tell Zubaydah al-Thabitiyah Zaidal Zhuriyah Ayn al-Niser Subdistrict Ayn al-Niser Ayn al-Dananir Ayn Husayn Gharbi Ayn Husayn Shamali Baddu Burzah Humaydiyah al-Jabiriyah al-Mushrifah Talamri Waridah Furqlus Subdistrict Furqlus Fatim al-Arnouk al-Hazzah Hulayah Jabab Hamad Jubb al-Shami al-Nasriyah al-Sabuniyah al-Sayyid Hisyah Subdistrict Hisyah Bureij Dibeh Jandar al-Kashaf al-Ma'murah Shamsin Khirbet Tin Nur Subdistrict Khirbet Tin Nur Aysun Balqasah Bataysah al-Dahiyah al-Umaliyah al-Faysiyah Ghuzaylah Khirbet Ghazi Khirbet al-Hamam Khirbet Hayek Khirbet al-Sawda Khirbet Tin Mahmoud Kunaysah Liftaya Marj Bulad Marj al-Qata Mashahdah (Khirbet Sawda) al-Mazraa Nur Nuwayha Qazhal Qebbi al-Rabwah Ram al-Anz Ram Jabal Sannun Shalluh Tarin Tannunah Umm al-'Adam Umm al-Qasab Umm Haratayn Wujuh al-Hajar al-Zurzuriyah Zayti al-Bahra Zawr Baqraya Mahin Subdistrict Mahin al-Ghunthir Huwwarin Qabu Subdistrict Al-Qabu Autan Fahil al-Qanaqiyah Rabah Sharqliyya al-Shinyah Qaryatayn Subdistrict Al-Qaryatayn Tiyas Riqama Subdistrict Al-Riqama Alyat Awar al-Aziziyah Dardaghan al-Hamrat Jabab al-Zayt al-Madaba al-Manzul al-Nuzhah al-Rawdah Shayrat Sadad Subdistrict Sadad al-Hafar Shin Subdistrict Shin Ayn Al-Fawwar Bahhur al-Diyabiyah Hadiyah Hasur al-Jabbat Jablaya Juwaykat al-Mahfurah Muranah Muta'arid Sufr Suwayri Uyun al-Wadi Zaafarinah Gharbi Taldou Subdistrict Taldou Karad Dayasinah Arqaya Burj Qa'i Ghawr Gharbiyah Hadatha Harqal al-Hashmah Haysah al-Humaymah Jurnaya Kafr Laha Kafr Ram Mahnaya Maryamin Mujaydil Rafin Samalil Sinsil Tell Dahab al-Taybah al-Gharbiyah Zaybaq
Mukharram District Mukharram Subdistrict Al-Mukharram al-Fawqani Abu Hakfah al-Janubi Abu Hakfah al-Shamali Abu Khashabah Bab al-Hawa al-Batamah Buwaydat Rihaniyah Buwaydat Salamiyah al-Haraki Jubb Abbas al-Junaynat Khilfah al-Mukharram al-Tahtani Nawa al-Sankari Shawkatliyah Tell al-Ghar Tell Shinan Tell al-Ward Umm al-Amad Umm Jabab Umm al-Sarj al-Qibli Umm al-Sarj al-Shamali Umm Tuwaynah al-Uthmaniyah Jubb al-Jarrah Subdistrict Jubb al-Jarrah Abu Qatur Aliyat al-Alyan Duwayr al-Gharbiyah Duwayr al-Sharqiyah Ghuzayliyah Maksar al-Hisan Masaadah Masudiyah Mughayzil Muntar al-Abal Mushayrifah al-Qibliyah Rasm Humaydah Shiha Taladi Tall al-Qata Tarfawi Tawil Umm al-Rif (al-Rish) Umm Tuwaynah al-Shamali Usmud
Qusayr District Qusayr Subdistrict Al-Qusayr Abu Juri al-Aqrabiyah Arjoun Akkum Baluzah Burhaniyah al-Buwaydah al-Sharqiyah al-Dabaah Dahiyat al-Majd Daminah al-Sharqiyah Daminah al-Gharbiyah Dibbin Diyabiyah al-Fadeliyah al-Ghassaniyah al-Hamam al-Hawik Hawsh Murshid Sama'an Hawsh al-Sayyid Ali al-Houz Husseiniya Jubaniyah Jusiyah al-Amar Kafr Mousa al-Masriyah Mudan al-Nahariyah al-Naim al-Nizariyah al-Qurniyah Rablah al-Sakher al-Sallumiyah Samaqiyat al-Gharbiyah Samaqiyat al-Sharqiyah Saqrajah al-Sawadiyah al-Shayahat al-Shumariyah Shinshar Tell al-Nabi Mando Wadi Hanna Zira'a Zita al-Gharbiyah
Rastan District Rastan Subdistrict Al-Rastan Abu Hamamah Asiliyah Ballan Dalfin al-Ghasibiyah Gharnatah Izz al-Din Hameis Kafr Nan Kissin al-Manara Murayj al-Durr al-Qunaytrat Sulaym Tasnin al-Waza'iyah Zamaymer Talbiseh Subdistrict Talbiseh Deir Ful al-Farhaniyah al-Ghantu al-Hashimiyah al-Makramiyah al-Qanniyah Saan al-Aswad al-Sabil Tell Jayurin al-Thawrah Umm Sharshuh al-Zaafaraniyah
Tadmur District Tadmur Subdistrict Tadmur Arak al-Bayda al-Bi'arat Rasm al-Abid Sukhnah Subdistrict Al-Sukhnah Karim al-Kawm al-Kadir al-Taybah al-Tuwaynat
Talkalakh District Talkalakh Subdistrict Talkalakh Akkari al-Amariyah Aridah Ayn al-Sawda Ayn al-Tineh al-Gharbiyah al-Bahluniyah Baruha Bayt Qarin Burj al-Arab Burj al-Maksur Dabousieh Hajar Abyad Halat Hasrajiyah Jaafariyat Kafrish Khirbet al-Jabab Masyadah Naarah Qanuta Qurayyat Qumayrah al-Shabaq al-Shabruniyah Shalluh Shamsiyah Sindiyana Samikah Tell Hawsh Tell Sarrin al-Zarah Zanbiyah Hadidah Subdistrict Hadidah Ayn al-Tineh al-Sharqiyah Barudiyah Bayun Baznaya Dardariyah Haratayn al-Malikiyah al-Mashrafah al-Sharqiyah Khansaa Khirbet al-Manqalah Lawaybdah Marasiyah Na'isiyah Na'urah Qaz al-Khass Rihaniyah Tell al-Safa Umm al-Dawali Umm Jamah Hawash Subdistrict Al-Hawash Anaz Ain al-Ajouz Ain al-Ghara Ballat Bisas Duwair al-Lin al-Husn Ish al-Shuhah Inata Juwaniyat al-Mazraah Mizyeneh al-Muqaabarat Muqlus Qal al-Saqa al-Shuwayhid Tallah Nasirah Subdistrict Al-Nasirah Amar al-Husn Ain al-Barda Ain al-Raheb Bahzina Baydar Rafiah Daghlah Habnamrah Jankamrah Jiwar al-Afas Kafra Kimah Marmarita Mashta Azar al-Mishtaya Qalatiyah Qurb Ali Tannurin Zweitina

• Populated places in Talkalakh District
• Turkmen settlements in Homs Governorate