Darkush

History

An inscription at the town, dating back to Roman times, attests to the existence of a shipwright in the town, building river-going boats to use on the Orontes. The town also has the remains of an ancient bridge.

During the Crusades, the town was the property of the Principality of Antioch The Mamluk Sultan Baibars gained control in 1267. Nothing remains of the town's Crusader citadel, as it was quarried for building stones. Darkush was visited by Syrian geographer Yaqut al-Hamawi in the 1220s, during Ayyubid rule. He noted that it was a "fortress near Antâkiyyah, in the 'Awâsim Province."

On 13 August 1822 the town and its surrounding areas were devastated by a massive earthquake, killing 20,000 people.

Modern era

In the early 1960s it was described a large village of 2,500 residents and "one of the most picturesque" places in the area by geographer and author Robert Boulanger.

During the ongoing Syrian civil war which started in March 2011, Darkush was Liberated by anti-government forces in November 2012. Until then, the town was roughly divided politically with the residents in the northern part supporting the opposition while the south largely supported the government. Damaged buildings formerly belonging to the Regime forces marked the dividing line between the two sections. By late January 2013, the town was firmly in rebel hands and is used as a launching point for military operations against Regime-held positions in the mountains to the south.

Geography

The town of Darkush lies in a wadi in the Orontes River basin, at the foothills of the an-Nusayriyah Mountains.

References

Bibliography

References

2. [http://www.cbssyr.org/new%20web%20site/General_census/census_2004/NH/TAB07-22-2004.htm General Census of Population and Housing 2004] {{webarchive. link. (2013-02-06 . [[Central Bureau of Statistics (Syria)). Syria Central Bureau of Statistics]] (CBS). Idlib Governorate. {{in lang. ar
3. Boulanger, 1966, p. 476.
4. Butcher, 2004, p. 133.
5. The [[Christianization]] of the city probably happened after 322.Trombley, 2001, p. 279.
6. Boulanger, ed., 1966, p. 477.
7. le Strange, 1890, [https://archive.org/stream/palestineundermo00lestuoft#page/437/mode/1up p. 437].
8. Barker, 2002, p. 322.
9. [http://www.france24.com/en/20130205-syria-rebels-tighten-noose-around-key-idlib-city Syria rebels tighten noose around key Idlib city] {{webarchive. link. (February 13, 2013 . ''[[France 24]]''. Originally published by ''[[Agence France-Presse]]''. 2013-02-05.)
10. Chulov, Martin. [https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/jan/28/war-syria-mountains Inside the war for Syria's mountains]. ''[[The Guardian]]''. 2013-01-28.
11. Royal Geographic Society, 1886, p. 94.