Al-Ariqah

Ariqah عريقة
Town
Shrine of Ammar bin Yasser in Ariqah Shrine of Ammar bin Yasser in Ariqah
Ariqah Location in Syria
Coordinates:
Country	Syria
Governorate	As Suwayda Governorate
District	Shahba District
Nahiyah	Al-Ariqah
Elevation	800 m (2,600 ft)
Population (2008 est.)
• Total	3,000
Time zone	EET (UTC+2)
• Summer (DST)	+3 (UTC)

Ariqah or ‘Arīqah (Arabic: عريقة) is a village in southern Syria with a population of about 3,000. It is located in the heart of the rocky volcanic plateau of Lejah also called (Lajat). Administratively Ariqah is situated in the Mantiqat Shahba (Shahba district) of As Suwayda Governorate. Ariqah is known for its volcanic cave which is located in a 10 meters deep hollow in the centre of the village. This cave is known as Ariqa Cave which extends from 2 to 3 kilometers in the old lava streams, it is the biggest known cave in southern Syria.

History

Historically ‘Arīqah was considered the centre of the inaccessible Lajat, many houses from the Byzantine epoch were found in the town and they are still inhabited by locals, there is also an old ruined Byzantine monastery in the town known as "Deir Ariqa".

In 1596 Al-Ariqah appeared in the Ottoman tax registers as 'Ahiri and was part of the nahiya of Bani Abdullah in the Qada of Hauran. It had an entirely Muslim population consisting of 18 households and 3 bachelors. Taxes were paid on wheat, barley, summer crops, goats and/or beehives and a water mill.

External links

• Map of the town, Google Maps
• Ezra-map, 20m