Harran al-'Awamid (Arabic: حران العواميد) is a town in southern Syria, administratively part of the Rif Dimashq Governorate, located southeast of Damascus. It is situated on a plain that stretches to the marshes of Bahrat al-Qibliyah ("South Lake," the source of the Barada River) along the boundary of the fertile Ghouta region to the west, to the north of the Hauran.[2] Nearby localities include al-Kafrayn and Judaydat al-Khas to the south, al-Atibeh to the northeast, al-Abadah and al-Qisa to the north, al-Ahmadiyah to the northwest, Sakka to the west and Ghasulah and al-Ghizlaniyah to the southwest.

Harran al-'Awamid حران العواميد
Town
The basaltic Roman-era columns from which Harran al-Awamid receives its name, 1903
Harran al-'Awamid
Coordinates: 33°26′50″N 36°33′33″E
Country	Syria
Governorate	Rif Dimashq
District	Douma
Subdistrict	Harran al-Awamid
Population  (2004)[1]
• Total	12,117
Time zone	UTC+3 (EET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (EEST)

According to the Syria Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), Harran al-'Awamid had a population of 12,117 in the 2004 census. It is the administrative center and the most populous locality of the Harran al-'Awamid nahiyah ("subdistrict") which consisted of four localities with a collective population of 22,853 in 2004.[1] The town was well known for its mudbrick architecture and three basalt columns of an ancient Roman temple, hence the name Harran al-'Awamid ("Harran of the Columns.") The columns themselves shoot out of the roof of a mudbrick building, which, along with many of the town's houses, have occupied the ruins of the temple.[2][3]

History

Under Ottoman rule in the late 19th century, Harran al-Awamid was visited by archaeologist William McLure Thomson, who asserted that it was the Haran mentioned in the Bible. He noted that the plantation of Bahrat al-Qibliyah could be seen from the roof of the village's mosque. The area was inhabited by Bedouins (nomads) and semi-nomadic Arabs.[4]

Roman temple

Because the ruins of the Roman temple, which likely dates to the reign of Emperor Philip the Arab (244-49 CE), have become entangled with Harran al-Awamid's mudbrick houses, the plan of the temple could not be ascertained. However, it has been determined that the structure was built on a high podium as indicated by the columns' elevation and location which also suggests that they marked the temple's northwestern corner.[5] The columns have a height of roughly twelve feet and a width of six feet.[6] They are constructed in the Ionic style from black basalt stone with ornately carved capitals,[5] although one of the column's capitals had fallen off. The columns consisted of either six or seven parts that are cracked and worn out.[6] The style of the capitals is similar to that of the columns of ancient Roman temples in the Hauran region, being based upon the acanthus. However, those at Harran al-Awamid were "more boldly drawn and are wrought in more massive style, a little coarser, perhaps..."[5]

References

Bibliography