Cities of Syria Quiz / Test | Asia

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1. Deir ez-Zor in eastern Syria is the site of a bridge across one of the most historically important rivers in western Asia. Originating in eastern Turkey, this river flows through Syria and Iraq, eventually joining with the Tigris River before emptying into the Persian Gulf. What is the name of this river?

Answer: Euphrates

The Tigris and Euphrates are the two rivers that define the region known as Mesopotamia, a region widely referred to as the Cradle of Civilization because of the multiple Bronze Age empires (Sumerian, Akkadian, Babylonian and Assyrian) developing there.

Deir ez-Zor is the site of a memorial, erected in 1991, commemorating the Armenian Genocide conducted within the Ottoman Empire between 1915 and 1918. Deir ez-Zor (and the surrounding desert area) was one of the main destinations for the death marches imposed on deportees.

2. The city of Aleppo has been known as a commercial centre for over 4000 years, probably because it is conveniently located between the Mediterranean and Mesopotamia. It was a major stop on the trade routes for caravans carrying goods between China and Europe, of major importance before the opening of the Suez Canal at the end of the 19th century. By what name is this system of trade routes most commonly known?

Answer: The Silk Road

The Silk Road is actually an extensive network of trade routes covering much of Asia, northern Africa and Europe. As many of the routes were little more than camel-tracks, some prefer to use the term Silk Routes to describe them. While the transport of Chinese silk to Europe was the most lucrative aspect of the trade, and the source of the name, the trade along the Silk Road included other such luxury items as perfumes, spices, medicines, and jewels. It was also the means for significant cultural cross-fertilisation, and possibly also for the introduction of bubonic plague into Europe. Few merchants traveled the entire route; rather, each carried goods along a specific stretch, and traded in the markets at either end of that journey.

For centuries, Aleppo was the third largest city in the Ottoman Empire, behind Constantinople and Cairo, and it remains Syria's largest city with a 2010 population of just over 1.6 million. Aleppo started to lose importance when the Suez Canal opened, and has become further isolated from trade by the political changes following World Wars I and II. The Citadel of Aleppo, a fortified castle built within the walls of the ancient city, is considered to be one of the oldest on the world, having been in use for over 4000 years. The old city is surrounded by a wall with nine gates. Nearby is the Christian quarter of Jdeydeh, built after Timur (also called Tamburlaine), a descendant of Genghis Khan, invaded Aleppo in 1399. Fleeing Christian traders established their own fortified section in the northwestern part of the city.

3. Idlib is very near the site where the Ebla tablets were discovered. These tablets used Sumerian script to write down the Eblaite language in around 2250 BCE. What term is more commonly used to describe Sumerian writing?

Answer: Cuneiform

Cuneiform writing, one of the earliest known forms of written expression, is so named because it was written by pressing blunt reeds into wet clay. The impressions had the shape of a wedge, which was indicated by reference to the Latin word for wedge, cuneus. The first evidence of cuneiform writing is found in excavations in Sumer dating to around 3,000 BCE. This technique was used to record a number of languages in the region, including Eblaite, which is significant as the earliest known Semitic language.

Hieroglyphs were another pictorial writing system, originating in northern Africa. Both of these systems were gradually replaced by alphabetic systems, in which symbols represent sounds rather than concepts. Cyrillic script is a specific type of alphabet.

The city of Idlib is the capital of a province that is very fertile, and makes a significant contribution to the nation's agricultural economy, including cotton and a variety of grains, fruits and nuts.

4. The city of Hama is famed for its 17 norias ('wheels of pots'). For what purpose were these norias originally constructed around 1000 BCE?

Answer: Irrigation

I wish we had pictures already, so you could see one of these giant wheels of buckets used to lift water from the Orontes River. The norias, some up to 20 m (66 ft) in height, were developed to provide irrigation water for crops. The water from the river was lifted to an aqueduct at or near the top of the wheel, which then distributed it to users.

At one time there were over 30 norias in operation, now there are only 17 left, mostly unused except as a photo opportunity.

5. The mixture of religious groups in Syria has led to some discord over the years. One of the country's main Mediterranean ports was the capital of a region which attempted to set itself up as an independent Alawite state during the time of the French protectorate in Syria. Which city, originally named after Laoidice, the mother of Seleucus I Nicator, the Seleucid ruler who founded the modern city, is the principal port of Syria?

Answer: Latakia

Latakia has not led one of the more peaceful existences to be found internationally. The modern city was founded under the Seleucid empire in the 4th century BCE. Next came the Romans, the Ummayids and Abbasids (during whose rule the city frequently changed hands between the Arab rulers and Byzantines), the Seljuk Turks, Crusaders, Ayyubids, Mamelukes, Ottomans and French. During the French mandate in Syria, which lasted from 1918 until 1946, Latakia was the capital of the region allocated to the minority Shi'a Islamic sect called Alawites. This region proclaimed its independence from Syria several times between 1922 and 1946.

Nicodemia is in Turkey, Selje is in Norway, and Laos is a country rather than a city.

6. Tartus, then known as Tortosa, was the scene of fierce fighting during the Crusades, as its position on the coast gave it strategic significance. Starting in 1152, it was used as a military centre to protect the city and surrounding area from Muslim attack. Which group of crusading knights was located in Tortosa until 1291, despite Saladin's capture of the city in 1188?

Answer: Knights Templar

Tartus was first captured by Europeans during the First Crusade (1095-1099), and a church to Our Lady of Tortosa was built during their time in control of the city. When Tortosa was retaken by the Muslims, the church was used as a mosque; under the Ottoman empire it became a barracks for troops; during the French protectorate it was refurbished and is now the city museum, where you can see many historical artifacts.

In 1152 the Knights Templar were charged with defending the city and nearby area from Muslim attack, and established their military headquarters there. When Tortosa was retaken by Saladin in 1188, the headquarters was moved to Cyprus, but a small number of Templars retreated into the castle keep, which they held onto for over 100 years. Their fortress, surrounded by its moat, can still be seen in the old city. When it fell in 1292, this last garrison moved offshore to the island of Arwad.

Today Tartus is one of Syria's two main Mediterranean ports, and an important trade centre, as well as being a popular tourist destination because of its beaches.

7. Near Homs you can see Lake Homs, an important reservoir created by the Lake Homs Dam. Which civilization, known for its feats of engineering across their extensive empire, was responsible for the original construction of this dam?

Answer: Roman

The Lake Homs Dam was built by order of the Roman emperor Diocletian in about 284 CE, to provide irrigation for the surrounding area. The dam, about 2 km (1.5 mi) long, and 7 m (23 ft) high, has a concrete core covered by blocks of basalt. The original structure is intact, but the height was raised during the 20th century. The main canal supplies the city of Homs with its drinking water, and others provide the water to irrigate 20,000 ha (50,000 acres) in the vicinity of the dam. If you want to visit, plan for a rough trip, as the road access is poor.

Homs is also a good place from which to visit the Krak des Chevaliers, a Crusader fortress that has been declared a World Heritage site.

8. As-Suwayda (also Sweida) is a mainly Druze city with a large Greek Orthodox minority. During the period of Hellenistic (Greek) influence, the city was renamed Dionysias, a reference to its location in an area famous as an ancient producer of what product?

Answer: Wine

Dionysus was the Greek god of wine, so the name is an apt one for this city in the heart of a region which may have been producing wine since around 5000 BCE. The climate is ideal for grapevines, and this was one of the first areas in the world to develop viniculture. You can see the remains of the Temple of Dionysus-Dushara in the oldest part of Sweida - there are eight substantial decorated columns still standing.

The Druze are a monotheistic religious group which separated from Ismailism (a branch of Shi'a Islam) during the 11th century due to theological differences caused by the incorporation of elements from Gnosticism and Greek philosophy. They are mostly found in Syria, Lebanon, Israel and Jordan.

9. The capital city of the muhafaza (province) of Rif Damashq, and one of the two largest cities in Syria, is also the oldest continuously-inhabited city in the world (at least, according to some sources). Can you identify this city, nicknamed 'The City of Jasmine'?

Answer: Damascus

As there is no universal agreement as to exactly what the terms 'continuously-inhabited' and 'city' mean when describing archaeological remains, this title is hotly disputed. Damascus is often cited as the oldest continuously-inhabited city in the world, and there is evidence of settlements in the region dating back to 9000 BCE, but the actual location of the present city doesn't show signs of large-scale settlement until around 1800 BCE. Jericho was a walled city by 6800 BCE, but has been destroyed and abandoned before being rebuilt several times, making it older but not continuously-inhabited. Byblos has been continuously inhabited since around 7000 BCE, and is considered to have grown to city status around 3000 BCE. Cairo is much more recent.

Damascus is located on a plateau 680 m (2200 ft) above sea level in the foothills of the Anti-Lebanon mountains which form much of the border between Syria and Lebanon. Being on the inland side of the mountains, the climate is much more arid than would be expected for a city only 80 km (50 mi) from the Mediterranean Sea due to what is called the rain shadow effect. This means that the moisture-laden weather systems get blocked by the mountains, which get plenty of rainfall, and the lands immediately behind them get very little. The city's 2010 population of nearly 1.6 million made it the country's second-largest city.

10. Quneitra is the capital of a province that was annexed by Israel during the Six-Day War of 1967, and whose territory has changed hands several times since. What is the more familiar name of this highly-contentious mountain region?

Answer: Golan Heights

Quneitra is situated in a valley high in the mountains referred to as the Golan Heights, an area of strategic significance on the border between Israel and Syria. It is in the portion of the Heights that was returned to Syrian control after the Yom Kippur War of 1973, and is now in the UN-patrolled demilitarized zone between Syria and Israel. The city was virtually destroyed during the fighting, and, despite still being the nominal capital of the province, is inhabited by a very small number of people. Syria has been heavily criticized for refusing to rebuild the city, and for discouraging citizens from moving back to the area. The ruins have been turned into a virtual museum, with billboards posted to describe what many of the ruined buildings used to be. You will need a permit from the Ministry of the Interior if you want to visit Quneitra.

The other three regions, not belonging to Syria, were also captured by Israel in 1967.

Source: Author looney_tunes

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Cities of Syria Trivia Quiz

As you visit ten of the major cities in the Syrian Arab Republic, there's plenty to discover about the region and its history. NB - many variant spellings exist, as many terms have been transliterated from Arabic script.

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