777 



SYRIA. 



SYRIA, 



on the Mediterranean, occupying the space between Ras-el-Khauzir ou 

 the north, ami Jebel Musu, the Mom 1'i-rius of the aiicients on the 

 south. Near Ras-el-Khanzir the summit called Jebel Keserik attains 

 5550 feet above the sea-level. From this summit the range runs north- 

 east, but by degrees turns more to the north, so as to inclose the Gulf 

 of Scanderoon on the east with a curved line. It joins the Alma 

 Dagh about 10 miles north of 37 X. lat. Near 36 30' N. the road 

 between Scanderoon and Antakia traverses it, and the most elevated 

 pass is 4068 feet above the sea-level. This range never exceeds 

 live miles in width. The mountains generally descend towards the 

 Gulf of Scanderoon with a gentle declivity, and approach near its 

 shores, except towards the north, where a level tract about two miles 

 wide intervenes which gradually increases to the breadth of seven 

 miles. This wider part is fertile and cultivated, and it is diversified 

 with orange and lemon groves. The remainder is almost entirely 

 uncultivated, but full of ruins. 



2. The northern portion of the Northern Valley begins at the ter- 

 mination of Mount Libanus (34 40' N. lat) and Mount Antilibanus 

 (34 20' N. lat). North of these places a level country extends across 

 the whole breadth of Syria, from the Mediterranean to the Euphrates. 

 It i.-i quite destitute of trees ; and though a great part of it is fit for 

 cultivation, the extent of the cultivated tract* ia small, which is 

 mainly owing to the want of water. 



The Jebel-el-Anzeyry begins in 34 40' K. lat, and on the plain 

 extending east of the river Azy a ridge of hills called Jebel-el-Aala 

 rues near 35 X. lat. This last-mentioned rid?e runs from south-east 

 to north-west, and thus approaches the Jebel Erbayu, or eastern offset 

 of the Jebel-el-Anzeyry, south of the town of Uamab, near 35 5' N. 

 lat From this point the river Azy runs for 12 miles in a narrow 

 valley, which is inclosed by rugged mountains, but it widens in some 

 parts, and in one of these plains the town of Hainan is built. At the 

 northern extremity of this valley the eastern ridge sinks down to the 

 level of the plain, but two or three miles farther north it rise* again 

 under the name of Jebel Shoehsabon, and here begins that fine valley 

 which in called Kl-Ghab, and which is about thirty-five miles in length ; 

 its width ia about five miles, but it grows narrower towards the north. 

 The river flows near the base of the Jebel-el-Anzeyry. where it forms 

 numerous marshes. In winter it inundates the level ground, through 

 which it flows and leaves many small lakes. The valley is watered 

 also by numerous rivulets. The villages are pretty numerous, and 

 mostly built at the base of the mountain* : they are surrounded by 

 fields on which dhurra and wheat are grown. The remainder is used 

 as pasture-ground for cattle and bnfialoes. Large herds of buffaloes 

 are kept in the swampy port of the valley. The wider valley of the 

 Olinb terminates at Jebel Shogher, and hence the Azy runs northward 

 in a narrow valley, which contains very little land fit for agriculture ; 

 but the sides of the mountains are covered with plantations of fruit- 

 trees : those of mulberry-trees and olive-trees are very extensive. 



Where the Azy emerges from this valley, and, turning north-weal 

 and west, flows along the base of the Jebrl-el-Anzeyry, an extensive 

 plain opens to the north, the ancient plain of Antiochia, now called 

 KIL'mk, which stretches to the base of the Alma D.igh. It is about 

 35 miles long, with an average width of 15 miles. Towards the 

 middle of the plain it a deep depression, which receives all the 

 rivers that descend from the mountains surrounding it on the east, 

 north, and west, and form an extensive lake, called El-Bohhaire, the 

 ancient Lake of Antiochia. It is about 12 miles long and 6 miles 

 wide, and noted for its eels, which form sn article of commerce. 

 Tha country surrounding the lake rises in very gentle slopes towards 

 the base of the Alma Dagh. The northern part of the valley is 

 cultivated, and produces wheat, barley, and several kinds of pulse. 

 The Lake of Bohhaire discharges its waters into the Azy by the 

 Kara eu, which runs through the southern and lower part of the plain, 

 which for the greater part of the year is nearly a swamp. No part of 

 it is cultivated, and it is only used as pasture-ground. 



The Pink constitutes the most northern portion of the Northern 

 Valley, which is connected with the Mediterranean by the valley 

 in which the Azy reaches the sea by a west-south-west course. 

 This last-mentioned valley is nearly 30 miles long, and from 4 to 6 

 miles wide between the Jebel-el-Anzeyry and the Jebel-el-Ahmar. 

 The river runs near the base of the Jebel-el-Anzeyry, and on its 

 northern banks is an undulating country, generally well cultivated. 

 Much tobacco is grown, and the plantations of mulberry-trees are 

 extensive : other fruit-trees also abound. The Azy, from its source, 

 shout 12 miles north-east of I'.aalbec, to its mouth runs above 

 ,-iiles. After having entered the plain north of the mountain 

 range*, it fall* into a lake called Bahr-el-Kodcs, which is about 6 

 miles long and 2 miles wide. The river in not navigated, but it it 

 said that it could be easily rendered navigable for barges to a distance 

 of 27 miles above Antakia. Its mouth is obstructed by a bar, over 

 which there is from three and a half to nine feet of water in winter. 



3. The Hilly Region, which extends to the east of the valley of the 

 Azy and of the El-Umk, from the town of Hamah to the base of the 

 Alma Dagh, may occupy about 10 miles in width, south of 36 10' 

 N. lat., but where it is contiguous to the El-Umk it is more than twice 

 an wide. The southern portion has somewhat the form of a range, 

 t'v- limestone rocks rising to a considerable elevation, and inclosing 

 valleys ; but many of these hiils are only covered with bushes, am! 



the arable grounds are not extensive. Barley and dhurra are grown. 

 Vines are much cultivated, and grapes and debs are sent to Aleppo. 

 The northern portion of the Hilly Region is an undulating country on 

 a large scale. The limestone soil absorbs all moisture, and there are 

 no watercourses. The country however is rather fertile, and yields 

 good crops of wheat and other grain, and cotton of excellent quality. 

 On the hills there are plantations of fig-trees and olive-trees. 



4. The Eastern Plains occupy about two-thirds of the surface of 

 Northern Syria, and extend from the Hilly Region to the banks of 

 the Euphrates. They are divided into two parts by a ridge of low 

 hills, the western part of which is called Jebel-el-Sis and the eastern 

 Jebel-el-Has. This ridge is near 35 50' N. lat, and appears to extend 

 from the hills north-west of Hamah to the vicinity of the Euphrates. 

 The southern part of the plain contains in the west large tracts of 

 good soil, which cannot be cultivated for want of water ; towards the 

 east it gradually passes into a desert, which is divided from the 

 Euphrates by a wooded tract several miles wide, and called El-Zawl, 

 or Uharabat. 



The northern part of the plain is of a different description. It is 

 traversed by three rivers, two of which rise on the southern declivity 

 of Alma Dagh, and run southward. The river Sajur drains the 

 north-eastern portion of the plain. It rises north of the town of 

 Am tab, brings down a great volume of water from the mountains, and 

 falls into the Euphrates about 20 miles below Bir, after a course of 

 about 60 miles. The Kuwait, or A'oiA, also called the River of Aleppo, 

 rises in one of the great offsets of the Alma Dagh, and runs with 

 numerous windings through the plain southward, until, in approaching 

 the Jebel-el-Has, it is lost in swauipy ground, called El-.Vlatkh. The 

 third river, called Zelub, or Duhab, rises in a ridge of hills which run 

 west and east, and terminate ou the banks of the Euphrates south of 

 the mouth of the Sajur. These hills compel the last-meutioued river 

 to join the Euphrates. The Zeheb runs southward, and after a course 

 of about 40 miles falls into a salt lake called El-Sabkh, which is sur- 

 rounded by low rocky hills. The lake is about 6 miles long and 2 

 miles wide. After the rains it inundates the narrow strip of land 

 which in summer lies between its banks and the rocks ; and when the 

 water has been evaporated by the heat of the summer this narrow 

 strip is covered with pure salt, in some places two inches thick. This 

 salt is collected in the mouth of August, and extensively used over a 

 peat part of Syria. The surface of the plain is far from being level. 

 Short ridges of low hills occur at several places, especially near Aleppo, 

 the plain of that town b ing iucloucd by such ridges ou three sides. 

 When the plain extends in a level, or in slight undulations, as id 

 mostly the case, isolated hills, called ' tells,' which some consider to 

 be artificial, are frequent In their neighbourhood there are wells 

 and villages. East and south of Aleppo the soil of the plaiu is very 

 stony. West and south-west of Aleppo the soil is better, especially ill 

 the neighbourhood of the hilly range, where it yields abundant crops 

 of wheat and other grain. To the north-west and north of Aleppo 

 the soil is indeed stony, but the earth is deeper, and cultivation is 

 rather extensive. The best part of the plaiu appears to be that which 

 ia contiguous to the road leading from Aleppo to A'iutab. These 

 plains are about 1000 feet above the sea-level, except near the 

 Euphrates. Between Aleppo and A'mtab the surface of the Krav.uk, 

 at Toy beck, is 1263 feet above the Mediterranean ; and that of the 

 Sujtir, farther east, 1363 feet The Euphrates, below Bir, is only (i'^S 

 feet above that sea. 



In the plains the winter lasts from the 12th of December to the 20th 

 of January. There is generally some slight frost ; snow seldom rests 

 moie than one day on the ground. In February the vegetation is 

 vigorous, and the trees are in blossom ; but the spring soon passes, 

 and at the end of May nearly all the smaller plants are dried up. 

 From that time rarely a cloud passes over the clear sky, and the heat 

 ia very great West winds are cool, eoet winds suffocating. The first 

 rains occur about the middle of September, and are followed by settled 

 and pleasant weather, which lasts from twenty to thirty days ; but 

 towards the end of November the later and more heavy rains set in, 

 and continue to the beginning of the winter. 



5. The Alma Dagh constitutes a portion of that extensive mountain 

 range which the ancient geographers called Taurus. The Alma Dagh 

 is the ancient Amanus. It lies along the boundary of Syria and Ana- 

 tolia, and its crest is considered as the boundary between these two 

 countries. The range occupies in width about 30 miles, of which the 

 larger portion belongs to Anatolia. The mountains are very precipitous, 

 and can only be traversed by beasts of burden in a few places. The 

 most frequented road runs from Aleppo due north to Aintab, und 

 thence over the Alma Dagh to Kaisariych and Angora. There are 

 some mountain roads farther west, which are noticed in the article 

 AMANUS. These mountains are well wooded. Many thousand acres 

 are covered with large cedars, and in other places there are firs and 

 juniper trees. 



1'i-oductt. Most of these have been already incidentally mentioned. 

 They comprise wheat, barley, dhurra, spelt, some rice, lentiles and 

 other pulse, artichokes, melons, cucumbers, capsicum, potatoes. 

 Among other products are cotton, hemp, silk, madder, indigo, 

 sisanium, castor-oil, tobacco, &c. Of fruits there arc figs, olives, 

 mulberries, grapes, almonds, apricots, peaches, pomegranates, oranges, 

 lemons, dates, &c. Vineyards are numerous in the mountainous 



