Azaz

Azaz أعزاز
Azaz Location in Syria
Coordinates: 36°35′10″N 37°2′40″E / 36.58611°N 37.04444°E / 36.58611; 37.04444
Country	Syria
Governorate	Aleppo Governorate
District	A'zaz District
Nahiyah	Azaz
Elevation	560 m (1,840 ft)
Population (2004)
• Total	31,623
Time zone	EET (UTC+2)
• Summer (DST)	+3 (UTC)

Azaz (Arabic: أعزاز‎‎ A‘zāz, Hurrian: Azazuwa, Neo-Assyrian: Ḫazazu, Old Aramaic: Ḥzz) is a city in northwestern Syria, roughly 20 miles (32 kilometres) north-northwest of Aleppo. According to the Syria Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), Azaz had a population of 31,623 in the 2004 census.^[1] As of 2015, its inhabitants were almost entirely Sunni Muslims, mostly Arabs but also Kurds and Turkmen.^[2]

Azaz is the administrative center of Nahiya Azaz and the Azaz District.

It is historically significant as the site of the Battle of Azaz between the Crusader States and the Seljuk Turks on June 11, 1125. It is notable for its proximity to a Syrian–Turkish border crossing, which enters Turkey at Oncupinar, south of the city of Kilis.

History

Early Islamic period

In excavations of the site of Tell Azaz, considerable quantities of ceramics from the early and middle Islamic periods were found.^[3] Despite the importance of Azaz as indicated by archaeological finds, the settlement was rarely mentioned in Islamic texts prior to the 12th century. However, a visit to the town by the Muslim musician Ishaq al-Mawsili (767–850) gives some indication of Azaz's importance during Abbasid rule.^[3] Azaz became the scene of a humiliating defeat of the Byzantine emperor Romanos III at the hands of the Mirdasids in August 1030, but was soon after captured by the Byzantines under Niketas of Mistheia.

Crusader period

On 11 June 1125 (or June 13),^[4] forces of the Crusader States commanded by King Baldwin II of Jerusalem defeated Aq-Sunqur il-Bursuqi's army of Seljuk Turks and raised the siege of the town. Joscelin I of Edessa had captured the city from the atabeg of Aleppo in 1118. The next year the Crusaders under Roger of Salerno were severely defeated at the Battle of Ager Sanguinis, and King Baldwin II of Jerusalem was captured while patrolling in Edessa in 1123. In 1124 Baldwin II was released, and almost immediately he laid siege to Aleppo on October 8, 1124. This caught the attention of il-Bursuqi, the Seljuk atabeg of Mosul. Il-Bursuqi marched south to relieve the siege of Aleppo, which was nearing the point of surrender in January 1125 after a three-month siege. In spite of the city being "the greatest prize the war could offer,"^[5] Baldwin cautiously withdrew without a fight.

Later, al-Bursuqi besieged the town of Azaz, to the north of Aleppo in territory belonging to the County of Edessa. Baldwin II, Joscelin I, and Pons of Tripoli, with a force of 1100 knights from their respective territories (including knights from Antioch, where Baldwin was regent), as well as 2000 other foot soldiers, met il-Bursuqi outside Azaz, where the Seljuk atabeg had gathered his much larger force. Baldwin pretended to retreat, thereby drawing the Seljuks away from Azaz into the open where they were surrounded. After a long and bloody battle, the Seljuks were defeated and their camp captured by Baldwin, who took enough loot to ransom the prisoners taken by the Seljuks (including the future Joscelin II of Edessa).

Apart from relieving Azaz, this victory allowed the Crusaders to regain much of the influence they had lost after their defeat at Ager Sanguinis in 1119. Baldwin planned to attack Aleppo as well, but Antioch, which passed to Bohemund II when he came of age in 1126, began to fight with Edessa and the plan fell through. Aleppo and Mosul were united under the much stronger ruler Zengi in 1128, and Crusader control of northern Syria began to dwindle. During Ayyubid rule, in 1226, the local historian Yaqut al-Hamawi, described Azaz as a "fine town", referring to the settlement as "Dayr Tell Azaz".^[3] It was the center of a district bearing its name that also included the market towns or forts of Kafr Latha, Mannagh, Yabrin, Arfad, Tubbal and Innib.^[3]

Syrian Civil War

On 19 July 2012, during the Syrian civil war, rebels opposed to the Syrian government succeeded in capturing the town.^[6] The town is highly valued as a logistical supply route close to the Turkish–Syrian border.

ISIL took control of Azaz in October 2013, but withdrew from the city in February 2014 having been cut off from the rest of its territory.^[7][8]

Following the departure of ISIL, Azaz was left under the control of Northern Storm, a brigade under the authority of the Islamic Front, nominally a part of the Free Syrian Army (FSA) at that time.^[9] A Sharia Committee is responsible for the administration of Sharia law, and is policed by the Northern Storm brigade. A Civil Council governs the field of public services.^[10]

As of January 2015, al-Nusra Front has a limited presence in the town and controls one mosque.^[10] By October 2015, the control of the town was shared between Nusra and a brigade of the FSA.^[11]

Anonymous soldiers described as Turkmen arrived in Azaz in November 2015 as part of a US-Turkish action against ISIS. They came from and were trained in Turkey.^[12]

Fearing YPG intentions for the area, Turkey declared Azaz to be a "red line" which Kurdish forces must not cross.^[13]

Climate

References

• Smail, R. C. Crusading Warfare 1097-1193. New York: Barnes & Noble Books, (1956) 1995. ISBN 1-56619-769-4

Coordinates: 36°35′10″N 37°02′38″E / 36.586°N 37.044°E / 36.586; 37.044

Aleppo Governorate
Capital: Aleppo
District of Jabal Sem‘ān‎ Aleppo Abtin Anadan Babis Banis Barnah Barqum Bawabiyah Darat Izza Fah al-Farafirah Haddadin al-Hader Humayrah Hayyan Hur Huraytan al-Hutah Huweir al-Iss Injarah al-Iss Jazraya Jubb Kas Kafr Hamrah Kafr Saghir Khan Tuman Maarat al-Antiq Maratat al-Muslimiyah Maryamin al-Mintar al-Muslimiyah al-Muslimiyah al-Shamaliyah Qaras Qibtan al-Jabal al-Sakhriyah Shaykh Najjar Taqad Tell al-Daman Tell Hidyah Tell Shuayr Samaan Tell Shughayb al-Wadihi Yaqid al-Adas Zammar al-Zirbah Zitan
Azaz District Ablah Ahras Azaz Akhtarin Aq Burhan Bahwartah Baraghida Baruza Bayanoun Bel Dabiq Deir Jamal Dudyan Duwaybiq Fafin al-Fayruziyah Ghaytun Ghurur Hawar Kilis Herbel Ihtaimlat Jarez al-Judaydah Ka'ibah Kadrish Kafra Kafr Burayshah Kafr Kalbin Kafr Khasher Kafr Naseh Kafr Naya Kafr Shoush Kaljibrin Ma'arin Ma'arat Umm Hawsh al-Malikiyah Maraanaz Mare' Mayer Menagh Murayghil Naddah Nayarah Nubl Qabtan Qar Kalbin Rael Ratyan al-Salameh Sawran Shamarikh Shamarin Shaykh Issa Shuwayrin Sijaraz Sunbul Taanah Tal'ar Gharbi Tal'ar Sharqi Talalin Tall Battal Tall Tanah Tat Hims Tatiyah Tell Jabin Tell Qarah Tell Rifaat Tulayl ash-Sham Turkman Bareh al-Yaarubiyah Yahmul al-Yamamah Krum Az-Zahiriyah al-Zahraa Zayzafun Ziadiyah
Afrin District Afrin Ain Dara Aqiba Awlad al-Arab Barad Baselhaya Basouta Beit Adin Bulbul Burj Abdullah Burj Haider Darmashkanli Deir Ballut Fafertin Jalbul Jalmah Jindires Inab Kafr Safra Kimar Karzahayel Maabatli Maryamin Maydan Ikbis Qatma Rajo Sharran Shaykh al-Hadid
Atarib District Atarib al-Abzamo Batibo al-Jinah Ibbin Samaan Kafr Halab Kafr Karmin Kafr Naha Kafr Nasih al-Atarib Kafr Nuran Maarat Atarib Awayjil al-Sahharah al-Shaykh Ali Urum al-Kubra Urum al-Sughra
Ayn al-Arab District Ayn al-Arab al-Farazdaq al-Haqel Jaadat al-Samaawat al-Jalbiyah Jubb Faraj Kabir Mil Qibbah Qinayah Ramilah Ras al-Ayn Qibli Sarrin Shuyukh Fawqani Shuyukh Tahtani Tell Abyad Tahtani
Al-Bab District al-Bab Ameriyeh Arima Bizaah al-Burj Haddabat Haji Kusa Hezwan Maran Qabbasin al-Rai Sosyan Tedef Tell Rahal Al-Waqf
Dayr Hafir District Dayr Hafir Humaymah Kabirah al-Jabbul Kuwayris Sharqi Mazburah al-Raa'i Rasm al-Abed Rasm Harmil al-Imam Shaykh Ahmad Tell Ayoub
Jarabulus District Jarabulus Ayn al-Bayda Amarnah Arab Azzah Balaban al-Bir Fawqani al-Bir Tahtani Dabis Ghandoura al-Hajaliah al-Haluwaniyah Haymar al-Jamel Jarabulus Tahtani Fursan Lilawa Marma al-Hajar Mazaalah Qandariyah Qebbet al-Turkmen Qirq Maghar al-Suwaydah Yusuf Bayk
Manbij District Manbij Abu Kahf Abu Qilqil Arab Hassan Kabir Awsajli Kabir Dakhirah Dandaniya Hamir Labidah Hayyah Kabirah Jubb Hamza Al-Khafsah Khan al-Humr al-Maamurah al-Mahsanah Khafsah Maskanah Mallah Mujammaa Huttin al-Nasiriyah Fawqani Qashlat Yusef Basha Ras al-Ayn al-Bumane' Saan al-Ghazal al-Tadamon Talhuthan Tell Aswad Tell Akhdar al-Zahirah Zunqul
Al-Safira District al-Safira Abu Jurayn al-Safirah Aqrabah Banan al-Hajib Hawwaz Khanasir Qulayaa Rasm Al-Nafl al-Samiriyah Tat Tell Aran Tell Hasil Zira'ah

Cities and towns of Syria
Governorate centres	Aleppo Damascus Daraa Deir ez-Zor Hama al-Hasakah Homs Idlib Latakia Quneitra Ar-Raqqah Rif Dimashq al-Suwayda Tartus
District centres	Abu Kamal Afrin Arihah Atarib Ayn al-Arab Azaz al-Bab Baniyas Darayya Dayr Hafir Douma Duraykish Fiq al-Haffah Harem Izra' Jableh Jarabulus Jisr ash-Shugur Maarat al-Numaan al-Malikiyah Manbij Masyaf Mayadin Mhardeh al-Mukharram al-Foqani an-Nabk Palmyra Qamishli Qardaha Qatana Qudsaya al-Qusayr al-Qutayfah Ra's al-'Ayn al-Rastan as-Safira Safita Salamiyah Salkhad al-Sanamayn Shahba ash-Shaykh Badr al-Suqaylabiyah Talkalakh al-Tall Tell Abyad al-Thawrah Yabrud Zabadani
Sub-district centres	Abu Qilqil Abu al-Thuhur Akhtarin Amuda Arbeen Arima al-Ariqah al-Arishah Armanaz Arwad al-Asharah Assal al-Ward Awj Ayn al-Fijah Ayn Halaqim Ayn Issa Ayn al-Nasr Babbila Banan Barri Sharqi Beit Jinn Binnish Bir al-Helu Bosra Bulbul Busayrah Da'el al-Dana Darat Izza Darkush al-Darbasiyah Deir Atiyah al-Dimas al-Dumayr Furqlus Ghabaghib Ghandoura al-Ghariyah al-Ghizlaniyah al-Hader Hadidah al-Hajar al-Aswad al-Hajib Hajin al-Hamidiyah al-Hamraa Harasta Harbnafsah Harran al-Awamid al-Hirak Hish Hisyah al-Hawl Huraytan al-Huwash Ibbin Samaan Ihsim Jayrud al-Jalaa al-Janudiyah Jaramana al-Jarniyah Jasim al-Jawadiyah Jubb al-Jarrah Jubb Ramlah Jindires al-Jiza al-Qabu Kafr Batna Kafr Nabl Kafr Takharim Kafr Zita al-Karamah al-Kasrah Kessab al-Khafsah Khan Shaykhun Khasham Kirnaz Kuwayris Sharqi Khanaser Khirbet Ghazaleh Khirbet al-Tin Mahmoud al-Kiswah Ma'arrat Misrin Maabatli Maadan Ma'loula Madaya Mahin Malah al-Malihah al-Mansurah Mare' Markada Mashta al-Helu Maskanah al-Masmiyah al-Mazraa Muhambal Muhasan al-Musayfirah al-Mushannaf Muzayrib al-Nashabiyah al-Nasirah Nawa Nubl al-Qadmus al-Qahtaniyah Qalaat al-Madiq Qarah al-Qaryatayn al-Qurayya Qurqania Rajo Rankus Rasm Harmil al-Imam al-Rai al-Riqama al-Ruhaybah al-Saan Saasaa Sabburah al-Sabe' Biyar al-Sabkhah Sadad Sahnaya Saidnaya Salqin Saraqib Sarmin Sarrin Sawran Sebei al-Shaddadah al-Shajara Shaqqa Sharran Shathah Shaykh al-Hadid al-Shaykh Maskin Shayukh Tahtani Shin Sinjar Sirghaya Slinfah Suluk al-Sur al-Surah al-Saghirah Suran al-Susah al-Sukhnah al-Tabni Talbiseh Taldou al-Tamanah Tasil Tell al-Daman Tell Hamis Tell Rifaat Tell Salhab Tell Tamer Tedef Thiban Uqayribat Urum al-Kubra Wadi al-Oyun al-Yaarubiyah al-Zurbah az-Ziyarah