Al-'Al

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Al-'Al
الْعَال
Village
El-Al-01.JPG
Ruins of Al-'Al
Syria adm location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Al-'Al
Al-'Al in Syria
Golan location map 2.PNG
Red pog.svg
Al-'Al
Al-'Al (the Golan Heights)
Coordinates: 32°48′11″N35°44′43″E / 32.80306°N 35.74528°E / 32.80306; 35.74528
CountryFlag of Syria.svg  Syria
Governorate Quneitra
District Quneitra
Region Golan Heights
DestroyedJune 10, 1967
Elevation
366 m (1,204 ft)

Al-'Al (Arabic : الْعَال, romanized: al-ʿĀl, trans. "the high place"), is a former Syrian village in the southern Golan Heights, [1] on the southern tributary of Wadi es-Samekh. [2] Israel occupied the area during the Six-Day War. The village was abandoned and dismantled. [1] [3]

During the French Mandate for Syria and Lebanon, the name was spelt "El Al" on French maps.

History

Archaeological remains of several Roman, Hellenistic, early Arab, Medieval, and Ottoman artifacts at the site give evidence of ancient settlement. [2] [4] The town was inhabited by Pagans and had a history of being a military position. [5]

In 1812, the place was described as a "ruined village." [2] A modern village was probably established during the second half of the 19th century. In 1884, it was reported that the village contained 65 dwellings, including 320 inhabitants and was a "large, well-built village on the point of reviving." [2]

The Israeli settlement of Eliad was built nearby. [1]

During the Yom Kippur War, the Syrian 5th Infantry Division set up a defence in depth strategy at the Al 'Al ridgeline. [6]

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 3 CIA map: Golan Heights and vicinity - showing Al-'Al as an abandoned/dismantled Syrian village.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Dan Urman, Paul V. M. Flesher (1998). Ancient synagogues: historical analysis and archaeological discovery. Brill Publishers. pp. 569–573. ISBN   90-04-11254-5.
  3. Golan map Archived 2013-08-21 at the Wayback Machine showing Al ‘Al as a destroyed Arab village.
  4. Gregg 2000 , pp. 525
  5. Gregg 2000 , pp. 527
  6. Kenneth M. Pollack (2004). Arabs at war: military effectiveness, 1948–1991. University of Nebraska Press. p. 493. ISBN   0-8032-8783-6.

Bibliography