Amuda ( ar, عَامُودَا, ʿĀmūdā, ku, ئاموودێ, Amûdê) is a town in
Al Hasakah Governorate
Al-Hasakah Governorate ( ar, محافظة الحسكة, Muḥāfaẓat al-Ḥasakah, ku, Parêzgeha Hesekê}, syc, ܗܘܦܪܟܝܐ ܕܚܣܟܗ, Huparkiyo d'Ḥasake, also known as syc, ܓܙܪܬܐ, Gozarto) is one of the fourteen governorates (pro ...
in northeastern
Syria
Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...
close to the
Syria–Turkey border
The border between the Syrian Arab Republic and the Republic of Turkey ( ar, الحدود السورية التركية, translit=alhudud alsuwriat alturkia; tr, Suriye–Türkiye sınırı) is about long, and runs from the Mediterranean Sea ...
. As a result of the ongoing
civil war
A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country).
The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...
, Amuda is currently under the civil control of the
AANES
The Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES), also known as Rojava, is a de facto autonomous region in northeastern Syria. It consists of self-governing Regions of North and East Syria, sub-regions in the areas of Afrin Region ...
and military control of the
SDF and
Syrian Army
" (''Guardians of the Homeland'')
, colors = * Service uniform: Khaki, Olive
* Combat uniform: Green, Black, Khaki
, anniversaries = August 1st
, equipment =
, equipment_label =
, battles = 1948 Arab–Israeli War
Six ...
.
History
There are two
tells in the area; one inside Amuda itself, and the other on the Turkish side of the border, three kilometers north of the city.
In older and some modern literature, the tell inside Amuda is named Tell Amuda, but for locals its name is Tell Shermola, while the tell on the Turkish side is the real Tell Amuda, which had its name changed by the Turkish authorities to Tell Kemaliya.
Tell Shermola revealed evidence for a limited occupation dating to the third millennium BC.
Middle Assyrian period
Archaeological evidence from Shermola dating to the middle Assyrian period reveal that the city was inhabited by Assyrians as early as the reign of
Shalmaneser I
Shalmaneser I (𒁹𒀭𒁲𒈠𒉡𒊕 md''sál-ma-nu-SAG'' ''Salmanu-ašared''; 1273–1244 BC or 1265–1235 BC) was a king of Assyria during the Middle Assyrian Empire. Son of Adad-nirari I, he succeeded his father as king in 1265 BC.
Accord ...
(1250 BC).
Shermola is identified by
Elisabeth Wagner-Durand and
Jeanne Marie Aynard with the Assyrian city of Kulishinas (Kulišinaš).
This identification is based on tablets written in Kulishinas discovered and sold to museums by a dealer who claimed that they were taken from Shermola; hence, the identification is not certain, although Shermola being a Middle Assyrian city is confirmed by archaeology.
Modern era
The demographics of this area saw a huge shift in the early part of the 20th century. Some Kurdish tribes cooperated with
Ottoman authorities in the genocide against
Armenian
Armenian may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to Armenia, a country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Armenians, the national people of Armenia, or people of Armenian descent
** Armenian Diaspora, Armenian communities across the ...
and
Assyrian
Assyrian may refer to:
* Assyrian people, the indigenous ethnic group of Mesopotamia.
* Assyria, a major Mesopotamian kingdom and empire.
** Early Assyrian Period
** Old Assyrian Period
** Middle Assyrian Empire
** Neo-Assyrian Empire
* Assyrian ...
Christians in
Upper Mesopotamia
Upper Mesopotamia is the name used for the Upland and lowland, uplands and great outwash plain of northwestern Iraq, northeastern Syria and southeastern Turkey, in the northern Middle East. Since the early Muslim conquests of the mid-7th century, ...
. Kurdish tribes attacked and sacked Assyrian and Armenian villages in Albaq District immediately to the north of
Hakkari Hakkari or Hakkâri may refer to:
*Hakkari (historical region), a historical region in modern-day Turkey and Iraq
*Hakkâri (city), a city and the capital of Hakkâri Province, Turkey
*Hakkâri Province
Hakkâri Province (, tr, Hakkâri ili, ...
mountains, killing large numbers of villagers.
Before the genocide in 1915, the Kaza of Ras-ul-ain, which included Amuda, was made up entirely of total 16.000 Sunni Muslims. Some Christians settled the city after the genocide. In 1936,
French forces
The French Armed Forces (french: Forces armées françaises) encompass the Army, the Navy, the Air and Space Force and the Gendarmerie of the French Republic. The President of France heads the armed forces as Chief of the Armed Forces.
France ...
bombarded Amuda (Tusha Amudi). On 13 August 1937, in a revenge attack, about 500 Kurds from the Dakkuri, Milan, and Kiki tribes attacked the Christians. The Christian population, about 300 families, fled to the towns of
Qamishli
Qamishli ( ar, ٱلْقَامِشْلِي, Al-Qāmišlī, ku, قامشلۆ, Qamişlo, syc, ܒܝܬ ܙܠܝ̈ܢ, Bēṯ Zālīn, lit=House of Reeds or syr, ܩܡܫܠܐ, translit=Qamishlo) and
Hasakah
Al-Hasakah ( ar, ٱلْحَسَكَة, al-Ḥasaka; ku, Heseke/حەسەکە; syr, ܚܣܝܟܐ Hasake), is the capital city of the Al-Hasakah Governorate, in the northeastern corner of Syria. With a 2004 census population of 188,160, it is the e ...
. In 1941, the Assyrian community of
al-Malikiyah
Al-Malikiyah ( ar, ٱلْمَالِكِيَّة, al-Mālikīyah; ku, دێرکا حەمکۆ, translit=Dêrika Hemko; ) also known as Derik, is a small Syrian city and the center of an administrative district belonging to Al-Hasakah Governorate. ...
was subjected to a vicious assault. Even though the assault failed, Assyrians were terrorized and left in large numbers, and the immigration of Kurds from Turkey to the area have resulted in a Kurdish majority in Amuda, al-Malikiyah, and
al-Darbasiyah
Al-Dirbasiyah ( ar, ٱلدَّرْبَاسِيَّة, ad-Dirbāsīyah, ku, دربێسی, Dirbêsiyê) is a Syrian town on the Syria–Turkey border opposite the Turkish town of Şenyurt. Administratively it is part of the Al-Hasakah Governorate. ...
.
[http://www.aina.org/reports/utrmcfsi.pdf ]
On 13 November 1960, after nearly 500 Kurdish students were taken to the cinema forcely, a fire was set in the cinema by the state agents and 283 students died in
Amouda cinema
Amouda Cinema was a movie theater in Amuda town in Al-Hasakah Governorate of Syria. This cinema burned down in a fire in November 1960 and more than 200 children died inside it, it was believed to have been inspired by ethnic hatred towards Kurds ...
. There is a park in Amuda that commemorates the event.
On 12 March 2004, an anti-government uprising took place in the city. As of 2004, Amuda is the fourth largest town in Al-Hasakah governorate.
In July 2017 the 90-year old Mor Elias Church was restored and reopened in the city. As of 2017 only one Assyrian family remains in Amuda.
Civil war
![Demonstration in Amuda against the Syrian government](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/ba/Demonstration_in_Amuda_against_the_Syrian_government.png)
With the dawn of the
civil war
A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country).
The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...
, the rule of the
Bashar al-Assad
Bashar Hafez al-Assad, ', Levantine pronunciation: ; (, born 11 September 1965) is a Syrian politician who is the 19th president of Syria, since 17 July 2000. In addition, he is the commander-in-chief of the Syrian Armed Forces and the ...
government ended in much of Northern Syria.
Free Syrian Army
The Free Syrian Army (FSA) ( ar, الجيش السوري الحر, al-jaysh as-Sūrī al-ḥur) is a loose faction in the Syrian Civil War founded on 29 July 2011 by officers of the Syrian Armed Forces with the goal of bringing down the governm ...
fighters were briefly seen in the town during the July 2012 withdrawal of government troops from the area, but by 21 July 2012 the
YPG
The People's Defense Units (YPG), (YPG) ; ar, وحدات حماية الشعب, Waḥdāt Ḥimāyat aš-Šaʽb) also called People's Protection Units, is a mainly-Kurds in Syria, Kurdish militia in Syria and the primary component of the ...
established control. The early days of
Democratic Union Party (PYD) influence in Amuda was not without conflict – in June 2013, clashes took place.
Opponents of the PYD stated that fighters had opened fire on protesters following tensions with pro-Free Syrian Army youth committees and rivalling Kurdish groups. The PYD on the other hand stated it had been attacked by a mercenary gang.
Due to the onslaught of "
Islamic State
An Islamic state is a State (polity), state that has a form of government based on sharia, Islamic law (sharia). As a term, it has been used to describe various historical Polity, polities and theories of governance in the Islamic world. As a t ...
" fighters, thousands of refugees have moved towards Amuda.
Following the
Rojava Revolution
The Rojava conflict, also known as the Rojava Revolution, is a political upheaval and military conflict taking place in northern Syria, known among Kurds as Western Kurdistan or Rojava.
During the Syrian civil war that began in 2011, a Kurdish ...
, the first meeting of the Democratic Autonomous Administration of the
Jazira Canton
The Jazira Region, formerly Jazira Canton, ( ku, Herêma Cizîrê, ar, إقليم الجزيرة, syr, ܦܢܝܬܐ ܕܓܙܪܬܐ, Ponyotho d'Gozarto), is the largest of the Regions of Rojava, three original regions of the de facto Autonomous Adm ...
was held in Amuda following its 21 January 2014 declaration.
Qamishli
Qamishli ( ar, ٱلْقَامِشْلِي, Al-Qāmišlī, ku, قامشلۆ, Qamişlo, syc, ܒܝܬ ܙܠܝ̈ܢ, Bēṯ Zālīn, lit=House of Reeds or syr, ܩܡܫܠܐ, translit=Qamishlo) was declared as the Canton's ''de jure'' capital, with Amuda acting as such for the time being. The meeting was held at the Hurî Culture and Art Centre, and was attended by the assembly president Ekrem Hiso, his two Arab and Assyrian deputies, and 22 ministers.
In July 2014 two new co-mayors were elected for the Canton, by a council gathered in Amuda. Those elected were Hamedi Daham (a sheikh of the Arab
Shammar
The tribe of Shammar ( ar, شَمَّر, Šammar) is a tribal Arab Qahtan confederation, descended from the Yemeni tribe of Tayy as they originated in Yemen before migrating into present day Saudi Arabia, It is the biggest branch of Tayy tribe. I ...
tribe) and Hadiya Yousif (former head of the
Women's Protection Units
(YPJ) ar, وحدات حماية المرأة
, image = File:YPJ Flag.svg
, caption = Flag of the YPJ
, dates = April 2013–present
, commander1 = Nesrin ...
, YPJ). In November 2014
Bernard Kouchner
Bernard Kouchner KBE (born 1 November 1939) is a French politician and doctor. He is the co-founder of Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) and Médecins du Monde. From 2007 until 2010, he was the French Minister of Foreign and European Affairs ...
, former foreign minister of
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
and co-founder of the
Médecins Sans Frontières
(MSF; pronounced ), also known as Doctors Without Borders, is a humanitarian medical non-governmental organisation (NGO) or charity of French origin known for its projects in conflict zones and in countries affected by endemic diseases. M ...
, visited Amuda and met with local senior officials.
Following the
Second Northern Syria Buffer Zone agreement, SDF fighters withdrew from the city, leaving it under the military control of the
Syrian Army
" (''Guardians of the Homeland'')
, colors = * Service uniform: Khaki, Olive
* Combat uniform: Green, Black, Khaki
, anniversaries = August 1st
, equipment =
, equipment_label =
, battles = 1948 Arab–Israeli War
Six ...
.
Amuda under PYD
The end of government rule in July 2012 has resulted in a rejuvenation in Kurdish culture in Amuda. Following the departure of the
Syrian Army
" (''Guardians of the Homeland'')
, colors = * Service uniform: Khaki, Olive
* Combat uniform: Green, Black, Khaki
, anniversaries = August 1st
, equipment =
, equipment_label =
, battles = 1948 Arab–Israeli War
Six ...
,
Kurdish flags could again be sold in its markets, and a large demand for traditional
Kurdish clothing
Kurdish traditional clothing ( ku, Cilî Kurdî, Cil û bergî kurdî or Cil û Bergên Kurdî) is an ongoing part of Kurdish heritage.
Types of clothing and accessories
* Star Xani
* Kattafi
* Kawa u Salta
* Pishten
* Puzawana
* Kolwana
* Klas ...
likewise appeared. While the town was still under government control, a
Kurdish language
Kurdish (, ) is a language or a group of languages spoken by Kurds in the geo-cultural region of Kurdistan and the Kurdish diaspora. Kurdish constitutes a dialect continuum, belonging to Western Iranian languages in the Indo-European language ...
center was opened in 2011, working under threat. Since the arrival of the YPG the center can operate safely, resulting in an overflow of students. In late 2012
Ronahi TV was founded, the only Syrian television channel that broadcasts in Kurdish. It has 50 employees, some of them Arabs, presenting "more than 25 political, cultural, and social programs in Kurdish and Arabic".
In August 2015 a
Swedish
Swedish or ' may refer to:
Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically:
* Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland
** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...
activist group from
Malmö
Malmö (, ; da, Malmø ) is the largest city in the Swedish county (län) of Scania (Skåne). It is the third-largest city in Sweden, after Stockholm and Gothenburg, and the sixth-largest city in the Nordic region, with a municipal populat ...
(''Allt åt Alla'') launched the "Rojava Electricity Project", a
crowdfunding
Crowdfunding is the practice of funding a project or venture by raising money from a large number of people, typically via the internet. Crowdfunding is a form of crowdsourcing and alternative finance. In 2015, over was raised worldwide by crow ...
campaign on the site
Indiegogo, to raise money for Amuda. The goal is to, in the span of 23 days, collect $23,000 to help repair the town's Swedish-made generators. An electricity crisis is growing in Rojava, and according to the local economic committee three of Amuda's five generators are not functioning. Once the generators have been fixed using the funds procured through the campaign, the estimate is that 1320Kw will be generated, and that 800 households that are currently cut off will receive 10 hours of electricity a day.
Demographics
In 2004 the population was 26,821, 95% of the inhabitants in the town are
Kurds ug:كۇردلار
Kurds ( ku, کورد ,Kurd, italic=yes, rtl=yes) or Kurdish people are an Iranian ethnic group native to the mountainous region of Kurdistan in Western Asia, which spans southeastern Turkey, northwestern Iran, northern Ir ...
and the rest being
Arabs
The Arabs (singular: Arab; singular ar, عَرَبِيٌّ, DIN 31635: , , plural ar, عَرَب, DIN 31635, DIN 31635: , Arabic pronunciation: ), also known as the Arab people, are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in Wester ...
and
Assyrians.
Churches
* Syriac Orthodox Church of Saint Elias (كنيسة مار إلياس الحي للسريان الأرثوذكس)
[https://www.welat.fm/ar/إعادة-افتتاح-كنيسة-مار-إلياس-الحيّ-في-ع/]
* Syriac Catholic Church of Saint John the Baptist (كنيسة القديس مار يوحنا المعمدان للسريان الكاثوليك)
Notable people
*
Abdulbaset Sieda
Abdulbaset Sieda ( ; ar, عبد الباسط سيدا / ALA-LC: ''Abd al-Bāsiṭ Sīdā''; ku, Ebdilbasit Seyda; born 22 June 1956) is a Kurdish-Syrian academic and politician. He is the former President of the Syrian National Council (SNC), ...
, politician
*
Haitham Hussein, Syrian Kurd novelist, critique writer, and reviewer
*
Mahmoud Dahoud
Mahmoud Dahoud (born 1 January 1996) is a professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for club Borussia Dortmund and the Germany national team.
He made his professional debut for Bundesliga side Borussia Mönchengladbach in 2014, and, in ...
, German footballer
*
Helîm Yûsiv,
Syria
Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...
n
Kurdish
Kurdish may refer to:
*Kurds or Kurdish people
*Kurdish languages
*Kurdish alphabets
*Kurdistan, the land of the Kurdish people which includes:
**Southern Kurdistan
**Eastern Kurdistan
**Northern Kurdistan
**Western Kurdistan
See also
* Kurd (dis ...
writer and lawyer
See also
*
Amouda cinema
Amouda Cinema was a movie theater in Amuda town in Al-Hasakah Governorate of Syria. This cinema burned down in a fire in November 1960 and more than 200 children died inside it, it was believed to have been inspired by ethnic hatred towards Kurds ...
References
{{Al-Hasakah Governorate, qamishli
Assyrian communities in Syria
Kurdish communities in Syria
Populated places in Qamishli District
Towns in Syria