The Bab al-Hawa Border Crossing ( ar, معبر باب الهوى, "Gate of the Winds Crossing"
) is an international border on the
Syria–Turkey border. It connects the Syrian M45 and the Turkish D827 highways, between the cities of
İskenderun
İskenderun ( ar, الإسكندرونة, el, Αλεξανδρέττα "Little Alexandria"), historically known as Alexandretta and Scanderoon, is a city in Hatay Province on the Mediterranean coast of Turkey.
Names
The city was founded as Ale ...
and
Idlib, and is known for its long lines of trucks and buses. The closest town on the Turkish side of the border is
Reyhanlı
Reyhanlı (; ar, الريحانية, ''ar-Rayḥānīyah'') is a town and district of Hatay Province, on the Mediterranean coast of Turkey, near the country's border with Syria.
History
Formerly known as İrtah (Artah) and Reyhaniye, Reyhanl ...
in
Hatay Province, and the closest towns on the Syrian side are
ad-Dana and
Atarib
Atarib ( ar, أتارب, ʾAtārib), also known as Atharib or Athareb, is a town in western Aleppo countryside, Aleppo Governorate, Syria. Located west of the city of Aleppo and southeast of Reyhanlı in Turkish-administered Hatay Province, i ...
. The crossing is the site of a 6th-century
triumphal arch
A triumphal arch is a free-standing monumental structure in the shape of an archway with one or more arched passageways, often designed to span a road. In its simplest form a triumphal arch consists of two massive piers connected by an arch, cro ...
.
It has been an important crossing for
Syrian rebels during the
Syrian civil war.
Archaeology
There is a monumental
Roman
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
archway in Bab al-Hawa that was part of a city wall.
There is a further complex of
Byzantine
The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...
architecture near the archway that has been largely destroyed and re-used in border construction. It features a church and another large rectangular building.
Syrian Civil War
In the ongoing
Syrian Civil War, it was a frequent place of crossing for Syrians trying to reach the refugee camp in nearby Reyhanlı. Drivers complained in December 2011 that they had been stalled at the crossing for days after customs officials stopped allowing vehicles with Turkish registrations to enter Syria. The crossing is a major route for smuggling, particularly oil and gas, and during the conflict has seen a dramatic rise in weapons smuggling. On 19 July 2012, Syrian rebels from the
Free Syrian Army seized the border and defaced images of Syrian President
Bashar al-Assad. On 22 July 2012, Turkish armed forces further restricted border crossings of their own nationals.
In September 2012
foreign jihadists raised the
Jihadist flag
The jihadist flag is a flag commonly used by various Islamist and Islamic fundamentalist movements as a symbol of jihad. It usually consists of a black background with a white text of the ''shahada'' (Islamic creed) emblazoned across it in callig ...
of
al-Qaeda at the border post, leading to a confrontation with the Free Syrian Army. On February 11, 2013, a
car bomb in a Syrian-registered minivan was detonated on the Turkish side of the crossing meters from the
Cilvegözü customs office.
Thirteen people—including 3 Turkish civilians—were killed, while 28 others were wounded and 19 vehicles were damaged.
The Turkish government labeled the bombing a terrorist act,
[ and said that Turkey's interior, justice and customs ministers would visit the area to help the investigation.][
On 7 December 2013, the Islamic Front took the crossing from the Free Syrian Army,]Salafist
The Salafi movement or Salafism () is a reform branch movement within Sunni Islam that originated during the nineteenth century. The name refers to advocacy of a return to the traditions of the "pious predecessors" (), the first three generati ...
militia Ahrar ash-Sham
Harakat Ahrar al-Sham al-Islamiyya ( ar-at, حركة أحرار الشام الإسلامية, Ḥarakat Aḥrāru š-Šām al-Islāmiyah, lit=Islamic Movement of the Freemen of the Levant), commonly referred to as Ahrar al-Sham, is a coalition ...
. Ahrar a-Sham maintained control when the Islamic Front dissolved in 2015, but established a civilian administration for the border crossing in April 2015.Tahrir al-Sham
Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) (, transliteration: ', "Organization for the Liberation of the Levant" or "Levant Liberation Committee"), commonly referred to as Tahrir al-Sham, is a Sunni Islamist political and armed organisation involved in the ...
(HTS) defeated
Defeated may refer to:
* "Defeated" (Breaking Benjamin song)
* "Defeated" (Anastacia song)
*"Defeated", a song by Snoop Dogg from the album ''Bible of Love''
*Defeated, Tennessee, an unincorporated community
*''The Defeated
''The Defeated'', al ...
Ahrar al-Sham in Idlib. As a result, the crossing was largely closed by Turkey, with the exception of exports of humanitarian aid and food from Turkey. On 26 July 26, HTS and Ahrar al-Sham reached an agreement that they would hand over the crossing to a civilian administration so that the flow of humanitarian aid could resume. However, HTS retained control of the towns, villages and roads around it, leaving them in a decisive position. The crossing re-opened on 18 October. In November 2017, civil officials operating the crossing reported that all revenue generated (estimated at $25 million a year in late 2016) goes to the local civil administration.
References
External links
Bab al-Hawa - Archaeological Gate Links Syria and Turkey
{{Portal, Turkey, History, Asia
Syria–Turkey border crossings
Archaeological sites in Idlib Governorate
Roman sites in Syria
Byzantine architecture
Tourist attractions in Syria
Harem District