Harim Mountains ( ar, جبال حارم, Jabal Ḥārim ) are highlands in the north of

Idlib Governorate Idlib Governorate ( ar, مُحافظة ادلب / ALA-LC: ''Muḥāfaẓat Idlib'') is one of the 14 governorates of Syria. It is situated in northwestern Syria, bordering Turkey's Hatay province to the north, Aleppo Governorate to the east, Hama ...

in northwestern

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 ...

. The mountains are located in the Harim and Jisr Shughur districts of Idlib Governorate.

Location and description

The Harim highlands are located between 36◦22′–36◦40′ E and 35◦46′–36◦14′ N on the westernmost part of the

Aleppo plateau The Aleppo plateau ( ar, هضبة حلب ) is a low, gently undulating plateau of northern Syria. It lies at the northern end of the junction between the Arabian Plate and the African Plate at the Dead Sea Rift. The plateau lies mostly in the Ale ...

. They cover about 600 km². The

Orontes river The Orontes (; from Ancient Greek , ) or Asi ( ar, العاصي, , ; tr, Asi) is a river with a length of in Western Asia that begins in Lebanon, flowing northwards through Syria before entering the Mediterranean Sea near Samandağ in Turkey. ...

valley forms the western boundary. Al-Ruj Plain ( ar, سهل الروج) is located to the south. The Ruj plain and the northern Idlib plain run along the eastern boundary. The Dana plain (part of the northern Idlib plain) separates the Harim mountains from

Mount Simeon Mount Simeon or Mount Simon ( ar, جبل سمعان Jabal Simʻān ), also called Mount Laylūn ( ar, جبل ليلون, is a highland region in Aleppo Governorate in northern Syria. The mountain is located in the Mount Simeon and Aʻzāz distric ...

to the northwest. The valley of

River Afrin The Afrin River ( ar, نهر عفرين ''Nahr ʻIfrīn''; ( ku, Çemê Efrînê; northern Syrian vernacular: ''Nahər ʻAfrīn''; tr, Afrin Çayı) is a tributary of the Orontes River in Turkey and Syria. It rises in the Kartal Mountains in ...

and Lake Amiq surround Harim mountains from north. The mountains include three massifs Mount Halqa ( ar, جبل حلقة) and Mount Barisha ( ar, جبل باريشا) form the first massif from the east. Mount Halqa (meaning "circle mountain") refers to low rocky plateaus that surround the Dāna plain. Mount Barisha, which lies west of Halqa, covers about 230 km² and averages 500–600 m in elevation; the highest point is 657 m. The second massif is Mount A'la ( ar, جبل الأعلى) (also called Mount Summaq, ( ar, جبل السماق). This mountain is separated from Mount Barisha by the Shalf plain. The highest point in Mount A'la reaches 819 m. This mountain has a predominantly

Druze The Druze (; ar, دَرْزِيٌّ, ' or ', , ') are an Arabic-speaking esoteric ethnoreligious group from Western Asia who adhere to the Druze faith, an Abrahamic, monotheistic, syncretic, and ethnic religion based on the teachings of ...

population. The third mountain is Mount Wastani ( ar, جبل الوسطاني). This mountain extends for 40 km from Salqin in the north between the Orontes valley and the Ruj plain. The mountain includes two masses; the northern mass is sometimes considered a separate mountain called Mount Dweli ( ar, جبل الدويلة). The highest point in Mount Wastani is Mount Hanash ( ar, جبل الحنش) (847 m). Olive and oak trees are abundant on Ḥārim mountains. The mountains also have numerous archaeological sites. After Mount Arba'in was subjected to bombardment by the coalition in 2014, foreign fighters fled to Jabal al-Summaq. Homes of the Druze

religious minority A minority religion is a religion held by a minority of the population of a country, state, or region. Minority religions may be subject to stigma or discrimination. An example of a stigma is using the term cult with its extremely negative co ...

of Jabal al-Summaq's Kuku village were forcibly stolen and attacked by

Turkistan Islamic Party The Turkistan Islamic Party (TIP) or the Turkistan Islamic Movement (TIM), formerly known as the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM) and other names, is a Uyghur Islamic extremist organization founded in Western China. Its stated goals ar ...

Uyghurs The Uyghurs; ; ; ; zh, s=, t=, p=Wéiwú'ěr, IPA: ( ), alternatively spelled Uighurs, Uygurs or Uigurs, are a Turkic ethnic group originating from and culturally affiliated with the general region of Central and East Asia. The Uyghur ...

and

Uzbeks The Uzbeks ( uz, , , , ) are a Turkic ethnic group native to the wider Central Asian region, being among the largest Turkic ethnic group in the area. They comprise the majority population of Uzbekistan, next to Kazakh and Karakalpak mino ...

. Osama al-Homsi became commander for Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham's in Jabal al-Summaq.

References

Idlib Idlib Governorate Mountains of Syria {{IdlibSY-geo-stub