Harim Mountains ( ar, جبال حارم, Jabal Ḥārim ) are highlands in the north of
Idlib Governorate in northwestern
Syria. 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. They cover about 600 km
2. The
Orontes river 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 distr ...
to the northwest. The valley of
River Afrin 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 km
2 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 population.
The third mountain is Mount Wastani ( ar, جبل الوسطاني). This mountain extends for 40 km from
Salqin
Salqin ( ar, سَلْقِين, Salqīn) is a town in Syria, administratively part of Idlib Governorate. Nearby localities include Kafr Takharim to the southeast, Abu Talha to the south, Delbiya to the southwest, al-Alani to the northwest and Is ...
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