Qalb Loze ( ar, قلب لوزة, also spelled Qalb Lawzah or Qalb Lozeh) is a

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 ...

village 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 ...

, administratively part of the

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, H ...

located about west of

Aleppo )), is an adjective which means "white-colored mixed with black". , motto = , image_map = , mapsize = , map_caption = , image_map1 = ...

. It is situated near the border with Turkey, in the A'la Mountain and is part of an area known as the "

Dead Cities The Dead Cities ( ar, المدن الميتة) or Forgotten Cities ( ar, المدن المنسية) are a group of 700 abandoned settlements in northwest Syria between Aleppo and Idlib. Around 40 villages grouped in eight archaeological parks sit ...

". According to the Syria Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), Qalb Loze had a population of 1,290 in the 2004 census.General Census of Population and Housing 2004
. Syria Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS). Idlib Governorate. The village is well-noted for its 5th-century church and other

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 ...

-era ruins. Its name ''Qalb Lozeh'' translates as "Heart of the Almond." Most of the residents work in agriculture and primarily cultivate

tobacco Tobacco is the common name of several plants in the genus '' Nicotiana'' of the family Solanaceae, and the general term for any product prepared from the cured leaves of these plants. More than 70 species of tobacco are known, but the ...

and olives. The tobacco is used for the local cigarette industry.

Geography

Qalb Loze lies at an elevation of 670 meters in the

on the A'la Mountain (Jabal Summaq) plateau, a remote hilly region of western central part of the northern Syrian limestone massif, a few kilometers from the Turkish border. The place is near Barisha and is accessible from the main Aleppo-

Antakya Antakya (), historically known as Antioch ( el, Ἀντιόχεια; hy, Անտիոք, Andiok), is the capital of Hatay Province, the southernmost province of Turkey. The city is located in a well-watered and fertile valley on the Orontes River, ...

road by a secondary road that heads northeast. Nearby localities include

Qurqania Qurqania ( ar, قُورْقَانِيَا, Qūrqāniyā, also spelled ''Qurqanya'' or ''Korkania'') is a town in Syria, administratively part of the Harem District of the Idlib Governorate Idlib Governorate ( ar, مُحافظة ادلب / ALA-LC ...

to the south, Kafr Dariyan to the east and

Kafr Takharim Kafr Takharim ( ar, كَفْر تَخَارِيم, Kafr Takhārīm, also spelled Kafar Takhareem or Kfar Takharam) is a town in northwestern Syria, administratively part of the Idlib Governorate, located in the north of Idlib. Nearby localities inc ...

to the west. The area is ecologically vulnerable due to

desertification Desertification is a type of land degradation in drylands in which biological productivity is lost due to natural processes or induced by human activities whereby fertile areas become increasingly arid. It is the spread of arid areas caused ...

, and its high altitude. Olive trees grow in the valley below the village, some

dryland Drylands are defined by a scarcity of water. Drylands are zones where precipitation is balanced by evaporation from surfaces and by transpiration by plants (evapotranspiration). The United Nations Environment Program defines drylands as tropical ...

field crops are grown, and sheep are kept.

Demographics

In the mid-1960s there were about 150 people living in Qalb Loze. It is still a small village with a population of 1,290 in the 2004 census by the Syria Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS). Its inhabitants are members of the

community, who inhabit 13 other villages in the vicinity. The residents of the village are noted for their fair skin and blond hair.

Church

The church at Qalb Lozeh dates back to the 460s ADBogisch, Markus (2005) "Qalat Seman and Resafa/Sergiupolis: Two Early Byzantine Pilgrimage Centers in Northern Syria" pp. 52–72 ''In'' Volt, Ivo and Päll, Janika (2005) ''Byzantino-Nordica 2004: Papers Presented at the International Symposium of Byzantine Studies Held on 7–11 May 2004 in Tartu, Estonia'' Morgenstern Society, Tartu University Press, Tartu, Estonia
page 64
and is one of the best-preserved churches of this period in the region.L'église de Qalbe Loze - UNESCO World Heritage Centre
/ref> The church is the first known in Syria with the wide basilica, where the columns that in traditional Byzantine church architecture separate the aisles from the

nave The nave () is the central part of a church, stretching from the (normally western) main entrance or rear wall, to the transepts, or in a church without transepts, to the chancel. When a church contains side aisles, as in a basilica-typ ...

have been replaced with low piers and soaring arches that create the feeling of expanded space. It is strikingly similar in architectural style and craftsmanship to the large pre-Islamic Syrian churches in Turmanin, Androna, Ruweha ( :de:Ruweiha), and Karatin, which may have been built by the same workshops or

guilds A guild ( ) is an association of artisans and merchants who oversee the practice of their craft/trade in a particular area. The earliest types of guild formed as organizations of tradesmen belonging to a professional association. They sometimes ...

Gertrude Bell Gertrude Margaret Lowthian Bell, CBE (14 July 1868 – 12 July 1926) was an English writer, traveller, political officer, administrator, and archaeologist. She spent much of her life exploring and mapping the Middle East, and became highl ...

, the intrepid Middle Eastern diplomat, explorer and archaeologist, described this church as "...the beginning of a new chapter in the architecture of the world. The fine and simple beauty of Romanesque was born in North Syria." Since Gertrude Bell's visit in the early 1900s, the town has grown, and the church is now surrounded by modern houses.

World Heritage Status

The site was inscribed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 2011 as a part of the "Ancient Villages of Northern Syria" listing.

Syrian civil war

During the ongoing Syrian civil war, the Druze inhabitants of Qalb Loze have refrained from participating in the fighting between opposition rebels and government forces. This is partially due to the fears of being involved in the civil strife and the insistence of rebel leaders that they remain neutral. Relations between the village's residents and the

Sunni Muslim Sunni Islam () is the largest branch of Islam, followed by 85–90% of the world's Muslims. Its name comes from the word '' Sunnah'', referring to the tradition of Muhammad. The differences between Sunni and Shia Muslims arose from a disagre ...

majority in the area are strong and most oppose the government of

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 ...

. Qalb Loze has provided a safe haven for Druze deserters from 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-D ...

, clinics for wounded rebels, and shelter for local refugees fleeing the violence in their towns and villages.Syria Druze back Sunnis' revolt with words but not arms

Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse (AFP) is a French international news agency headquartered in Paris, France. Founded in 1835 as Havas, it is the world's oldest news agency. AFP has regional headquarters in Nicosia, Montevideo, Hong Kong and Washington, ...

. 2012-09-08. However, on June 10, 2015, 20 Druze were massacred there by the

Nusra Front Al-Nusra Front or Jabhat al-Nusra ( ar, جبهة النصرة لأهل الشام, Jabhat an-Nuṣrah li-Ahl ish-Sham lit. ''Front of the Supporters of the People of Syria/the Levant''), known as Jabhat Fatah al-Sham ( ar, جبهة فتح ال ...

.Al-Qaeda s'attaque à des Druzes en Syrie http://www.liberation.fr/monde/2015/06/12/al-qaeda-s-attaque-a-des-druzes-en-syrie_1327816

References

Bibliography

* * *

External links

"Qalb Loze / Innenraum"
Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel

Strabon {{Authority control Former populated places in Syria Archaeological sites in Idlib Governorate Populated places in Harem District Churches in Syria Dead Cities Druze communities in Syria