Izraa

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title: "Izraa" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["cities-in-syria", "populated-places-in-izraa-district", "eastern-orthodox-christian-communities-in-syria", "melkite-christian-communities-in-syria", "christian-communities-in-syria"] topic_path: "geography" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Izraa" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::data[format=table title="Infobox settlement"]

FieldValue
official_nameIzraa
native_nameإِزْرَع
other_nameIzra
image_skylineBasilica of Saint George, Izra.jpg
image_captionBasilica of Saint George
pushpin_mapSyria
pushpin_mapsize250
subdivision_typeCountry
subdivision_name
subdivision_type1Governorate
subdivision_name1Daraa
subdivision_type2District
subdivision_name2Izraa
subdivision_type3Subdistrict
subdivision_name3Izraa
settlement_typeCity
established_title
established_title2
established_title3
unit_prefMetric
population_as_of2004 census
population_total19,158
population_footnotes
timezoneEET
utc_offset+2
timezone_DSTEEST
utc_offset_DST+3
coordinates
grid_position267/253
elevation_footnotes
elevation_m599
postal_code_type
::

|official_name = Izraa |native_name = إِزْرَع |other_name = Izra |image_skyline = Basilica of Saint George, Izra.jpg |imagesize = |image_caption = Basilica of Saint George |pushpin_map =Syria |pushpin_mapsize =250 |subdivision_type = Country |subdivision_name = |subdivision_type1 = Governorate |subdivision_name1 = Daraa |subdivision_type2 = District |subdivision_name2 = Izraa |subdivision_type3 = Subdistrict |subdivision_name3 = Izraa |settlement_type = City |leader_title = |leader_name = |established_title =
|established_date = |established_title2 =
|established_date2 = |established_title3 =
|established_date3 = |area_magnitude = |unit_pref = Metric |area_footnotes = |area_total_km2 = |area_land_km2 = |area_water_km2 = |area_total_sq_mi = |area_land_sq_mi = |area_water_sq_mi = |area_water_percent = |area_urban_km2 = |area_urban_sq_mi = |area_metro_km2 = |area_metro_sq_mi = |population_as_of = 2004 census |population_note = |population_total = 19,158 |population_footnotes = |timezone = EET |utc_offset = +2 |timezone_DST = EEST |utc_offset_DST = +3 |coordinates = |grid_position = 267/253 |elevation_footnotes =
|elevation_m = 599 |postal_code_type =
|postal_code = |area_code = |website = |footnotes = Izraa or Izra () is a city in the Daraa Governorate of Syria, to the north of the city of Daraa. It is the administrative centre of the Izraa District, and sits at an altitude of 599 metres. According to the Syria Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), Izraa had a population of 19,158 in the 2004 census. It is the administrative center of a nahiyah ("subdistrict") consisting of 21 localities with a combined population of 56,760 in the 2004 census. Its inhabitants are predominantly Sunni Muslims, while Christians constitute a large minority.

History

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2d/Izra,tradhouse.jpg" caption="Traditional house in Izraa"] ::

Izraa was a Canaanite city mentioned in the Bible as Zorava, Zorowa or Zorabene. Located 80 km south of Damascus in the northern section of the Province of Daraa, its name appears in the Tell Amarna letters, documents which were exchanged between the Egyptian and Syrian rulers in 1334 B.C. Ancient inscriptions left by the Romans after their occupation of the Bashan area evidence the importance of the city.

An inscription found by the archaeologist Richter shows that the city was elevated to the rank of metrocomia (Great city) under the Emperor Severus Alexander (222-235 A.D.) and was known as Zorava.

Lejah (Trachonitis, or "the Rocky Land") forms a triangle with Borac as the northern apex, Izraa in the south-western corner and Shahba in the south-eastern corner. In the course of history, this region was a natural fortress that invaders found very difficult to conquer. Herod's soldiers failed to occupy it. Even the Crusaders under Baldwin III could not subdue it, because of its difficult terrain, the lack of water and the resistance of its people.

The Christian Gospel reached this region early because of its proximity to the Holy Land. It became an episcopal seat during the Byzantine era, and ranked second after the metropolitan see of Bosra throughout the whole of the Province of Arabia.

In 1253, An-Nasir Yusuf ordered the roofing of the Friday mosque in Izraa.

The historian Ismail Abulfida described in his book Taqwim al Buldan that it was “to be one of the major capitals of Hauran, 18 miles from the region of Sanameine”.

Ottoman era

In 1596, Izraa appeared in the Ottoman tax registers as *Madinat Zura''' and was part of the *nahiya'' of Badi Sarma in the Qada of Hauran. It had a Christian population consisting of 175 households and 61 bachelors, and a Muslim population of 59 households and 30 bachelors. The villagers paid a fixed tax rate of 40% on various agricultural products, including wheat, barley, goats and/or beehives, in addition to on a water mill and jizya; a total of 124,120 akçe.

In 1838, it was noted (under the name of Edhra‘), located in "the Luhf, west of the Lejah", having Muslim, Greek and Catholic Christian inhabitants.

In 1840, the Egyptian governor Ibrahim Pasha took over the region and bombarded the church, causing great damage to the walls and dome, but failed to occupy the city. During the Great Syrian Revolt against the French Mandate forces (1925-1926), Syrian rebels sought refuge in Izra.

Geography

Landscape

Izraa can have very strong (vii) earthquakes (on average one every 50 years) with occurrences at 6-7 Richter. When a strong earthquake occurs, it will be difficult to stand and noticed by people driving motor cars. Furniture and glass will be broken. The damage will be negligible in buildings of good design and construction but considerable damage may be inflicted on poorly built or badly designed structures. There is a very high occurrence of periods with extreme drought. Izraa has a semi-arid (0.2 - 0.5 p/pet) climate. The land area is totally cultivated, not much natural vegetation is left. The landscape is mostly covered with mosaic forest - shrubland/grassland. The climate is classified as a mid-latitude steppe (mid-latitude dry), with a subtropical desert scrub biozone. The soil in the area is high in leptosols (lp), a weakly developed shallow soil.

Climate

Izraa has a cold semi-arid climate (Köppen climate classification: BSk). Rainfall is higher in winter than in summer. The average annual temperature in Izraa is 17.3 °C. About 287 mm of precipitation falls annually.

|metric first = Y |single line = Y

|Jan high C = 13.1 |Feb high C = 14.8 |Mar high C = 18.2 |Apr high C = 23.0 |May high C = 28.4 |Jun high C = 31.9 |Jul high C = 33.0 |Aug high C = 33.5 |Sep high C = 32.0 |Oct high C = 28.3 |Nov high C = 21.8 |Dec high C = 15.1

|Jan low C = 2.9 |Feb low C = 3.4 |Mar low C = 5.8 |Apr low C = 8.7 |May low C = 12.1 |Jun low C = 15.0 |Jul low C = 17.1 |Aug low C = 17.4 |Sep low C = 15.3 |Oct low C = 12.1 |Nov low C = 8.0 |Dec low C = 4.4

|Jan precipitation mm = 65 |Feb precipitation mm = 58 |Mar precipitation mm = 49 |Apr precipitation mm = 16 |May precipitation mm = 6 |Jun precipitation mm = 0 |Jul precipitation mm = 0 |Aug precipitation mm = 0 |Sep precipitation mm = 0 |Oct precipitation mm = 7 |Nov precipitation mm = 27 |Dec precipitation mm = 59 |year precipitation mm= 287

|source = Climate-Data.org, Climate data |date=21 January 2018}}

Demographics

The city had a population of 19,158 in the 2004 census. The majority of residents are Sunni Muslim, while Christians constitute a large minority, mainly belonging to the Greek Orthodox and Melkite Greek Catholic churches. Izraa contains two still-functional Byzantine-era churches, the Greek Orthodox St. George Church (locally referred to as “Khudr Izraa”) and the Greek Catholic St. Elias Church. The former was built in 515 and is the oldest, functioning church in Syria.

In 2011, the Melkite Greek Catholic Church had approximately 4,300 believers.

Religious buildings

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ea/Church_of_Saint_Elias,_Izra.jpg" caption="St. Elias (St. Elijah) Church"] ::

  • St. George Greek Orthodox Church
  • St. Elias (St. Elijah) Melkite Greek Catholic Church
  • St. Nicholas Melkite Greek Catholic Church (Al-Mahatta Church)
  • Monastery of St. John the Baptist (abandoned)
  • Khalid ibn al-Walid Mosque
  • Al-Adnan Mosque
  • Omar ibn al-Khattab Mosque
  • Khalid ibn al-Walid Mosque
  • Musab ibn Umayr Mosque
  • Uthman ibn Affan Mosque
  • Al-Buqaah Mosque
  • Abu Bakr al-Siddiq Mosque (formerly known as the Bassel al-Assad Mosque)

References

Bibliography

  • {{cite book | last1 = Hütteroth |first1=W.-D.|author-link1=Wolf-Dieter Hütteroth | last2 = Abdulfattah|first2=K. |author-link2=Kamal Abdulfattah | title = Historical Geography of Palestine, Transjordan and Southern Syria in the Late 16th Century |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=wqULAAAAIAAJ | year = 1977 | publisher = Erlanger Geographische Arbeiten, Sonderband 5. Erlangen, Germany: Vorstand der Fränkischen Geographischen Gesellschaft |isbn= 3-920405-41-2}}

References

  2. [https://web.archive.org/web/20160305082831/http://cbssyr.sy/new%20web%20site/General_census/census_2004/NH/TAB12-12-2004.htm General Census of Population and Housing 2004] {{webarchive. link. (2013-01-12 . [[Central Bureau of Statistics (Syria)). Syria Central Bureau of Statistics]] (CBS). Daraa Governorate. {{in lang. ar
  3. http://www.cnewa.org/default.aspx?ID=3123&pagetypeID=4&sitecode=pm&pageno=2
  4. Porter, 1855, vol. 2, p. [https://archive.org/stream/fiveyearsindamas02port#page/224/mode/1up 224]
  5. L’Orient Romain, M. Sartre
  6. L’Arabie chrétienne, M. Picirillo, Mengès, 2002.
  7. Sharon, 2007, p. [https://books.google.com/books?id=1d8xHcor0psC&pg=PA165 165]
  8. Hütteroth and Abdulfattah, 1977, p. 217.
  9. [[Eli Smith. Smith]], in Robinson and Smith, 1841, vol 3, 2nd appendix, p. [https://archive.org/stream/biblicalresearch03robiuoft#page/155/mode/1up 155]
  10. Bostra, des origines à l’Islam, M. Sartre, Paris, 1985.
  11. http://www.chinci.com/#1. 0. travel. pa. 0. 169341. Izra`. SY. Syria. Asia/Damascus. SY.06. PPL. 32.8577778. 36.2544444. Daraa {{webarchive. link. (2013-10-12)
  12. (May–June 2004). "Deep Roots in a Fertile Land". Catholic Near East Welfare Association.
  13. https://archive.sana.sy/en/?p=273198
  14. https://www.melkitepat.org/melkite_greek_catholic_church/Metropole-of-Bosra-and-Hauran
  15. https://albishara.net/church/details/3090
  16. https://www.melkitepat.org/melkite_greek_catholic_church/Metropole-of-Bosra-and-Hauran

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cities-in-syriapopulated-places-in-izraa-districteastern-orthodox-christian-communities-in-syriamelkite-christian-communities-in-syriachristian-communities-in-syria