Al-'Al (Arabic: الْعَال, romanized: al-ʿĀl, trans. "the high place"), is a former Syrian village in the southern Golan Heights,[1] on the southern tributary of Wadi es-Samekh.[2] Israel occupied the area during the Six-Day War. The village was abandoned and dismantled.[1][3]
Al-'Al
الْعَال | |
|---|---|
Village | |
 Ruins of Al-'Al | |
  Al-'Al Al-'Al in Syria  Al-'Al Al-'Al (the Golan Heights) | |
| Coordinates: 32°48′11″N 35°44′43″E / 32.80306°N 35.74528°E | |
| Country |  Syria |
| Governorate | Quneitra |
| District | Quneitra |
| Region | Golan Heights |
| Destroyed | June 10, 1967 |
| Elevation | 366 m (1,204 ft) |
During the French Mandate for Syria and Lebanon, the name was spelt "El Al" on French maps.
History edit
Archaeological remains of several Roman and Greek artifacts at the site give evidence of ancient settlement.[2]
In 1812, the place was described as a "ruined village."[2] A modern village was probably established during the second half of the 19th century. In 1884, it was reported that the village contained 65 dwellings, including 320 inhabitants and was a "large, well-built village on the point of reviving."[2]
The Israeli settlement of Eliad was built nearby.[1]
During the Yom Kippur War, the Syrian 5th Infantry Division set up a defence in depth strategy at the Al 'Al ridgeline.[4]
See also edit
- Qasr Bardawil, an archaeological site from a mountain spur near Al-'Al, now classified as a Bronze Age fortification but previously misidentified as the Crusader castle of al-Al
- Syrian towns and villages depopulated in the Arab-Israeli conflict
References edit
- ^ a b c CIA map: Golan Heights and vicinity - showing Al-'Al as an abandoned/dismantled Syrian village.
- ^ a b c d Dan Urman, Paul V. M. Flesher (1998). Ancient synagogues: historical analysis and archaeological discovery. Brill Publishers. pp. 569–573. ISBN 90-04-11254-5.
- ^ Golan map Archived 2013-08-21 at the Wayback Machine showing Al ‘Al as a destroyed Arab village.
- ^ Kenneth M. Pollack (2004). Arabs at war: military effectiveness, 1948–1991. University of Nebraska Press. p. 493. ISBN 0-8032-8783-6.
