Qalaat al-Jandal
Qalaat al-Jandal
قلعة الجندل | |
|---|---|
Village | |
  Qalaat al-Jandal Location in Syria  Qalaat al-Jandal Qalaat al-Jandal (Syria) | |
| Coordinates: 33°25′21.89″N 35°57′41.36″E / 33.4227472°N 35.9614889°E | |
| Country | .svg.png){kind=small} Syria |
| Governorate | Rif Dimashq Governorate |
| District | Qatana District |
| Nahiyah | Qatana |
| Population (2004 census)[1] | |
• Total | 3,251 |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (EET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+3 (EEST) |
Qalaat al-Jandal (Arabic: قلعة الجندل) is a Syrian village in the Qatana District of the Rif Dimashq Governorate. According to the Syria Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), Qalaat al-Jandal had a population of 3,251 in the 2004 census.[1] Its inhabitants are predominantly Druze.[2]
History
The Greeks first built the castle after Alexander the Great's campaign in 333 BC, evidenced by numerous Greek tombs in the area.[3]
In 1015, Emir Jandal bin Qais restored the fortress during the reign of Caliph Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah, establishing the Emirate of the Janadla, which lasted 170 years. After the Fatimid Caliphate fell to Nur al-Din Zangi, Dahhak bin Jandal al-Biqai rebelled but faced no immediate action as Nur al-Din feared his alliance with the Crusaders. Dahhak later fortified himself in the fortress, but Nur al-Din eventually seized it. It was later neglected until Ibrahim Pasha of Egypt destroyed it during his campaign against the Druze.[3]
In 1838, Eli Smith noted Qalaat al-Jandal's population as Druze and Syriac Christians.[4]
Dispute between Christians and the Druze
After the year 1925 and the dispute between Christians and the Druze in the village, the Christians began to move to Qatana. No Christians currently remain in it, but they still visit the village because they have agricultural land in it.[5]
Israeli occupation
The village came under Israeli control after the Israeli intervention in Syria in December 2024.[6] In April 2025, reports stated that Israeli forces destroyed military infrastructure in Qalaat al-Jandal after it had been mined.[7]
Religious buildings
Qalaat al-Jandal contains several Druze shrines and also has two churches:[8]
- St. Michael of the Greek Orthodox Church
- St. George of the Syriac Catholic Church
See also
References
- 1 2 General Census of Population and Housing 2004. Syria Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS). Rif Dimashq Governorate. (in Arabic)
- ↑ "Mount Hermon battles highlight divide among Druze communities". Al-Akhbar. 2014-11-11. Archived from the original on 2015-05-28. Retrieved 2015-09-01.
- 1 2 "المعالم الأثرية في "جبل الشيخ"" (in Arabic). esyria.sy. 28 March 2009.
- ↑ Robinson and Smith, 1841, vol 3, 2nd appendix, p. 139
- ↑ "المسيحيّون في قطنا" (in Arabic). University of Balamand.
- ↑ نيوز, إرم. "القوات الإسرائيلية تواصل التوغل وتسيطر على 7 قرى بريف دمشق". إرم نيوز (in Arabic). Retrieved 2026-02-02.
- ↑ "جيش الاحتلال الإسرائيلي يفجر الفوج 36 في قلعة جندل بجبل الشيخ بعد تلغيمه" (in Arabic). Syria TV. 28 April 2025.
- ↑ ""قلعة جندل".. مساكن الطيور الجارحة" (in Arabic). esyria.sy. 7 May 2014.
Bibliography
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