Al-Atrash
| Al-Atrash family عائلة الأطرش | |
|---|---|
| Ethnicity | Lebanese and Syrian origins |
| Current region | Jabal al-Druze |
| Place of origin |
 Syria |
| Notable members |
Sultan al-Atrash Farid al-Atrash Asmahan |
| Name origin and meaning | Atrash is Arabic for deaf. |
The Atrash family (Arabic: الأطرش al-Aṭrash) is a famous Druze family. It is traditionally considered the source of leadership in Jabal ad-Duruz.
The name has the alternate spellings (with the prefix of al, al-, el or el-) of Atrache, Attrache, Attrasch Atrach, Attrach and Attrash, and is Arabic for "deaf". However, this is just a folk etymology, as the family name, like that of the other equally famous Druze family, the Jumblat.
History
The family is claimed to be descended from the Prince Fakhreddin al Ma'ani, and migrated in the beginning of the 18th century, from Lebanon to Jabal ad-Duruz in southern Syria.
They grew in importance and in 1869, Ismail al-Atrash led them to overthrow the al-Hamdan family by force. However, they were weakened by the peasant revolution of 1888.
In 1909, Zuqan al-Atrash led an unsuccessful rebellion, and was executed in 1910. The al-Atrash family led their fellow Druze in fight against the Ottomans once again during the Arab Revolt until 1918 and the French in 1923 and 1925–1927, headed by Sultan al-Atrash (son of Zuqan al-Atrash).Their influence started to wane after unification and independence of Syria, especially with the death of Sultan Pasha al-Atrash.
Some members of the Atrash family emigrated from Syria to Egypt in the 1920s.[1] Fleeing the French occupation of Syria, 'Alia al-Mundhir al-Atrash, from the House of Sultan al-Atrash, and her three children, Fuad, Farid, and Amal al-Atrash (later known as Asmahan) were sponsored by Egypt's prime minister Saad Zaghloul and later became naturalized citizens.[2] After successful musical careers, Asmahan, Fuad and Farid al-Atrash were buried at the Fustat Plain in Cairo.[3][4]
Notable members
- Sultan al-Atrash, leader of the Syrian Revolution.
- Zaid al-Atrash, fighter and poet. Brother of Sultan Pasha.
- Mansur al-Atrash, Syrian politician. Son of Sultan Pasha.
- Nayla al-Atrash, actress.
- Farid al-Atrash, singer and virtuoso oud player.
- Asmahan, singer.
- Salim al-Atrash, first governor of the State of Jabal al-Druze.[5]
References
- ↑ Zuhur 2000, p. 39
- ↑ Newspaper Article by Abdel-Fadil Taha 2008-05-23 Al-Quds Al-Arabi, "وحصلت الأسرة علي الجنسية المصرية وظلت تنعم بها ومنهم اسمهان بالطبع"
- ↑ Classical Arabic Music Website.
- ↑ El Kadi, Galila and Alain Bonnamy (2007) Architecture for the dead. American University in Cairo Press. p. 96
- ↑ Zuhur 2000, p. 38
Sources
- Zuhur, Sherifa (2000), Asmahan's Secrets: Woman, War, and Song, University of Texas Press, ISBN 978-0-292-79807-6