Talkalakh

Talkalakh تلكلخ Tall Kalakh
Talkalakh Location in Syria
Coordinates: 34°40′38.16″N 36°15′01.46″E / 34.6772667°N 36.2504056°E / 34.6772667; 36.2504056
Country	Syria
Governorate	Homs
District	Talkalakh
Subdistrict	Talkalakh
Population (2004)
• Total	18,412
Time zone	EET (UTC+2)
• Summer (DST)	+3 (UTC)

Talkalakh (Arabic: تلكلخ) is a city in northwestern Syria administratively belonging to the Homs Governorate as the capital of the Talkalakh District just north of the border with Lebanon and west of Homs. According to the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) Talkalakh had a population of 18,412 in 2004.^[1] Its inhabitants are predominantly Sunni Muslims, while the surrounding villages are mostly inhabited by Alawites. Most of the city's residents have fled as a result of the ongoing Syrian civil war.^[2]

People in the city depend on trade and public services as the main source of income. It has six mosques and two main small squares: Al Hurria and Al Saha Al Amma Squares.

History

During the Ottoman era, between the 18th and 19th centuries, Talkalakh was home to the wealthy and influential Danadisha (also spelled Dandashi) clan.^[3] They stiffly competed with the al-Jundi family of Talbiseh and Hama.^[4]

Syrian civil war

On May 15, 2011, as a part of the Syrian civil war, the Syrian Army shelled Talkalakh in response to attacks on the army that occurred a day before in the city. Seven civilians were killed and at least 2,000 residents tried to flee from the city in to Lebanon.^[5]

Talkalah was one of the first towns in 2011 to rebel against the Syrian government. The Syrian forces attacked the city many times causing severe destruction in the city. The city witnessed one of the most brutal attacks on May 14, 2011; it was shelled by tanks, rockets and was broken into by the military. About 27 people were killed in that attack, and since that time the city suffers from distress and multiple attacks by Assad's militias.

A resident claimed that Shabiha militias were targeting the Sunni inhabitants, assuring that "The city of Talkalakh is empty of people. Most of them have fled to Lebanon,".^[6] The remainder of its Sunni residents continued protesting against the government and attacking nearby Alawite neighbourhoods in the city, as to show their anger against the rule of Bashar al-Assad and his Alawite-dominated government, and their determination to topple the Alawite-dominated government.^[7]

On 12 February 2013, a CNN report from inside Talkalakh revealed that the town itself was under rebel control, though government forces were only a matter of yards away, surrounding the town. Nevertheless, there was no fighting in or around the town thanks to a tenuous ceasefire between the warring sides brokered by a local sheikh and an Alawite member of parliament.^[8] The ceasefire ended in June 2013, when government forces drove out the rebels and took control of the town.^[9]

References

Bibliography

Homs Governorate   Homs District Homs Subdistrict Homs Abil Abu Dali Ashrafiyah al-Dar al-Kabirah Fahilah Fairouzeh Hubub al-Rih Halmuz al-Hurriyah Jawalik Jawbar Judaydat al-Assi Judaydat al-Sharqiyah Kafr Abed Kafr Aya Maskanah al-Mubarakiyah al-Mukhtariyah al-Najmah al-Naqirah Qattinah al-Rayyan al-Riyadh Sakrah Teir Maalah Tell Ahmar Tell al-Naqa Tell al-Shur Tell Zubaydah al-Thabitiyah Zaidal Zhuriyah Ayn al-Niser Subdistrict Ayn al-Niser Ayn al-Dananir Ayn Husayn Gharbi Ayn Husayn Shamali Baddu Burzah Humaydiyah al-Jabiriyah al-Mushrifah Talamri Waridah Furqlus Subdistrict Furqlus Fatim al-Arnouk al-Hazzah Hulayah Jabab Hamad Jubb al-Shami al-Nasriyah al-Sabuniyah al-Sayyid Hisyah Subdistrict Hisyah Bureij Dibeh Jandar al-Kashaf al-Ma'murah Shamsin Khirbet Tin Nur Subdistrict Khirbet Tin Nur Aysun Balqasah Bataysah al-Dahiyah al-Umaliyah al-Faysiyah Ghuzaylah Khirbet Ghazi Khirbet al-Hamam Khirbet Hayek Khirbet al-Sawda Khirbet Tin Mahmoud Kunaysah Liftaya Marj Bulad Marj al-Qata Mashahdah (Khirbet Sawda) al-Mazraa Nur Nuwayha Qazhal Qebbi al-Rabwah Ram al-Anz Ram Jabal Sannun Shalluh Tarin Tannunah Umm al-'Adam Umm al-Qasab Umm Haratayn Wujuh al-Hajar al-Zurzuriyah Zayti al-Bahra Zawr Baqraya Mahin Subdistrict Mahin al-Ghunthir Huwwarin Qabu Subdistrict al-Qabu Autan Fahil al-Qanaqiyah Rabah Sharqliyya al-Shinyah Qaryatayn Subdistrict al-Qaryatayn Tiyas Riqama Subdistrict al-Riqama Alyat Awar al-Aziziyah Dardaghan al-Hamrat Jabab al-Zayt al-Madaba al-Manzul al-Nuzhah al-Rawdah Shayrat Sadad Subdistrict Sadad al-Hafar Shin Subdistrict Shin Bahhur al-Diyabiyah Hadiyah Hasur al-Jabbat Jablaya Juwaykat al-Mahfurah Muranah Muta'arid Sufr Suwayri Uyun al-Wadi Zaafarinah Gharbi Taldou Subdistrict Taldou Karad Dayasinah Arqaya Burj Qa'i Ghawr Gharbiyah Hadatha Harqal al-Hashmah Haysah al-Humaymah Jurnaya Kafr Laha Kafr Ram Mahnaya Mujaydil Rafin Samalil Sinsil Tell Dahab al-Taybah al-Gharbiyah Zaybaq   Mukharram District Mukharram Subdistrict al-Mukharram al-Fawqani Abu Hakfah al-Janubi Abu Hakfah al-Shamali Abu Khashabah Bab al-Hawa al-Batamah Buwaydat Rihaniyah Buwaydat Salamiyah al-Haraki Jubb Abbas al-Junaynat Khilfah al-Mukharram al-Tahtani Nawa al-Sankari Shawkatliyah Tell al-Ghar Tell Shinan Tell al-Ward Umm al-Amad Umm Jabab Umm al-Sarj al-Qibli Umm al-Sarj al-Shamali Umm Tuwaynah al-Uthmaniyah Jubb al-Jarrah Subdistrict Jubb al-Jarrah Abu Qatur Aliyat al-Alyan Duwayr al-Gharbiyah Duwayr al-Sharqiyah Ghuzayliyah Maksar al-Hisan Masaadah Masudiyah Mughayzil Muntar al-Abal Mushayrifah al-Qibliyah Rasm Humaydah Shiha Taladi Talaqtah Tarfawi Tawil Umm al-Rif (al-Rish) Umm Tuwaynah al-Shamali Usmud   Qusayr District Qusayr Subdistrict al-Qusayr Abu Juri al-Aqrabiyah Arjoun Akkum Baluzah Burhaniyah al-Buwaydah al-Sharqiyah al-Dabaah Dahiyat al-Majd Daminah al-Sharqiyah Daminah al-Gharbiyah Dibbin Diyabiyah al-Fadeliyah al-Ghassaniyah al-Hamam al-Hawik Hawsh Murshid Sama'an Hawsh al-Sayyid Ali al-Houz Husseiniya Jubaniyah Jusiyah al-Amar Kafr Mousa al-Masriyah Mudan al-Nahariyah al-Naim al-Nizariyah al-Qurniyah Rablah al-Sakher al-Sallumiyah Samaqiyat al-Gharbiyah Samaqiyat al-Sharqiyah Saqrajah al-Sawadiyah al-Shayahat al-Shumariyah Shinshar Tell al-Nabi Mando Wadi Hanna Zira'a Zita al-Gharbiyah   Rastan District Rastan Subdistrict Al-Rastan Abu Hamamah Asiliyah Ballan Dalfin al-Ghasibiyah Gharnatah Izz al-Din Hameis Kafr Nan Kissin al-Manara Murayj al-Durr al-Qunaytrat Sulaym Tasnin al-Waza'iyah Zamaymer Talbiseh Subdistrict Talbiseh Deir Ful al-Farhaniyah al-Ghantu al-Hashimiyah al-Makramiyah al-Qanniyah Saan al-Aswad al-Sabil Tell Jayurin al-Thawrah Umm Sharshuh al-Zaafaraniyah   Tadmur District Tadmur Subdistrict Tadmur Arak al-Bayda al-Bi'arat Rasm al-Abid Sukhnah Subdistrict al-Sukhnah Karim al-Kawm al-Kadir al-Taybah al-Tuwaynat   Talkalakh District Talkalakh Subdistrict Talkalakh Akkari al-Amariyah Aridah Ayn al-Sawda Ayn al-Tineh al-Gharbiyah al-Bahluniyah Baruha Bayt Qarin Burj al-Arab Burj al-Maksur Hajar Abyad Halat Hasrajiyah Jaafariyat Kafrish Khirbet al-Jabab Maarabu Masyadah Naarah Qanuta Qurayyat Qumayrah al-Shabaq al-Shabruniyah Shalluh Shamsiyah Sindiyana Samikah Tell Hawsh Tell Sarrin al-Zarah Zanbiyah Hadidah Subdistrict Hadidah Ayn al-Tineh al-Sharqiyah Barudiyah Bayun Baznaya Dardariyah Haratayn al-Malikiyah al-Mashrafah al-Sharqiyah Khansaa Khirbet al-Manqalah Lawaybdah Marasiyah Na'isiyah Na'urah Qaz al-Khass Rihaniyah Tell al-Safa Umm al-Dawali Umm Jamah Hawash Subdistrict Al-Hawash Anaz Ayn al-Gharah Ballat Basumaah Bisas al-Husn Ish al-Shuhah Inata Jawuniyat Mazinah Muqlus Qal al-Saqa al-Shuwayhid Tallih Nasirah Subdistrict Al-Nasirah Amar al-Husn Ayn al-Bardah Bahzinah Baydar Rafiah Daghlah Habnamrah Jankamrah Jiwar al-Afas Kafra Kimah Marmarita Mashta Azar al-Mishtaya Qalatiyah Qurb Ali Tannurin Zweitina