al-Bab

al-Bab الباب Bab Biza'ah
City
al-Bab Location of al-Bab in Syria
Coordinates: 36°22′21″N 37°31′04″E / 36.3725°N 37.5178°E / 36.3725; 37.5178Coordinates: 36°22′21″N 37°31′04″E / 36.3725°N 37.5178°E / 36.3725; 37.5178
Country	Syria
Governorate	Aleppo
District	al-Bab
Subdistrict	al-Bab
Elevation	471 m (1,545 ft)
Population (2004)[1]	63,069
Time zone	EET (UTC+2)
• Summer (DST)	EEST (UTC+3)

Al-Bab (Arabic: الباب‎‎ / ALA-LC: al-Bāb) is a city, de-jure administratively belonging to the Aleppo Governorate of the Syrian Arab Republic. As of December 2016, the city came under the control of pro-Turkish militias, as part of the Turkish buffer zone. Al-Bab is located 40 kilometres (25 mi) northeast of Aleppo, 30 kilometres (19 mi) south of the Turkish border, and has an area of 30 square kilometres (12 square miles). Al-Bab has an altitude of 471 metres (1,545 feet). According to the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), it had a population of 63,069 in 2004.^[1] Prior to the Syrian Civil War, al-Bab's inhabitants were composed of Sunni Arabs and Arabized Kurds.^[2][3] Thus being much more ethnically homogeneous than those of the neighbouring city of Manbij.^[4]

Al-Bab is the administrative center of the Nahiya al-Bab and Al-Bab District.

Name

Al-Bāb in Arabic means the door. According to Arab geographer Yaqut al-Hamawi in 1226, the name is a shortening of Bāb Bizāʻah (the gate to Bizāʻah). Bizāʻah (also Buzāʻah and Bzāʻā) is a town located about 10 kilometres (6.2 miles) east of Al-Bāb.

History

During the Roman Empire, Al-Bab was a civitas of the Roman Province of Syria, known as Batnai.^[5] The ruins of that settlement lie on the banks of the wadi 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) north of the modern town.^[6] Roman Batnai should not be confused with the Roman town Batnae about 70 kilometres (43 mi) North east.

Al-Bab was conquered by the Arab army of the Rashidun Caliphate under caliph Umar ibn al-Khattab in the 7th Century. It received its name, meaning "the Gate", during Islamic rule as it served as "the gate" between Aleppo and the adjacent town of Buza'ah. The tomb and shrine of Aqil ibn Abi Talib (the brother of Ali) was located in al-Bāb.

Until its rule by the Ayyubids in the 13th century, the town was populated mostly by Shias of the Ismaili sect.^[7]

According to Yaqut al-Hamawi in 1226, it was a small town in the district of Aleppo. In the town were markets filled with cotton products called kirbas which were exported to Damascus and Egypt. The fourteenth-century historian Abu'l-Fida writes that al-Bab was a small town with a market, a bath, pleasant gardens, and a mosque (the Great Mosque of al-Bab).^[7]

Syrian Civil War

Until April 2012, Al-Bab had been relatively unscathed by the Syrian civil war. However, allegedly on 20 April, the Syrian Army opened fire on protesters in the city, sparking the growth of the rebel movement in Al-Bab. Between mid-May and mid-July, some 15 rebel groups formed within the city. The fight for Al-Bab included a series of raids and assaults on government offices over the course of two months, finally culminating on 18 July when rebels seized the final government stronghold within the city limits. According to opposition activists, an army garrison remaining outside al-Bab and has been shelling the insurgents' positions.^[8] Rebel forces pushed the army from this garrison on the south edge of town on 29 July, With the seizure of al-Bab, the insurgents in northern Aleppo gained considerable momentum.^[9][10][11] The city's capture gave the militants full control of the areas northeast of Aleppo.^[12] But in the summer of 2013 Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant had a presence in the town and by mid November, 2013, was in full control of Al-Bab.^[13]

After the capture of Manbij by the Syrian Democratic Forces in August 2016, al-Bab was reported to be the next objective of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) campaign.^[14] In December 2016, al-Bab came under an attack by Syrian rebels backed by Turkey. Turkish air strikes on December 21 destroyed 67 Islamic State targets; 14 Turkish soldiers and 138 rebels were reported killed.^[15] Al-Bab was a strategically important town for Turkey because it did not want the two SDF regions to link up.^[16] On 23 February 2017, al-Bab was captured by Turkish-backed rebels,^[17] becoming a part of the Turkish buffer zone.

Climate

Al-Bab has a hot-summer Mediterranean climate with influences of a continental climate during winter with hot dry summers and cool wet and occasionally snowy winters. The average high temperature in January is 8.3 °C (47 °F) and the average high temperature in July is 36.2 °C (97 °F), The snow usually falls in December or January.

References

Aleppo Governorate
Capital: Aleppo
District of Jabal Sem‘ān‎ Aleppo Abtin Anadan Babis Banis Barnah Barqum Bawabiyah Darat Izza Fah al-Farafirah Haddadin al-Hader Humayrah Hayyan Hur Huraytan al-Hutah Huweir al-Iss Injarah al-Iss Jazraya Jubb Kas Kafr Hamrah Kafr Saghir Khan Tuman Maarat al-Antiq Maratat al-Muslimiyah Maryamin al-Mintar al-Muslimiyah al-Muslimiyah al-Shamaliyah Qaras Qibtan al-Jabal al-Sakhriyah Shaykh Najjar Taqad Tell al-Daman Tell Hidyah Tell Shuayr Samaan Tell Shughayb al-Wadihi Yaqid al-Adas Zammar al-Zirbah Zitan
Azaz District Ablah Ahras Azaz Akhtarin Aq Burhan Bahwartah Baraghida Baruza Bayanoun Bel Dabiq Deir Jamal Dudyan Duwaybiq Fafin al-Fayruziyah Ghaytun Ghurur Hawar Kilis Herbel Ihtaimlat Jarez al-Judaydah Ka'ibah Kadrish Kafra Kafr Burayshah Kafr Kalbin Kafr Khasher Kafr Naseh Kafr Naya Kafr Shoush Kaljibrin Ma'arin Ma'arat Umm Hawsh al-Malikiyah Maraanaz Mare' Mayer Menagh Murayghil Naddah Nayarah Nubl Qabtan Qar Kalbin Rael Ratyan al-Salameh Sawran Shamarikh Shamarin Shaykh Issa Shuwayrin Sijaraz Sunbul Taanah Tal'ar Gharbi Tal'ar Sharqi Talalin Tall Battal Tall Tanah Tat Hims Tatiyah Tell Jabin Tell Qarah Tell Rifaat Tulayl ash-Sham Turkman Bareh al-Yaarubiyah Yahmul al-Yamamah Krum Az-Zahiriyah al-Zahraa Zayzafun Ziadiyah
Afrin District Afrin Ain Dara Aqiba Awlad al-Arab Barad Baselhaya Basouta Beit Adin Bulbul Burj Abdullah Burj Haider Darmashkanli Deir Ballut Fafertin Jalbul Jalmah Jindires Inab Kafr Safra Kimar Karzahayel Maabatli Maryamin Maydan Ikbis Qatma Rajo Sharran Shaykh al-Hadid
Atarib District Atarib al-Abzamo Batibo al-Jinah Ibbin Samaan Kafr Halab Kafr Karmin Kafr Naha Kafr Nasih al-Atarib Kafr Nuran Maarat Atarib Awayjil al-Sahharah al-Shaykh Ali Urum al-Kubra Urum al-Sughra
Ayn al-Arab District Ayn al-Arab al-Farazdaq al-Haqel Jaadat al-Samaawat al-Jalbiyah Jubb Faraj Kabir Mil Qibbah Qinayah Ramilah Ras al-Ayn Qibli Sarrin Shuyukh Fawqani Shuyukh Tahtani Tell Abyad Tahtani
Al-Bab District Abu Jabbar Abu Taltal al-Bab Ameriyeh Arima Arran Barlahin Bizaah al-Burj Deir Qaq Haddabat Haji Kusa Hezwan Kherbet Kiyar Maran Oweishiyeh Qabbasin al-Rai Sosyan Tedef Tell Rahal Al-Waqf
Dayr Hafir District Dayr Hafir Humaymah Kabirah al-Jabbul Kuwayris Sharqi Mazburah al-Raa'i Rasm al-Abed Rasm Harmil al-Imam Shaykh Ahmad Tell Ayoub
Jarabulus District Jarabulus Ayn al-Bayda Amarnah Arab Azzah Balaban al-Bir Fawqani al-Bir Tahtani Dabis Ghandoura al-Hajaliah al-Haluwaniyah Haymar al-Jamel Jarabulus Tahtani Fursan Lilawa Marma al-Hajar Mazaalah Qandariyah Qebbet al-Turkmen Qirq Maghar al-Suwaydah Yusuf Bayk
Manbij District Manbij Abu Kahf Abu Qilqil Arab Hassan Kabir Awsajli Kabir Dakhirah Dandaniya Hamir Labidah Hayyah Kabirah Jubb Hamza Al-Khafsah Khan al-Humr al-Maamurah al-Mahsanah Khafsah Maskanah Mallah Mujammaa Huttin al-Nasiriyah Fawqani Qashlat Yusef Basha Ras al-Ayn al-Bumane' Saan al-Ghazal al-Tadamon Talhuthan Tell Aswad Tell Akhdar Tishrin al-Zahirah Zunqul
Al-Safira District al-Safira Abu Jurayn al-Safirah Aqrabah Banan al-Hajib Hawwaz Khanasir Qulayaa Rasm Al-Nafl al-Samiriyah Tat Tell Aran Tell Hasil Zira'ah

Cities and towns of Syria
Governorate centres	Aleppo Damascus Daraa Deir ez-Zor Hama al-Hasakah Homs Idlib Latakia Quneitra Raqqa Rif Dimashq as-Suwayda Tartus
District centres	Abu Kamal Afrin Arihah Atarib Ayn al-Arab Azaz al-Bab Baniyas Darayya Dayr Hafir Douma Duraykish Fiq al-Haffah Harem Izra' Jableh Jarabulus Jisr ash-Shugur Maarat al-Numaan al-Malikiyah Manbij Masyaf Mayadin Mhardeh al-Mukharram al-Foqani an-Nabk Palmyra Qamishli Qardaha Qatana Qudsaya al-Qusayr al-Qutayfah Ra's al-'Ayn al-Rastan as-Safira Safita Salamiyah Salkhad al-Sanamayn Shahba ash-Shaykh Badr al-Suqaylabiyah Talkalakh al-Tall Tell Abyad al-Thawrah Yabrud Zabadani
Sub-district centres	Abu Qilqil Abu al-Thuhur Akhtarin Amuda Arbeen Arima al-Ariqah al-Arishah Armanaz Arwad al-Asharah Assal al-Ward Awj Ayn al-Fijah Ayn Halaqim Ayn Issa Ayn al-Nasr Babbila Banan Barri Sharqi Beit Jinn Binnish Bir al-Helu Bosra Bulbul Busayrah Da'el al-Dana Darat Izza Darkush al-Darbasiyah Deir Atiyah al-Dimas al-Dumayr Furqlus Ghabaghib Ghandoura al-Ghariyah al-Ghizlaniyah al-Hader Hadidah al-Hajar al-Aswad al-Hajib Hajin al-Hamidiyah al-Hamraa Harasta Harbnafsah Harran al-Awamid al-Hirak Hish Hisyah al-Hawl Huraytan al-Huwash Ibbin Samaan Ihsim Jayrud al-Jalaa al-Janudiyah Jaramana al-Jarniyah Jasim al-Jawadiyah Jubb al-Jarrah Jubb Ramlah Jindires al-Jiza al-Qabu Kafr Batna Kafr Nabl Kafr Takharim Kafr Zita al-Karamah al-Kasrah Kessab al-Khafsah Khan Shaykhun Khasham Kirnaz Kuwayris Sharqi Khanaser Khirbet Ghazaleh Khirbet al-Tin Mahmoud al-Kiswah Ma'arrat Misrin Maabatli Maadan Ma'loula Madaya Mahin Malah al-Malihah al-Mansurah Mare' Markada Mashta al-Helu Maskanah al-Masmiyah al-Mazraa Muhambal Muhasan al-Musayfirah al-Mushannaf Muzayrib al-Nashabiyah al-Nasirah Nawa Nubl al-Qadmus al-Qahtaniyah Qalaat al-Madiq Qarah al-Qaryatayn al-Qurayya Qurqania Rajo Rankus Rasm Harmil al-Imam al-Rai al-Riqama al-Ruhaybah al-Saan Saasaa Sabburah al-Sabe' Biyar al-Sabkhah Sadad Sahnaya Saidnaya Salqin Saraqib Sarmin Sarrin Sawran Sebei al-Shaddadah al-Shajara Shaqqa Sharran Shathah Shaykh al-Hadid al-Shaykh Maskin Shayukh Tahtani Shin Sinjar Sirghaya Slinfah Suluk al-Sur al-Surah al-Saghirah Suran al-Susah al-Sukhnah al-Tabni Talbiseh Taldou al-Tamanah Tasil Tell al-Daman Tell Hamis Tell Rifaat Tell Salhab Tell Tamer Tedef Thiban Uqayribat Urum al-Kubra Wadi al-Oyun al-Yaarubiyah al-Zurbah az-Ziyarah