Al-Hirak ( also spelled al-Hrak or Herak) is a city in southern Syria, administratively belonging to the Izraa District of the Daraa Governorate. It is situated about 40 kilometers northeast of Daraa, and is surrounded by the towns of Al-Mlaihah al-Gharbiyah to the east and Izraa to the northeast.

According to the 2004 census by the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), al-Hirak had a population of 20,760.. Syria Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS). Daraa Governorate. It is the administrative center of a nahiyah ("subdistrict") consisting of six localities with a combined population of 40,979 in the 2004 census. Its inhabitants are predominantly Sunni Muslims.Smith; in Robinson and Smith, 1841, vol 3, Second appendix, B, p. 151 It is primarily inhabited by clans originally from the Hejaz who arrived in the region in the 17th and 18th centuries and settled there, such as Al Zamil, Al Salamat (historically allied to the currently-ruling Al-Sharaa family) and Abu Salem, all of which belong to the Anaza tribe. Other clans, such as Al-Qaddah (from the Islamic prophets tribe of Quraysh), Al-Kheirat, Al-Hareeri and Al-Kasabra inhabit the city.

Among its most important features is the ancient Al-Umari mosque, once a Christian monastery and before that a pagan temple for the worship of Baal, the sun god.

History In 1596 al-Hirak appeared in the Ottoman tax registers under the name of al-Harak al-Sharqi (the Eastern Hirak), being in the nahiya of Bani Malik al-Ashraf in the Qada Hawran. It had an entirely Muslim population consisting of 61 households and 31 bachelors. They paid a fixed tax-rate of 40% on agricultural products, including wheat, barley, summer crops, goats and bee-hives, in addition to occasional revenues; a total of 16,000 akçe.Hütteroth and Abdulfattah, 1977, p. 213 Just to the west was al-Harak al-Gharbi (the Western Hirak), which had a population of 17 households and 3 bachelors, also all Muslim. They also had a 40% tax-rate on agricultural products, and produced the same products. Their total tax was 3,600 akçe, and part of the income went to a waqf.

In 1838, it was noted as being south of ash-Shaykh Miskin, with a Sunni Muslim population. Nearby al-Harak al-Gharbi, later called Deir al-Sult, was noted as deserted.Smith, in Robinson and Smith, 1841, vol 3, 2nd appendix, p. 151

Civil war

During the civil war, al-Hirak has served as a base for the opposition forces of the Free Syrian Army (FSA). On March 6, 2012, the city was severely damaged during clashes between the Syrian Army and the FSA, a fighting that was described by the United Kingdom-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights as "very intense." Residential areas and the Abu Bakr al-Saddiq Mosque -serving as military base for the rebels- were reportedly hit by Syrian Army shells.Syrian government forces 'shell rebel-held towns'. BBC News. 2012-03-06. Retrieved on 2012-03-06. During the battle, the FSA ambushed a Syrian Army armored carrier, killing five soldiers. A 15-year-old boy was reported to be killed after being allegedly shot by a government sniper.Syrian troops shell village in assault on army defectors. The Guardian. 2012-03-06. Retrieved on 2012-03-06. "Mosque al-Herak" is named on the Global Heritage Fund listing of damages to Syrian cultural heritage due to the military operations.Damage to the soul: Syria's cultural heritage in conflict ()

In July 2012 about 4,000 residents living in the south of Al-Hirak fled to neighboring cities in Syria or Jordan. The city was repeatedly shelled by the regime throughout August 2012. By August 21, 2012, the FSA had withdrawn from the city. On November 12 and 13, 2012, the city was reported as having a rebel presence and being shelled by the army. On May 3, 2013, it was reported that the base of the 52 mechanized brigade of the 9th Division was shelling the area of Khirbet Ghazala and Al-Hirak"Safwat Al Zayat – Al Raqqa and large number of killed”, Al Jazeera, May 3, 2013. On June 9, 2015, the FSA captured the second largest military base in the Daraa Governorate located east of the city.Syrian rebels capture army base in south: rebels, monitor On June 28, 2018, several locations were deserted by rebel forces in sequence: Battalion 49 Base, Alma, Al-Hirak, Battalion 279 Base, Al-Sourah.https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/rebels-abandon-several-areas-in-east-daraa-as-syrian-troops-advance , AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز. 2018-06-28. Retrieved 2018-06-28.

Religious buildings Abu Dharr al-Ghifari Mosque Amr ibn al-As Mosque Aisha Mosque Said ibn al-Musayyib Mosque Abu Bakr al-Siddiq Mosque Abu Ubayda ibn al-Jarrah Mosque Al-Maahad Mosque Abu Yasin Mosque Omar ibn al-Khattab Mosque

References

Bibliography

External links Map of city, Google Maps El Karak-map; 21m