Dabiq, Syria

Dabiq
دابق
Town
Dabiq is located in Syria
Dabiq
Dabiq
Location of Dabiq in Syria
Coordinates: 36°32′14″N 37°16′05″E / 36.5372°N 37.2681°E / 36.5372; 37.2681
Country Syria
GovernorateAleppo
DistrictAzaz
SubdistrictAkhtarin
Control Turkey
Syrian opposition Syrian Interim Government
Elevation
449.18 m (1,473.69 ft)
Population
 (2004)[1]
3,364
Time zoneUTC+2 (EET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+3 (EEST)
GeocodeC1597

Dabiq (Arabic: دابق /ˈdaːbiq/) is a town in northern Syria, about 40 kilometres (25 mi) northeast of Aleppo and around 10 km (6.2 mi) south of Syria's border with Turkey. It is administratively part of the Akhtarin nahiyah (subdistrict) of the A'zaz District of Aleppo Governorate. Nearby localities include Mare' to the southwest, Sawran to the northwest, and Akhtarin town to the southeast. In the 2004 census, Dabiq had a population of 3,364.[1] The town was the site of the battle of Marj Dabiq in 1516, in which the Ottoman Empire decisively defeated the Mamluk Sultanate.[2]

In Islamic eschatology, it is believed that Dabiq is one of two possible locations (the other is Amaq) for an epic battle between invading Christians and the defending Muslims which will result in a Muslim victory and mark the beginning of the end of times. The Islamic terrorist group Islamic State believes Dabiq is where an epic and decisive battle will take place with Christian forces of the West, and have named their online magazine after the village.[2] After being driven out of the town of Dabiq by the Turkish military and Syrian rebels in October 2016, IS replaced this publication with a new one named Rumiyah.

  1. ^ a b "2004 Census Data for Nahiya Akhtarin" (in Arabic). Syrian Central Bureau of Statistics. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2016-09-05. Also available in English: UN OCHA. "2004 Census Data". Humanitarian Data Exchange.
  2. ^ a b McCants, William (3 October 2014). "ISIS fantasies of an apocalyptic showdown in northern Syria". Markaz. Washington, D.C.: Brookings Institution. Archived from the original on 16 September 2016. Retrieved 20 June 2021.