Khan Shaykhun

Khan Shaykhun
خَان شَيْخُون
Town
Khan Shaykhun is located in Syria
Khan Shaykhun
Khan Shaykhun
Location in Syria
Coordinates: 35°26′20″N 36°39′4″E / 35.43889°N 36.65111°E / 35.43889; 36.65111
Country Syria
GovernorateIdlib
DistrictMaarrat al-Nu'man
SubdistrictKhan Shaykhun
First settled20th century BC
Government
 • MayorAbdul Karim Najjar[1]
Area
 • Total
202.98 km2 (78.37 sq mi)
Elevation
350 m (1,150 ft)
Population
 (2004)
 • Total
50,469
Time zoneUTC+3 (EET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (EEST)
ClimateBSk

Khan Shaykhun (Arabic: خَان شَيْخُون, romanizedKhān Shaykhūn) is a town in the Maarrat al-Nu'man District, within the southern Idlib Governorate of northwestern Syria.

Khan Shaykhun is located at an altitude of 350 meters on the main highway between Aleppo and Damascus. The local economy is primarily agricultural, focusing on the growing of cotton and cereals.[2] The town was formerly known for producing embroidery.[3] Nearby localities include Hbit to the west, Kafr Zita to southwest, Murak to the south and Al-Tamanah to the east.

The city was first settled in the 20th century BC during the Bronze and Iron Ages and had multiple civilisations, of which at least 4 are confirmed through excavations done by the French in 1932. The ancient civilisations range from Assyria Empire, Neo-Babylonian Empire, Achaemenid Empire to other, older empires.[4][5] In the 2010 census, the population was recorded at 50,469.[6] During the Syrian Civil War, this number doubled due to the waves of refugees the city experienced. However, many of its original inhabitants, as well as the refugees, left the city as a result of the intense bombardments it was subjected to.[7]

  1. ^ "Roads in Khan Sheikhoun area in Idleb countryside rehabilitated". SANA. 13 June 2022. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
  2. ^ Cohen, Saul Bernard (1998). The Columbia Gazetteer of the World: A to G. Columbia University Press. ISBN 978-0-231-11040-2.
  3. ^ Condra, Jill (2013). Encyclopedia of National Dress: Traditional Clothing Around the World. ABC-CLIO. p. 431. ISBN 978-0-313-37637-5.
  4. ^ Du Mesnil du Buisson, Robert (1932). "Une campagne de fouilles à Khan Sheikhoun". Syria. Archéologie, Art et histoire. 13 (2): 171–188. doi:10.3406/syria.1932.3615.
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference :1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ "Wayback Machine". Wayback Machine. Archived from the original on Oct 4, 2018.
  7. ^ "خان شيخون.. مدينة سورية مأهولة منذ العصر البيزنطي". الجزيرة نت (in Arabic). Retrieved 2024-09-21.