Khawabi
الخوابي Qala'at Khawabi | |
|---|---|
Village | |
 Khawabi Castle | |
  Khawabi | |
| Coordinates: 34°58′22″N 36°0′8″E / 34.97278°N 36.00222°E | |
| Country |  Syria |
| Governorate | Tartus |
| District | Tartus |
| Subdistrict | Al-Sawda |
| Population (2004)[1] | |
| • Total | 1,039 |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (EET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+3 (EEST) |
Khawabi (Arabic: الخوابي), also spelled Qala'at al-Khawabi (Arabic: قلعة الخوابي) is a village and medieval citadel in northwestern Syria, administratively part of the Tartus Governorate, located 20 kilometers northeast of Tartus and 12 kilometers east of al-Sawda.[2][3] Khawabi is situated in a hilly area, surrounded by olive groves, in the Coastal Mountain Range.[2] Nearby localities include al-Sawda and to the west, Al-Annazah to the northwest, al-Qamsiyah to the north, Brummanet Raad to the northeast, al-Shaykh Badr to the east, Khirbet al-Faras to the south and Bimalkah to the southwest.
According to the Syria Central Bureau of Statistics, Khawabi had a population of 1,039 in the 2004 census.[1] Its inhabitants are predominantly Sunni Muslims.[3] The village formerly had a significant Ismaili population until the early 20th century, and during the medieval period, its citadel (Qala'at Khawabi) served as a center of the Ismaili community when they were known as the Assassins. The citadel itself has been inhabited since at least the 12th century.[4]
- ^ a b General Census of Population and Housing 2004. Syria Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS). Tartus Governorate. (in Arabic)
- ^ a b Al-Cheikh, Zeina (May–June 2005). "Al-Khawabi Citadel: A Heritage Threatened by Absentmindedness and Neglect" (PDF). Islamic Tourism (17): 60–62.
- ^ a b Balanche, 2006, p. 47.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
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