| Orontes Nahr al-ʿĀṣī | |
|---|---|
 The Norias of Hama along the Orontes in Syria | |
 | |
| Native name | |
| Location | |
| Country | Lebanon, Syria, Turkey |
| Cities | Homs, Hama, Jisr al-Shughur, Antakya |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | Labweh |
| • location | Beqaa Valley, Lebanon |
| • coordinates | 34°11′49″N 36°21′9″E / 34.19694°N 36.35250°E |
| • elevation | 910 m (2,990 ft) |
| Mouth | Samandağ |
• location | Hatay Province, Turkey |
• coordinates | 36°2′43″N 35°57′49″E / 36.04528°N 35.96361°E |
• elevation | 0 m (0 ft) |
| Length | 571 km (355 mi) |
| Basin size | 24,660 km2 (9,520 sq mi)[1] |
| Discharge | |
| • average | 67 m3/s (2,400 cu ft/s) |
| Basin features | |
| Tributaries | |
| • right | Afrin River, Karasu |
The Orontes (/ɔːˈrɒntiːz/; from Ancient Greek Ὀρόντης, Oróntēs) or Nahr al-ʿĀṣī, or simply Asi (Arabic: العاصي, romanized: al-‘Āṣī, IPA: [alˈʕaːsˤiː]; Turkish: Asi) is a 571 kilometres (355 mi) long river in Western Asia that begins in Lebanon, flowing northwards through Syria before entering the Mediterranean Sea near Samandağ in Hatay Province, Turkey.[1]
As the chief river of the northern Levant, the Orontes has been the site of many major battles including the Battle of Kadesh (13th century BCE), and water distribution remains a controversial issue between the countries in the region.[2] Among the most important cities on the river are Homs, Hama, Jisr al-Shughur, and Antakya (the ancient Antioch, which was also known as "Antioch on the Orontes").
- ^ a b "Asi-Orontes Basin". Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. 2016. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
- ^ Conker, Ahmet; Hussein, Hussam (March 2020). "Hydropolitics and issue-linkage along the Orontes River Basin: an analysis of the Lebanon–Syria and Syria–Turkey hydropolitical relations". International Environmental Agreements: Politics, Law and Economics. 20 (1): 103–121. doi:10.1007/s10784-019-09462-7.