Al-Turrah
Al-Turrah is a Jordanian city located in the Irbid Governorate in the far north of the country near the international border with Syria. Al-Turrah is the largest community within the Hauran Plain Municipality and is therefore considered its main center. Its population in 2017 was 34,948, the seventh largest in Irbid Governorate. It has an area of about 28,000 dunums. Al-Turrah's territory extends to the east and north, bordering the Syrian border, while Al-Shajara and Ramtha's territory borders it to the west and south.
Since ancient times, Al-Turrah has been known for its cultivation of grain, which for many years was the only agricultural crop in the city and the entire Hauran Plain region. It was only in the last quarter of the last century that, with a few exceptions, the cultivation of trees such as olives and, to a lesser extent, figs, grapes, pomegranates and other crops became known. The valley that runs through it is known as Wadi al-Shumar because of the abundance of Shumar plants that grow there. The city is divided into the areas of Al-Kuklia, Al-Foul, Al-Halan, Al-Khalla, Barak, Barak, Al-Homs, Al- Tahuna, Muqatil Al-Dawla, Al-Manakh, Al-Manizla, and Al-Sultani, which was named after Sultan Al-Zahir Baybars, who donated it to Jerusalem, among other things. The history of Al-Turrah goes back to ancient times, where the Ten Cities Tunnel appeared in the early Roman era, and this canal stretched from Al-Turrah to Gadara through several areas. A group of Greek inscriptions and tombs have also been found in Turrah. During the Mamluk period and the early Ottoman period, the city was an important postal point, where the Mamluk built a lighthouse for postal purposes and to guide travelers. They also donated agricultural lands of Al-Turrah for charitable endowments and schools. The Mamluks built a lighthouse for postal purposes and to guide travelers, and they also endowed agricultural lands of Al-Turrah for charitable endowments and schools.
The city is surrounded by the cities of Al-Ramtha and Al-Shajarah, and is very close and adjacent to Amrawah and al-Mughayyir, as well as bordering Tell Shihab and Daraa from the Syrian side. The city is located on a plateau with an average altitude of 478 meters above sea level. It is also characterized by its climate, which is part of the Mediterranean basin climate, but can fall under the influence of rather high temperatures at some times of the year. Like other areas of the Hauran Plain, it is characterized by its flat land and the fertility of its soil. Like other parts of Jordan, Al-Turrah has a similar population in terms of customs, traditions, and origins; most of its inhabitants are of Arab tribal origin.
Geography
The city belongs to the Al-Ramtha district of the Irbid governorate in northern Jordan, and Al-Turrah is located between the Shumar Valley. To the west and south, and Syria's Wadi al-Madan, near the Syria-Jordan border, to the north and east. The city is located 8 kilometers north of Al-Ramtha and 35 kilometers northeast of Irbid. It is also 4 kilometers to the east, 4 kilometers from the nearest community of Al-Shajara, and 5 kilometers from the Syrian town of Tell Shihab. The city is connected by a network of roads with neighboring cities and towns, and it is mentioned that the first road in the area was built in 1960 AD, which is the road from Ramtha to Al-Shajara, passing through Al-Turrah. The Al-Madan Bridge connecting the two banks of Wadi Al-Madan from Al-Turrah and Tell Shihab was built in the nineteenth century but was soon destroyed due to neglect, as it was located on the new borders between the then-emerging states. Being located in the Houran Plain, Al-Turrah, like other cities and towns in the Jordanian and Syrian parts of Houran, is characterized by a flat nature, and these flat areas are interspersed with a group of small hills, as Al-Turrah itself rises on a hill that is considered higher than all the surrounding hills. Regionally, the city can be divided into three main districts: The Eastern District, the Western District, and the Southern District, and the Commercial Center can be added as a fourth major district. Recently, urbanization has begun to spread to the northern part of the city.Climate
The climate in Al-Turrah is generally mild, with a Mediterranean climate being the predominant type. Summer temperatures are high and reach their highest levels in the middle of the eighth month of the year, sometimes reaching the mid 30's Celsius. On occasion, temperatures have reached 40 degrees Celsius. In January, temperatures occasionally drop to zero or below, resulting in brief snowfalls that do not typically accumulate on the ground. The climate is characterized by mild temperatures during the spring and fall seasons. In some months, such as June, July, and August, precipitation levels are minimal, with rainfall rates reaching zero. The highest rates are observed in the months of December, January, and February.History
Name origin
In his work Mukhtar Al Sahah, the author provides an insight into the linguistic origin of the town's name. " The term "Al-Turrah" is used to describe the cuff on the side of a garment that lacks fringe. In this context, it is defined as the edge of a river or valley. In Arabic, Al-Turrah signifies that the border of any entity is its defining feature. The plural form is Torar. In addition, it signifies a corner."In accordance with the available evidence, the appellation Al-Turrah, by which the town is designated, is understood to signify, in Arabic lexicography, a limb, a corner, or a summit. Al-Turrah was delineated by the Swiss traveler Johann Ludwig Burckhardt during his passage through the area, noting that it is situated on a series of low plateaus. This observation lends credence to the hypothesis that the name may have originated from a conceptualization of height and elevation. Additionally, Al-Turrah signifies a corner, which is the front and top of an object. Al-Turrah is situated in close proximity to Shumar Valley in the west, which has been incorporated into the town as a result of the significant urban expansion, as well as Al-Madan Valley in the east. Some local residents assert that the town's original name was Al-Durra, which was subsequently altered to Al-Turrah during the Ottoman era. Others posit that the name was originally a Turkish designation, Altara, or alternatively, other names such as Al-Tamah. Nevertheless, there is no corroborating evidence to substantiate this claim, as these names are embedded within folk narratives pertaining to the pursuit of hidden treasures. Al-Turrah was referenced by its present designation in a multitude of historical texts prior to the Ottoman era. No alternative appellations are documented, such as Sobh Al-Asha as referenced by Al-Qalqashandi, or the historical account of King Al-Zahir as detailed by Ibn Shaddad. In Mu'jam al-Buldān, Yaqut al-Hamawi references a village in Africa called Turrah, noting that its name is derived from the Arabic word for the hem of a garment. A village with the same name, Turrah, is also located in Yemen, within the Ibb Governorate.
Ancient era
Archaeological evidence from the Greek period and earlier has been uncovered in the town and its surrounding areas. This includes graves, monuments, and inscriptions that provide confirmation of the human settlement of Al-Turrah during that era. Since the reign of Pompeius and the emergence of Decapolis in the first century B.C., Al-Turrah has served as a pivotal hub for the conveyance of water through the 140-kilometer-long Decapolis Tunnel, colloquially designated as the "Pharaoh's Canal", in addition to the al-Turrah-Umm Qais Tunnel. Al-Turrah represents the principal gateway to the tunnel and constitutes the initial water collection point along its extensive route to Umm Qais, formerly known as Gadara. The Roman Emperor Hadrian initiated its construction in 130 AD, with the project spanning over 80 years and comprising numerous discontinuous phases. Al-Turrah represents the convergence of the second and third phases of the tunnel. The initial phase extends from Dael to Daraa in the form of a shallow channel, while the second continues from Daraa with another shallow channel whose traces still remain east of the city of Al-Turrah. The third stage extends from Al-Turrah to Al-Shalalah Valley, and from this stage the tunnel begins its journey towards its ultimate destination, passing through several subsequent stages. It is of interest to note that Al-Turrah was part of the Arabian Roman province of Petraea. During the Byzantine era, the city became integrated into the second province of Palestine.Islamic era
Following the Battle of Yarmuk, the region entered a new phase, becoming an integral part of the Rashidun Caliphate. During the Rashidun era, Al-Turrah was under the control of Jund al-Urdunn, which also exercised authority over the majority of Houran. It is documented that Umar ibn al-Khattab traversed Al-Turrah on his expedition to Damascus, where he conducted a prayer in the Umari Mosque, which was subsequently named in his honor. During the Mamluk period, the city served as a significant hub for the transportation of mail, and a lighthouse was constructed and utilized as a navigational aid for travelers. Additionally, Al-Turrah played a significant role in the establishment of endowments in both Jerusalem and select educational institutions, including the Zahiriyya School in Damascus. The inscription above the school's gate, inscribed in the Thuluth or Naskh Mamluk script, reads as follows: "In the name of Allah, the Merciful, the Compassionate. The endowment of this land and the two schools and the house of Hadith in the village of Al-Turrah, and their amount is eleven shares and one-eighth of a share out of twenty-four shares."In the seventh century AH, the Levantine pilgrimage route, known in Al-Turrah as Darb al-Hajj or Darb al-Hajj Road, underwent a modification whereby it was rerouted to pass through Al-Turrah from the east, with scheduled stops at Damascus, Al-Sanamayn, and Al-Muzayrib. The caravan's camels would disembark east of Al-Turrah at a location designated as Al-Manakh, as the camels would be seated there.