Al-Safa (Syria)
As-Safa, also known as Tulul al-Safa, Arabic for Al-Safa hills, is a hilly region which lies in southern Syria, north-east of Jabal al-Druze volcanic plateau. It consists of a basaltic lava field of volcanic origin, covering an area of 220 square kilometres, and contains at least 38 cinder cones. This volcanic field lies within the northern part of the massive alkaline Harrat Ash Shamah volcanic field that extends from southern Syria, through eastern Jordan to Saudi Arabia. The region is extremely scarce in water.
Volcanic activities
The field contains numerous vents which have been active during the Holocene Epoch. A boiling lava lake was observed in the Es Safa volcanic area in the middle of the 19th century.Demography
The region was frequently used by the Druze through history as a refuge in the years of war. The whole region currently lies within Suwayda Governorate, as the governorate's borders run along the region's boundaries. Only roaming Bedouins visit it occasionally, in addition to some archaeologists. Safaitic inscriptions were first discovered in this area in 1857, and were named after the region.Syrian civil war
In the Syrian civil war, al-Safa became the last pocket of ISIL in the Suwayda Governorate and the Rif-Damasiq Governorate. It was surrounded by the Syrian Army in the Suwayda offensive. The area was recaptured by Syrian government forces on 17 November 2018.List of volcanic cones in Es Safa
- Tell el Aqzass 889 m.
- Tell ed Ders 878 m.
- Jabal Rghēli 874 m.
- Tell Darayir Šimāli 844 m.
- Tell Um Ħwār 818 m.
- Tell Um el Janbrīs 808 m.
- Tell Darayir Qebli 803 m.
- Tell ‘Ali 770 m.
- Tell al Khēl 765 m.
- Tell Eş Şafa 739m.
- Tell Ţarrān 731 m.
- Jabal Sīs 692 m.
- Tell Zqēţa 670 m.
- Jabal el Jarīn 657 m.
- Jabal Abū Ghanem 632 m.