| Ariqah | |
| Native Name: | عريقة |
| Settlement Type: | Village |
| Pushpin Map: | Syria |
| Pushpin Label Position: | bottom |
| Pushpin Mapsize: | 250 |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location in Syria |
| Coordinates: | 32.8889°N 36.4833°W |
| Grid Position: | 288/255 |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Type1: | Governorate |
| Subdivision Name1: | as-Suwayda |
| Subdivision Type2: | District |
| Subdivision Name2: | Shahba |
| Subdivision Type3: | Subdistrict |
| Subdivision Name3: | al-Ariqah |
| Unit Pref: | Metric |
| Elevation M: | 800 |
| Population Total: | 3,000 |
| Population As Of: | 2008 est. |
| Timezone: | EET |
| Utc Offset: | +2 |
| Timezone Dst: | +3 |
Ariqah (ar|عريقة|ʿArīqa), formerly known as Ahira, is a village in southern Syria with a population of about 3,000. It is located in the heart of the rocky volcanic plateau of Lejah (also called Lajat). Administratively Ariqah is situated in the Mantiqat Shahba (Shahba district) of As Suwayda Governorate.Ariqah is known for its volcanic cave which is located in a 10 meters deep hollow in the centre of the village. This cave is known as Ariqa Cave which extends from 2 to 3 kilometers in the old lava streams, it is the biggest known cave in southern Syria.
Historically ‘Arīqah was considered the centre of the inaccessible Lajat, many houses from the Byzantine epoch were found in the town and they are still inhabited by locals, there is also an old ruined Byzantine monastery in the town known as "Deir Ariqa".
In 1596 Al-Ariqah appeared in the Ottoman tax registers as Ahiri and was part of the nahiya of Bani Abdullah in the Hauran Sanjak. It had an entirely Muslim population consisting of 18 households and 3 bachelors. The villagers paid a fixed tax rate of 25% on wheat, barley, summer crops, goats and/or beehives and a water mill; a total of 6,500 akçe.[1]
In 1838, it was noted as Ahiry, a Druze and Catholic village, situated "in the Lejah, south of Dama".[2]