Al-Ghassaniyah Explained

Official Name:al-Ghassaniya
Native Name:الغسانية
Other Name:al-Ghassaniyeh
Settlement Type:Village
Pushpin Map:Syria
Pushpin Label Position:bottom
Pushpin Mapsize:250
Pushpin Map Caption:Location in Syria
Coordinates:34.5981°N 36.5514°W
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Type1:Governorate
Subdivision Name1:Homs Governorate
Subdivision Type2:District
Subdivision Name2:al-Qusayr District
Subdivision Type3:Nahiyah
Subdivision Name3:Al-Qusayr
Population Total:4,509
Population As Of:2004
Timezone:EET
Utc Offset:+3
Timezone Dst:EEST
Utc Offset Dst:+2

Al-Ghassaniya (Arabic: الغسانية also spelled Ghassaniyeh) is a town in central Syria, administratively part of the Homs Governorate, located south of Homs and just east of Lake Qattinah. Nearby localities include Kafr Mousa to the south, district capital al-Qusayr 13 kilometers to the southeast, al-Buwaida al-Sharqiya to the east and Qattinah to the northeast.

According to the Syrian Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), al-Ghassaniya had a population of 4,509 in the 2004 census.[1] Its inhabitants are all Murshidiyeen. The village was bombed in April 2018. The village's main source of income is from agriculture and residents mostly grow cabbage and potatoes. However, fishing is also a major economic sector.[2]

During the Syrian civil war, al-Ghassaniya was besieged by anti-government rebels for roughly eight months between September and May 2013. According to residents, the rebels were based in the surrounding villages and prevented them from using the road. Thus, they were required to obtain food products and petrol by using Lake Qattinah to access villages on the other sides of the lake, particularly Debbine on the southwestern shore. The Syrian Army recaptured the village in early May and the siege was subsequently lifted.[2]

Notes and References

  1. https://archive.today/20121204165131/http://www.cbssyr.org/new%20web%20site/General_census/census_2004/NH/TAB04-13-2004.htm General Census of Population and Housing 2004
  2. http://www.spacewar.com/reports/Syria_Christian_village_breathes_easier_as_army_advances_999.html Syria Christian village breathes easier as army advances