Wadi Barada (Arabic: وادي بردى) is a river valley in southwestern Syria. The valley is home to 17 villages and towns.[1]
The word wadi (Arabic: وادي) means valley in Arabic.[1] "Barada" is thought to be derived from the word barid (Arabic: بارد), which means "cold" in Semitic languages.[2] The ancient Greek name (Greek: Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: Χρυσορρόας, translit. Chrysorrhoas), means "streaming with gold".[3] The river has also suffered from severe drought in the last decades, mainly due to the lower rainfall rates and the large increase in the population in the area.
Wadi Barada is located in the north-western part of the Syrian capital of Damascus, in the Qalamoun district. It is known for being a mountainous area and in direct contact with the eastern mountain range of Lebanon.The Barada River is located in the western suburb of Damascus, it is 84 km long, stems from Zabadani, and drains in Al Otaiba Lake.The region also has a main water source. The water of Ein Fajja in the Barada valley is a major source of the capital, providing drinking water to more than six million people in Damascus and its countryside.[4]
The following villages and towns make up Wadi Barada. The population numbers are according to the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) for 2004.
| English Name | Arabic Name | Population | Subdistrict | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| سوق وادي بردى | 3,678 | al-Zabadani | ||
| كفر العواميد | 1,588 | al-Zabadani | ||
| برهليا | 821 | al-Zabadani | ||
| هريرة | 2,455 | Madaya | ||
| الحسينية | 1,563 | Ain al-Fijah | ||
| دير قانون | 4,213 | Ain al-Fijah | ||
| كفير الزيت | 4,170 | Ain al-Fijah | ||
| دير مقرن | 4,803 | Ain al-Fijah | ||
| افرة | 1,029 | Ain al-Fijah | ||
| عين الفيجة | 3,806 | Ain al-Fijah | ||
| بسيمة | 2,812 | Qudsaya | ||
| أشرفية الوادي | 2,101 | Qudsaya | ||
| جديدة الوادي | 5,227 | Qudsaya | ||
| جمرايا | 1,156 | Qudsaya | ||
| الهامة | 10,045 | Qudsaya | ||
| قدسيا | 33,571 | Qudsaya | ||
| دمر | 96,962 | Damascus |
See also: Wadi Barada offensive (2016–17). Syrian rebels captured the village of Ain al-Fijah in February 2012.[5] Engineers and technicians who worked at the water spring remained in place. After the rebel capture of Wadi Barada, government forces imposed a blockade on the villages.[6] The army retook control of the town on 28 January 2017 and the next day the Army took full control of Wadi Barada.[7]