Deir Ezzor
:
This city is usually used as a stopping point on the way to
Al Jezireh, or further along the Euphrates to Mari and Al
Bukamal. It is a major point for engineers and
archaeologists; as it is surrounded by excavation sites,
where prehistoric artifacts are being recovered and there
are a few Oil production plants on newly found oil fields
further in Al Jezireh.
Deir Ezzor itself does not have much of a history or any
attraction for historical visitors and tourists. However
nearby are Doura Europos, Halabiye and Zalabiye, and the
excavation site at Mari.
Deir Ezzor has a museum that concentrates on the
prehistoric past of the region, although it does have a
section that exhibits other more recent periods. Deir Ezzor
is situated 320 Km south east of Aleppo and 206 Km from
Palmyra.
The History of Deir
Ezzor
As a green oasis on the Euphrates riverbank, Deir Ezzor and
the Euphrates valley date back a long way. Starting in the
3rd century BC, Deir Ezzor was a part of the Akkadian
empire under the King Sargon I from 2700 to 2550 BC.
It then fell into the hands of Hammurabi the famous king
who setup the first steps of law. Then it went through the
Assyrians, Chaldeans, and Persians. After the defeat of the
Persians it became part of the Hellenistic empire under
Alexander the Great then it became part of the Seleucid
empire.
In the Roman period it flourished as a trading point
between the Mediterranean and the Indian subcontinent.
During Zenobia's power it became part of the Palmyrean
kingdom.
Islamic conquest of the area took place in the 4th century
Hegira and it was ruled by the Hamdanids of Aleppo, then
the Ayyubids and Mamelukes successively.
It was destroyed in the Mongol invasion and left to the
desert, till recently when it was redeveloped for the
benefit of the Syrian economy to service Oil and Petrol
production in the fields nearby.
Copyright © Syrian embassy-London 2005