Harem, Syria
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Harem حارم |
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|---|---|
 Harem
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| Coordinates: 36°12′N 36°31′E / 36.200°N 36.517°E | |
| Country |
 Syria
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| Governorate | Idlib |
| District | Harem |
| Subdistrict | Harem |
| Occupation | Jabhat Fateh al-Sham |
| Elevation | 175 m (574 ft) |
| Population (2008) | |
| • Total | 21,934 |
Harem or Harim (Arabic: حارم) is a Syrian city within the Idlib Governorate. It has an altitude of 160 meters and a population of 21,934. Harem is situated on the border of Turkey, 55 km west of Aleppo.
There is an important castle in Harem which has been built in a unique military style. The city lies along the route between Antioch and Aleppo, and has been around since the Byzantine era. The castle was originally Byzantine and was built by Nicephorus shortly after 959, it then fell to the Arabs and then to the Seljuk Turks. In 1097 it was taken by the Crusaders who kept it till 1119, except for a short time in 1098 when it was taken by the Muslim Arabs.
It fell to Nur Al Din in 1149, then taken back by the Crusaders in 1158 and back again by Nur Al Din in 1164. When the Mongols invaded in the 13th century, much of Harem was destroyed including its castle. What is left of the castle dates back to the Muslim - Crusader battles between 1164 and 1268. The crusader castle was rebuilt by the son of Saladin, Malik Al Zaher Ghazi. As part of the Syrian Civil War, Syrian rebels have taken complete control of the town.
During the Syrian Civil War, by late 2014, Harem had become the local headquarters for al-Nusra Front, the Syrian affiliate of Al-Qaeda.
On 24 January 2016, Ahrar ash-Sham expelled al-Nusra Front from the Syrian town of Harem, after tensions between the two groups boiled over. Subsequent clashes erupted in the nearby town of Salqin.
Due to Harem's location being very close to Aleppo, the climate is very similar. Below is the climate table for Aleppo, because there is no climate data concerning Harem.
Coordinates: 36°12′N 36°31′E / 36.200°N 36.517°E
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Wikipedia