Hisyah
|
Hisyah حسياء Hasya |
|
|---|---|
| Town | |
 Hisyah
|
|
| Coordinates: 34°24′39″N 36°45′31″E / 34.41083°N 36.75861°E | |
| Country |
 Syria
|
| Governorate | Homs |
| District | Homs |
| Subdistrict | Hisyah |
| Population (2004) | |
| • Total | 5,435 |
Hisyah (Arabic: حسياء, also spelled Hasya, Hasiyah, Hesa or Hessia) is a town in central Syria, administratively part of the Homs Governorate, located about 35 kilometers south of Homs. Situated on the M5 Highway between Homs and Damascus, nearby localities include al-Qusayr and Rableh to the northwest, Shamsin and Jandar to the north, Dardaghan to the northeast, Sadad to the southeast and Bureij to the south. According to the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), Hisyah had a population of 5,425 in the 2004 census. Its inhabitants are mostly Sunni Muslims and Catholics.
During the Neo-Assyrian period in Syria (9th century BCE – 7th century BCE), Hisyah served as a post station known as "Hesa" on the road to Damascus. During the reign of Tiglath-Pileser III, it initially contained a full cohort of military craftsmen. Due to the small population in the area around Hesa, the cohort was later moved out and replaced by 30 Assyrian households subject to army recruitment. The village was managed by two junior military officials.
During Ottoman Empire rule in Syria, particularly in the 18th-century, Hisyah became a fortified garrison town headed by an agha. The garrison served as the dominant military faction in the Homs district and its commanders frequently served as district governors. The town was located on what was known as the "Sultanic Road" which eventually led to Istanbul, the seat of the sultanate. Hisyah's isolated location on the edge of the Syrian Desert made it very vulnerable to Bedouin attacks, but it served a dual purpose as a place where negotiations between the government and the Bedouin tribes were held and where military campaigns against the Bedouin were launched. Hisyah was also utilized for controlling the trade of wheat and barley, where the cereals were collected and stored in mills.
...
Wikipedia