Izra

Izra' ازرع
Town
The Basilica of St. George in Izra'
Izra' Location in Syria
Coordinates: 32°50′43.45″N 36°14′59.48″E / 32.8454028°N 36.2498556°E / 32.8454028; 36.2498556Coordinates: 32°50′43.45″N 36°14′59.48″E / 32.8454028°N 36.2498556°E / 32.8454028; 36.2498556
Grid position	267/253 PAL
Country	Syria
Governorate	Daraa Governorate
District	Izra' District
Nahiyah	Izra'
Elevation	600 m (1,968 ft)
Population (2004 census)
• Total	19,158
Time zone	EET (UTC+2)
• Summer (DST)	+3 (UTC)

Izra' (Arabic: ازرع‎‎ Izra') is a town in Syria, administratively belonging to Izra' District of the Daraa Governorate located north of Daraa. Izra' has an altitude of 599 metres and had a population of 19,158 in 2004, according to the Syria Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS). The population is predominantly Christian.

Izraa, (Zorava, Zorowa or Zorabene) was a Canaanite city mentioned in the Bible. Located 80 km south of Damascus in the northern section of the Province of Daraa, its name appears in the “Tell Amarna letters”, documents which were exchanged between the Egyptian and Syrian rulers in 1334 B.C. Ancient inscriptions left by the Romans after their occupation of the Bashan area evidence the importance of the town.

An inscription, found by the archaeologist Richter, shows that the city was elevated to the rank of metrokomia (Great city) under the Emperor Alexander Severus (222-235 A.D.) and was known as Zorava.

Lejah, (Trachonides or “the Rocky Land ”) forms a triangle with Borac as the summit, Izraa to the south-west and Shahba to the south-east. In the course of history, this region was a natural fortress that invaders found very difficult to conquer. Herod’s soldiers failed to occupy it. Even the Crusaders under Baldwin III could not subdue it, because of its difficult terrain, the lack of water and the resistance of its people.

The Gospel reached this region early because of its close proximity to the Holy Land ; it thus became an episcopal seat during the Byzantine era. It was ranked second after the metropolitan see of Bosra throughout the whole of the Province of Arabia .

In 1253 An-Nasir Yusuf ordered the roofing of the Friday mosque in Izra.

The historian Ismail Abulfida described in his book “Taqwim al Buldan” that it was “to be one of the major capitals of Hauran, 18 miles from the region of Sanameine”.

In 1596 Izra' appeared in the Ottoman tax registers as Madinat Zura' and was part of the nahiya of Badi Sarma in the Qada of Hauran. It had a Christian population consisting of 175 households and 61 bachelors, and a Muslim population of 59 households and 30 bachelors. Taxes were paid on wheat, barley, goats and/or beehives, water mill and jizya.