Orontes River
| Orontes | |
| Greek: Ὀρόντης, Arabic: العاصي: ‘Āṣī, Turkish: Asi | |
| River | |
 Orontes River in Hama, Syria
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| Countries | Lebanon, Syria, Turkey |
|---|---|
| Cities | Homs, Hama, Jisr al-Shughur, Antakya |
| Source | Labweh |
| - location | Beqaa Valley, Lebanon |
| - elevation | 910 m (2,986 ft) |
| - coordinates | 34°11′49″N 36°21′9″E / 34.19694°N 36.35250°E |
| Mouth | Samandağ |
| - location | Hatay Province, Turkey |
| - coordinates | 36°2′43″N 35°57′49″E / 36.04528°N 35.96361°ECoordinates: 36°2′43″N 35°57′49″E / 36.04528°N 35.96361°E |
| Length | 571 km (355 mi) |
| Basin | 23,000 km2 (8,880 sq mi) |
| Discharge | |
| - average | 11 m3/s (388 cu ft/s) |
The Orontes (/əˈrɒntiz/; ) or Asi (Arabic: العاصي, ‘Āṣī; Turkish: Asi) is a northward-flowing river which begins in Lebanon and flows through Syria and Turkey before entering the Mediterranean Sea.
In ancient times, it was the chief river of the Levant region. The modern name ‘Āṣī is derived from the ancient Axius. The word coincidentally means "rebel" in Arabic, which folk etymology ascribes to the fact that the river flows from the south to the north unlike the rest of the rivers in the region.
In the 9th century BC, the ancient Assyrians referred to the river as Arantu, and the nearby Egyptians called it Araunti. The etymology of the name is unknown. Arantu gradually became "Orontes" in Greek. In contrast, Macedonian settlers in Apamea named it the Axius, after a Macedonian river god. The Arabic name "Asi" was derived from "Axius".
The Greek geographer Strabo refers to the river in the Geographica. According to Strabo, the river was originally named Typhon, because it was said that Zeus had struck the dragon Typhon down from the sky with thunder, and the river had formed where Typhon's body had fallen. He writes that the river was later renamed Orontes when a man named Orontes built a bridge on it.
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Wikipedia