Zardana
|
Zardana زردنا Zerdana |
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|---|---|
| Village | |
 Zardana
|
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| Coordinates: 36°02′46″N 36°45′16″E / 36.04611°N 36.75444°ECoordinates: 36°02′46″N 36°45′16″E / 36.04611°N 36.75444°E | |
| Country |
 Syria
|
| Governorate | Idlib |
| District | Idlib |
| Subdistrict | Maarrat Misrin |
| Population (2004) | |
| • Total | 5,769 |
| Time zone | EET (UTC+2) |
| • Summer (DST) | EEST (UTC+3) |
Zardana (Arabic: زردنا, also spelled Zerdana or Zirdana) is a village in northwestern Syria, administratively part of Idlib Governorate. The village lies in a relatively flat plain. Nearby localities include Taftanaz to the southeast, al-Fu'ah and Binnish to the south, Maarrat Misrin and Kafriya to the southwest, Kafr Yahmul to the west, Hizano to the northwest, Ibbin to the north, Kafr Nouran to the northeast and Maarra to the east. According to the Syria Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) Zardana had a population of 5,767 in the 2004 census.
In the 12th century, during the Crusades, Zardana was a significant fortress town which changed hands several times between the Crusaders and various Muslim powers. In modern times, the residents of the village are mostly employed in the civil service or in agriculture, with the main crops being wheat, barley and olives. The cultivation of the latter is a relatively recent development. Zardana's total land area roughly consists of 2,000 hectares. The health center provides medical care for the residents of Zardana and the surrounding villages. Zardana contains two primary schools and two secondary schools.
In 1100 Zardana was briefly under the control of the Principality of Antioch, a Crusader state based in Antioch near the Mediterranean coast. In June of that year, Bohemond I of Antioch defeated the Muslim leader Ridwan of Aleppo with the help of Crusader forces based in Zardana. Zardana, which was a strategic fortress between Antioch and Aleppo, was apparently reoccupied by the Muslims soon after. However, in 1110, Tancred easily captured the town from the Muslims after the successful siege he laid against nearby Atarib. The two towns subsequently marked the eastern frontier of the Principality of Antioch. A few years later both towns suffered severe damage as a result of an earthquake. From the time of its conquest by the Crusaders, Robert fitz-Fulk, served as the lord of Zardana, and due to the town's strategic value, became a powerful figure in the Principality of Antioch.
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