Al Hasakah (Arabic: الحسكة, Kurdish: Hesîçe) is a governorate in the far north-east corner of Syria that has the Euphrates river running through it. It is distinguished by its fertile lands, plentiful water, picturesque nature, and more than one hundred archaeological sites.
The inhabitants of Al Hasakah are mainly Kurds, but minorities include Arabs and Assyrian Christians. The population of the governorate was estimated in 2006 to be 1,225,926.
The most prominent archaeological sites are:
Hamoukar:considered by some archaeologists to be the oldest city in the world
Tell Halaf: Excavations have revealed successive civilization levels and beautiful basalt sculptures.
Tell Brak: Situated halfway between al-Hasakah city and the frontier town of al-Qamishli. Excavations in the tell have revealed the Uyun Temple and King Naram-Sin palace-stronghold.
Tell Hittin: 15 layers of occupation have been identified.
Tell Lilan: Excavations began in 1975 and have revealed many artefacts and buildings dating back to the 6th millennium BCE such as a bazaar, temple, palace, etc.
It is well known that the Khabur River, which flows through al-Hasakah for 440 km, witnessed the birth of the some of the earliest civilizations in the world.
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