Shaqqa

Shaqqa

شَقَّا
Shaqqa شَقَّا
Town
	Al-Qaysariye residential palace in Shaqqa
	Shaqqa Location in Syria
	Coordinates: 32°53′50″N 36°41′53″E / 32.89722°N 36.69806°E
Country	Syria
Governorate	As-Suwayda Governorate
District	Shahba District
Control	Syrian opposition
Elevation	1,070 m (3,510 ft)
Population
• Total	8,000

Shaqqa or Shakka (Arabic: شَقَّا, romanized: Šaqqā) is a Syrian town in As Suwayda Governorate in southern Syria. The town's inhabitants are predominantly Druze who migrated to the region from Mount Lebanon starting from the 18th century.

In ancient times it was known as Saccaea (transliterated also as Sakkaia). In AD 287, it was given the rank of a city and the name Maximianopolis.^[1]^[2]^[3] Since it was situated in the Roman province of Arabia, it is distinguished from other cities by being called Maximianopolis in Arabia.

Location and architectural remains

Shaqqa is situated in the northern fringes of Jabal el Druze volcanic plateau at 1070 metres above sea level, 7 kilometres east of Shahba and about 25 kilometres north of As-Suwayda, the capital of the governatorate.

The ancient remains include several dwellings rich adorned both architecturally and by carvings. In addition it has:

The enormous Al-Qaysariye, generally interpreted as the residence of the Roman governors, but more probably a small forum linked with a vast basilical hall, which was worked on in the 3rd century.^[1] It has a number of rooms and halls with floral decorations.
A Roman civil basilica, later transformed into a church dedicated to Saint George. It is believed that this church is the oldest one dedicated to the martyr Saint George on the basis of a Greek inscription naming the building for the "holy and triumphant" martyr George. It is dated to either AD 368 or 197.^{[citation needed]}
A kalybe, an old architectural style of temples typical for the Roman era southern Syria.

Maximianopolis in Arabia, doubtless the seat of a Roman garrison,^[1] was a colonia,^[4] the highest rank of city in the empire. It employed a calendar era that counted the years from that of Maximian's accession to the imperial throne (AD 286).^[5] An inscription mentions a temple of Zeus Megistos,^[6] and another bearing an epigram about the philosopher Proclus is a witness to local literary culture.^[6]

Bishopric

In the 5th century Maximianopolis was an episcopal see,^[1] as indicated by the participation of its bishop Severus as a signatory of the Council of Chalcedon in 451.^[7]^[8] An inscription of 594 speaks of the local bishop, named Tiberinus, having erected a martyrium of Saint George and other martyrs.^[9] Another inscription mentions a Bishop Peter.^[10]

The bishopric of Maximianopolis in Arabia is included in the Catholic Church's list of titular sees.^[11] In the 19th century it was mistakenly called "Maximopolis", until corrected in 1885.^[10] Some sources of the same period proposed identification of Maximianopolis in Arabia with the town of Sheikh Miskin.^[10]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d UNESCO, Les villages antiques du nord de la Syrie, pp. 115-116
^ Kevin Butcher, Roman Syria and the Near East (Getty Publications 2003 ISBN 978-0-89236715-3), p. 157
^ Diana Darke, Syria (Bradt Travel Guides 2010 ISBN 978-1-84162314-6), p. 254
^ Monuments of Syria: Shaqqa
^ Johannes Koder / Marcel Restle: "Die Ära von Sakkaia (Maximianopulis) in Arabia", in: Jahrbuch der österreichischen Byzantinistik 42 (1992), pp. 79-82
^ ^a ^b Frank R. Trombley: Hellenic Religion & Christianization, c. 370-529, E. J. Brill, Leiden 1993 (= Religions in the Graeco-Roman world, 115), vol. II, p. 344
^ Eduard Schwarz (editor), Acta Conciliorum Oecumeniorum, Tom. II, vol. iii, pars 3, Walter de Gruyter, Berlin/Leipzig 1937, p. 544, No. 89
^ Mansi, "Coll. Conc.", VII, 168.
^ Trombley, Hellenic Religion (1993), p. 345
^ ^a ^b ^c Siméon Vailhé, "Maximopolis" in Catholic Encyclopedia (New York 1911)
^ Annuario Pontificio 2013 (Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 2013, ISBN 978-88-209-9070-1), p. 925

External links

Map of town, Google Maps

32°53′50″N 36°41′50″E / 32.89722°N 36.69722°E / 32.89722; 36.69722

[UNESCO-1] UNESCO, Les villages antiques du nord de la Syrie, pp. 115-116

[2] Kevin Butcher, Roman Syria and the Near East (Getty Publications 2003 ISBN 978-0-89236715-3), p. 157

[3] Diana Darke, Syria (Bradt Travel Guides 2010 ISBN 978-1-84162314-6), p. 254

[4] Monuments of Syria: Shaqqa

[5] Johannes Koder / Marcel Restle: "Die Ära von Sakkaia (Maximianopulis) in Arabia", in: Jahrbuch der österreichischen Byzantinistik 42 (1992), pp. 79-82

[trombley_344-6] Frank R. Trombley: Hellenic Religion & Christianization, c. 370-529, E. J. Brill, Leiden 1993 (= Religions in the Graeco-Roman world, 115), vol. II, p. 344

[7] Eduard Schwarz (editor), Acta Conciliorum Oecumeniorum, Tom. II, vol. iii, pars 3, Walter de Gruyter, Berlin/Leipzig 1937, p. 544, No. 89

[8] Mansi, "Coll. Conc.", VII, 168.

[9] Trombley, Hellenic Religion (1993), p. 345

[CE-10] Siméon Vailhé, "Maximopolis" in Catholic Encyclopedia (New York 1911)

[11] Annuario Pontificio 2013 (Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 2013, ISBN 978-88-209-9070-1), p. 925

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v t e Cities and towns of Syria
Governorate centres	Aleppo Damascus Daraa Deir ez-Zor Hama al-Hasakah Homs Idlib Latakia Quneitra Raqqa Rif Dimashq Suwayda Tartus
District centres	Abu Kamal Afrin Ariha Atarib Ayn al-Arab Azaz al-Bab Baniyas Darayya Dayr Hafir Douma Duraykish Fiq al-Haffah Harem Izra' Jableh Jarabulus Jisr ash-Shughur Maarat al-Numaan al-Malikiyah Manbij Masyaf Mayadin Mhardeh al-Mukharram al-Foqani an-Nabk Palmyra Qamishli Qardaha Qatana Qudsaya al-Qusayr al-Qutayfah Ra's al-'Ayn al-Rastan as-Safira Safita Salamiyah Salkhad al-Sanamayn Shahba ash-Shaykh Badr al-Suqaylabiyah Talkalakh al-Tall Tell Abyad al-Thawrah Yabroud Zabadani
Sub-district centres	Abu Qilqil Abu al-Thuhur Akhtarin Amuda Arbeen Arima al-Ariqah al-Arishah Armanaz Arwad al-Asharah Assal al-Ward Awj Ayn al-Fijah Ayn Halaqim Ayn Issa Ayn al-Nasr Babbila Banan Barri Sharqi Beit Jinn Binnish Bir al-Helou Bosra Bulbul Busayrah Da'el al-Dana Darat Izza Darkush al-Darbasiyah Deir Atiyah al-Dimas al-Dumayr Furqlus Ghabaghib Ghandoura al-Ghariyah al-Ghizlaniyah al-Hader Hadidah al-Hajar al-Aswad al-Hajib Hajin al-Hamidiyah al-Hamraa Harasta Harbnafsah Harran al-Awamid al-Hirak Hish Hisyah al-Hawl Huraytan al-Huwash Ibbin Samaan Ihsim Jayrud al-Jalaa al-Janudiyah Jaramana al-Jarniyah Jasim al-Jawadiyah Jubb al-Jarrah Jubb Ramlah Jindires al-Jiza al-Qabu Kafr Batna Kafr Nabl Kafr Takharim Kafr Zita al-Karamah al-Kasrah Kessab al-Khafsah Khan Shaykhun Khasham Kirnaz Kuwayris Sharqi Khanaser Khirbet Ghazaleh Khirbet al-Tin Mahmoud al-Kiswah Ma'arrat Misrin Maabatli Maadan Maaloula Madaya Mahin Malah al-Malihah al-Mansurah Mare' Markada Mashta al-Helu Maskanah al-Masmiyah al-Mazraa Muhambal Muhasan al-Musayfirah al-Mushannaf Muzayrib al-Nashabiyah al-Nasirah Nawa Nubl al-Qadmus al-Qahtaniyah Qalaat al-Madiq Qarah al-Qaryatayn al-Qurayya Qurqania Rajo Rankus Rasm Harmil al-Imam al-Rai al-Riqama al-Ruhaybah al-Saan Saasaa Sabburah al-Sabe' Biyar al-Sabkhah Sadad Sahnaya Saidnaya Salqin Saraqib Sarmin Sarrin Sawran Sebei al-Shaddadah al-Shajara Shaqqa Sharran Shathah Shaykh al-Hadid al-Shaykh Maskin Shayukh Tahtani Shin Sinjar Sirghaya Slinfah Suluk al-Surah al-Saghirah al-Suwar Suran al-Susah al-Sukhnah al-Tabni Talbiseh Taldou al-Tamanah Tasil Tell al-Daman Tell Hamis Tell Rifaat Tell Salhab Tell Tamer Tedef Thiban Uqayribat Urum al-Kubra Wadi al-Oyun al-Yaarubiyah al-Zirbah az-Ziyarah

Location and architectural remains

Bishopric

See also

References

External links