42-739: Ain Dara , also spelled Ayn Dara , Ein Dara or Andara may refer to: Ain Dara (archaeological site) , an Iron Age site near Aleppo, Syria Ain Dara, Aleppo Governorate , a village in the Aleppo Governorate, Syria Ayn Dara, Rif Dimashq Governorate , a village in Rif Dimashq Governorate, Syria Ain Dara, Lebanon , a town in the Mount Lebanon Governorate, Lebanon [REDACTED] Topics referred to by
84-465: A cherubim relief. The entrance porch, or portico, marked by two basalt piers or pillars, and a wide hall, were not roofed over and were part of an open courtyard. The entrance pillars appear to have architectural and cultic significance. A sphinx and two lions decorate the temple portico flanking the three steps (out of four) made from basalt. The main sections include the porch, a middle room and an inner room or sanctum sanctorum . The middle room
126-438: A pro-Turkish militia (National Liberation Front) who established a shooting range against the archaeological hill of Ain Dara in the occupied Afrin province invaded and controlled by Turkish forces and their proxy militias last year, revealed the tragic disappearance of the famous historical masterpiece known as The Lion of Afrin. Ain Dara itself was targeted by Turkish jets in 2018 as Turkish units and their proxy forces advanced on
168-702: A road known as the international coastal highway between the Syrian Desert and Mediterranean Sea . According to the Assad government , the temple was significantly damaged by Turkish jets during the Turkish military operation in Afrin in late January 2018. Reports indicate that at least 60% percent of the structure was reduced to rubble. The entire front facade of the temple has been destroyed in photos and video released online. The site's emblematic basalt lion
210-423: A secondary wall are part of the visible remains. In the small shrine area situated at the innermost area of the temple, the wall has carved sockets and grooves, which point to the former presence of a wooden screen. A ramp joins the main room to the platform area and the sanctum. The back wall of the sanctum has a niche which probably housed a statue of a god or goddess. Paved floors and wall reliefs are visible in
252-423: A series of side chambers on three sides of the temple". It has also been inferred that these chambers were part of the pre-existing temple platform and not linked to the main temple. A pair of large, bare footprints, each about 1 m (3 ft 3 in) in length, are carved into the stone floors of the portico, followed by a single footprint carved beyond the first two, and another single footprint carved into
294-489: A three-part layout with structural blocks of basalt on limestone foundations. However, it has been conjectured that the temple probably had a mud-brick superstructure covered with wood paneling, which has not survived. A courtyard built with sandstones provides the approach to the temple. The courtyard is paved with flagstones where a chalkstone basin for ceremonial purposes is seen. The temple, 30 by 20 m (98 by 66 ft) in size, faces southeast. Its exterior contains
336-409: Is 6 metres (20 ft) by 15.5 metres (51 ft) in area and is lined with lion reliefs, guilloché , and panels resembling windows. The square main hall is 16 metres (52 ft) by 16 metres (52 ft); at the rear end of this hall reliefs and a stele were added. There are basalt reliefs in the lower wall panels. An elevated podium (0.75 m (2 ft 6 in) high platform), a niche, and
378-622: Is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Ain Dara (archaeological site) The Ain Dara temple is a destroyed Iron Age Syro-Hittite temple noted for its similarities to Solomon's Temple , also known as the "First Temple in Jerusalem ", as described in the Hebrew Bible . It is located near the village of Ain Dara , in Afrin District , Syria . According to
420-603: The Akkadian period of 2300 – 2159 BC. A second, copper lion found there, is on permanent exhibit in the Metropolitan Museum of Art . Hamza Division (Aleppo) Former: Second Libyan Civil War (since 2020) (alleged) The al-Hamza Division ( Arabic : فرقة الحمزة ) is a Syrian rebel group in northwestern Syria affiliated with the Syrian National Army , trained and equipped by
462-894: The United States , the United Kingdom and Turkey as part of the Syrian Train and Equip Program . Formed in 2013, it cooperates with the Turkish Armed Forces in the Turkish occupation of northern Syria . The Hamza Division was originally formed as the Hamza Brigade of the Free Syrian Army (FSA) in the southern countryside of the Hasakah Governorate in northeast Syria in 2013. On 23 April 2016, five FSA groups based in
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#1732772166223504-580: The cherubim of the First Temple. Massive footprints were carved into the floor; whether of giants, humans, or animals is debatable. Also left to speculation is to whom the temple is dedicated. Ain Dara may have been devoted to Inanna , the female Mesopotamian deity of fertility and civilisation, or to the Canaanite version of Ishtar, ʿAṯtart . It also might have been dedicated to the male storm deity Hadad , or it might have been an oracle on
546-522: The Ain Dara site were first reported by a local resident via Dutch news network NOS on 23 January 2018. As reported on MSN news, with the headline "Blown to bits", it is clear the temple was heavily damaged. "For 3,000 years, the lion sculptures of Syria's Ain Dara stood as testaments to the Iron Age. But as Turkish bombardment pounds the region, they have little left but their paws." As stated by
588-534: The Directorate of Antiquities in Afrin on 31 January 2018: "Turkish forces revealed the occupation of Syrian geography in its real face, especially the Turkish state, since the declaration of war on Afrin canton on 20 January 2018, as it escalated Operation Olive Branch to go beyond the targeting of military forces to include shelling villages and towns full of civilians from the elderly, children and women To
630-598: The Hamza Division became one of the first FSA groups to enter Jarabulus from Karkamış . Sayf Balud was among those who followed behind Turkish Land Forces tanks and troops and entered Jarabulus in the morning of the first day of the operation, reaching the city center by afternoon. He later gave a speech to residents in Jarabulus. On 18 October 2016, the Northern Thunder Brigade, part of
672-548: The Hamza Division, issued an ultimatum to the YPG and the Army of Revolutionaries , warning them to leave Tell Rifaat within 48 hours after which they would attack the town. The threat was not carried out. On 24 September 2017, the Hamza Division announced the opening of a military academy in the city of al-Bab . According to Abdullah Halawa, the military commander of the group, 2,200 fighters were to undergo two months of training in
714-828: The academy, with the goal of forming a "Syrian National Army" in northern Syria. In January 2018, the group participated in Operation Olive Branch , the Turkish Armed Forces ' invasion of the Afrin Region , against the YPG-led Syrian Democratic Forces . In February, the Kurdish Falcons Brigade (aka Red Berets) was formed as part of the Hamza Division. Led by Hasan Abdullah Kulli, it claimed to consist of 400 Kurds and 200 Arabs . The TAF and TFSA captured Afrin on 18 March 2018, after SDF fighters withdrew from
756-644: The architectural elements found in Ain Dara are tallied with 65 of the features mentioned in the Biblical description of Solomon's Temple. In late January 2018, both the Syrian Directorate-General of Antiquities and Museums and pro-rebel Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported major destruction of the temple following airstrikes by the Turkish Air Force in the course of their Afrin offensive . Aerial bombardments of
798-683: The area known for its archaeological wealth that featured one of the world's oldest temples often compared in significance to the Temple of Solomon... The disappearance of the Lion of Afrin marks another war crime against Syrian history and humanity at large." U.N. organizations and human rights groups have heavily warned since February 2019 that Turkish backed rebel forces were carrying out systematic violent and deadly attacks against Kurdish civilians in Afrin. “ The commission finds there are reasonable grounds to believe that armed group members in Afrin committed
840-567: The area of ancient Hurrian city of Urkesh , which was founded during the 3000 BC era. Excavations have been on hold during the Syrian War since 2011, but unlike Ain Dara, the Urkesh site is protected by Kurdish YPG troops since 2016. Additionally, in the town of Urkesh, the copper Louvre lion and accompanying stone tablet bearing the earliest known text in Hurrian was discovered, dating to
882-467: The areas of Afrin and looted facilities near Ras al-Ayn in the Al-Hasakah region of Northeast Syria. The basalt lion sculpture, which was discovered in 1956, like the Ain Dara temple itself, is now gone: "On December 20th [2019], the Turkish army and its mercenaries attacked Afrin with tanks, artillery and jets causing massive destruction of the city....Recent footage of a military exercise by
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#1732772166223924-483: The city. On 25 March, Hamza Division fighters killed a commander of Ahrar al-Sharqiya in Afrin in a dispute over territory and spoils of war , resulting in clashes between the two groups. In response, Ahrar al-Sharqiya arrested around 200 Hamza Division fighters. A ceasefire agreement between the two groups was signed on the same day under Turkish supervision. In June 2018, the Hamza Division assassinated an Ahrar al-Sham commander in al-Bab . The Hamza Division
966-518: The command of Syrian Army defector Lt. Sayf Balud ("Sayf Abu Bakr"), the factions receive military support from CJTF-OIR , the international coalition against ISIL. In June 2016, the Northern Thunder Brigade received BGM-71 TOW missiles from CJTF-OIR. Also that month, a Syrian Turkmen group called the " Samarkand Brigade", named after the city in Uzbekistan , joined the Hamza Division. During Operation Euphrates Shield in late August,
1008-433: The excavator, Ali Abu Assaf, it existed from 1300 BC until 740 BC and remained almost unchanged during the construction of Solomon's Temple (1000–900 BC) as it had been before so it predates the First Temple. The temples of Emar , Mumbaqat , and Ebla (Temple D) are also comparable, as is the nearby 8th century BCE temple at Tell Tayinat . The surviving sculptures depict lions and sphinxes , which are comparable to
1050-469: The footprints. Monson has also noted that the deities in all the Ain Dara temple reliefs have "shoes with curled-up toes". The source of the footprints is debatable. After the 1980–1985 excavations, the similarities between the temple at Ain Dara with Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem as described in the Biblical texts, though not seen on the ground, were discussed by archaeologists and historians. Already
1092-483: The group, including holding female prisoners naked. During the protests members of Ahrar al-Sham and Jaysh al-Islam (exiled from East Ghouta), clashed with the Hamza Division at their headquarters and were eventually able to take over the headquarters, arresting several Hamza Division members in the process. Three Hamza Division members were killed in the course of the confrontation. On September 9, 2021, five Turkish-supported groups announced that they had merged into
1134-458: The main tell that is 25 m (82 ft) above the surrounding plain, and the lower acropolis which covers an area of 25 ha (60 acres). Just east of the temple site is the modern-day village of Ain Dara . The discovery of the temple was the result of a fortuitous finding of a colossal basalt lion in 1955. Excavations in 1956, 1962, and 1964 were conducted by Maurice Dunand and Feisal Seirafi; beginning in 1976, Ali Abu Assaf continued
1176-447: The multistoried hallways, at least three stories high, that flank three sides of the temple, with at least one southern entrance. Figure-eight lattice patterns are included on two false, recessed windows that were carved into the temple walls. While all these were dated as part of first- and second-phase creations, the material remains unearthed at the site identify additions made in the third phase of construction, an " ambulatory with
1218-616: The northern countryside of Aleppo " and called on international organizations to denounce the attack on Ain Dara. In early December 2019, Al-Hamzat backed by Turkish forces, took part in Operation Peace Spring , journeying out to eventually plunder the already Turkish-bombed disaster area of 'Ain Dara's archaeological site. It was reported across multiple news outlets including the Syrian information news network of SANA , that this group also carried out illegal excavations in
1260-409: The property of all mankind. We call on the international community and all organizations involved in this field to intervene immediately, seriously and Turkish Cultural and Human Heritage in Afrin canton". The Directorate-General of Antiquities and Museums and Syrian Ministry of Culture issued a statement condemning the attack on the site as "aggression of the Turkish regime on archaeological sites in
1302-554: The rich and varied history and civilization of the province from prehistoric times to the present day." "On 27 January 2018, the Turkish state warplanes bombarded and damaged the ancient "Ein -Darat" temple, despite its distance from the fighting fronts and the areas of engagement, by about 20 kilometers. Accordingly, the Directorate of Antiquities in Afrin canton and all the bodies and councils associated with Democratic Autonomous Administration and civil institutions condemn this savage shelling of sites and archaeological sites that are
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1344-426: The same term This disambiguation page lists articles about distinct geographical locations with the same name. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ain_Dara&oldid=1037477491 " Category : Place name disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description
1386-455: The smaller 8th-century Tell Tayinat temple, discovered during excavations in 1936 and located about 50 miles (80 km) away, had "caused a sensation because of its similarities to Solomon's Temple." There are many features in common with Solomon's Temple as described in the Books of Kings . The layout of Dara is similar to that of the Biblical temple, which was also of a long room plan with
1428-481: The three-room configuration of a portico at the entrance followed by the main chamber with the shrine. The difference is in the antechamber, which is an add-on in the Ain Dara temple. The size of the Solomon temple was 35 m (115 ft) by 9 m (30 ft) while that of the Ain Dara is 30 m (98 ft) long by 20 m (66 ft) wide without side chambers. Other similarities include In brief, 33 of
1470-409: The threshold. "These footprints undoubtedly represent the deity to whom the temple was dedicated, probably Ba'al Hadad, striding into his abode, towards the throne room." This parallels Ezekiel 43 :7, where Yahweh explains that the Temple in Jerusalem "is the place of My throne and the place for the soles of My feet". Such an individual would be 20 m (66 ft) in height based on the size of
1512-802: The town of Mare' in the northern Aleppo Governorate countryside, the Hamza Brigade, the Dhi Qar Brigade, the Northern Thunder Brigade, the Mare Resistance Brigade, and the Special Operations Brigade merged into the Hamza Division, citing "interests of unity" and proclaiming its intention to fight the "crime and terror" of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and the Syrian government . Under
1554-582: The village of Joga, near the aforementioned Afrin, terrorists of the Al Hamzat organization seized a Basalt Lion at the Archaeological site of Ain Dara "... There are many tell [archaeological mound] sites in the surrounding area, such as Tall Sulaymānī , which in Arabic means "Tell of Solomon". Furthermore, to the east also is Qamishli , the second largest city in the al-Hasakah Governorate, which
1596-623: The war crimes of hostage-taking, cruel treatment, torture, and pillage ,” the United Nations report said. After months of warnings, on 17 December 2019, the Prensa Latina news source detailed the looting of Ain Dara, reporting: "...these elements carried out illegal excavations in areas of the town of Afrin, in the north of Aleppo and looted properties and facilities in the village of Tal Mohammed and near that of Ras Al Ayn, in that of Hasaka. Various sources also indicated that in
1638-620: The work. The earliest habitation signs on the tell are from the Chalcolithic period during the fourth millennium BC, and the tell remained occupied until the Ottoman period (1517 -1917). Ali Abu Assaf discovered the temple and inferred that it was built in three structural phases in the period from about 1300 BC to 740 BC. The first phase was from 1300 to 1000 BC, the second phase from 1000 to 900 BC, and third phase from 900 to 740 BC. The Ain Dara temple , as excavated, has revealed
1680-676: Was among the groups which volunteered to send fighters to Libya, as part of the Turkish military intervention in the Second Libyan Civil War , in December 2019. In May 2020, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported several deaths of Syrian fighters in Libya, including Hamza members. On 28 May protestors in Afrin demanded the withdrawal of the Hamza Division from Afrin after several abuses carried out by
1722-620: Was home to a significant Jewish community in ancient times. It was also the modern center of Syriac Christianity , formed after the 1915 Assyrian Genocide , which followed the Armenian and Greek genocides perpetrated against the Syrian Christians during WWI. An estimated 20,000 Christians left the city of Qamishli after the 2011 Syrian War erupted. Qamishli is situated at the base of the Taurus Mountains , located near
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1764-590: Was stolen in December 2019 by members of the Hamza Division , which is part of the Syrian National Army . Ain Dara temple is located in north Syria, 67 kilometres (42 mi) northwest of Aleppo near the Syro-Turkish border. It was built on a terrace known as the " acropolis of the tell ". The tell itself is precipitous-faced and overlooks the Afrin Valley . The area is divided in two parts,
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