Syria - Hâdir Quinnasrîn

Archaeological research in Hadir Qinnasrin is part of a broader project on the genesis of the Islamic city in the near East. The aim of this research is to study the formation and evolution of the city of Qinnasrin, the capital of the administrative unit of the same name in northern Syria from the 7th century to the 10th century. The scientific aim of this programme is to approach, from an archaeological point of view, the issue of settlements that developed out of military camps set up by armies in conquered provinces outside Arabia (amsar). Of these early cities, Qinnasrin is one of the few that are still partially accessible and in good condition.

This research programme was launched in 1997 by a team led by Marianne Barrucand (University of Paris IV), who worked in collaboration with Donald Whitcomb (The Oriental Institute, the University of Chicago) and Clauss-Peter Haase (The Berlin Art and History Museum). The choice of location was made following a rapid prospecting exercise in 1997, and on the basis of information contained in texts and, above all, toponymy. Hadir (which means “the camp” in Arabic) is a village of around 25,000 inhabitants south-west of the city of Aleppo. It lies 4 km east of the settlement of al-‘Is, which is part of the ancient city of Chalcis (which has not yet been subject to an archaeological survey). The Quwayq River, which disappears into a region of marsh in the south, flows between these two sites.

Since 2003, the mission has been jointly led by Marie-Odile Rousset and Fedwa Abidou (the General Department of Antiquities and Museums of Syria and the Aleppo Museum). After three years of field work, the nature of the settlement of this site is now clearer: it was a camp outside the city.