Deir ez-Zor

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Coordinates: 35°20′N, 40°9′E

Image:Dayr-az-Zawr-map.png

Deir ez-Zor governorate

Image:Deir ez Zor bridge.jpg

Suspension bridge of Deir ez Zor over the Euphrates River

Image:Deir ez-Zour-March8Square front.jpg

Deir ez-Zor March 8 square

Deir ez Zor, also spelled Dayr az-Zawr, Deir al-Zur and other variants (Arabic: دير الزور; Armenian: Տէր Զօր or Der Zor), is a city in northeastern Syria on the Euphrates River and capital of the Deir ez-Zor Governorate, 450 km from the capital, Damascus.^[1] It has a population of 133,000 (1994 estimate). It is a prosperous farming area, with cattle-breeding, cereals and cotton crops. Since the discovery of light crude oil in the Syrian desert it has become a centre for the country's oil extraction industry. It is also a minor centre for tourism with many touristic facilities as traditional riverbank restaurants up to 5-star hotels, a hub for trans-desert travel and has an airport (IATA code: DEZ) in Al-Jafra suburb. Also there are salt rock mines nearby.

Deir ez-Zor situated 85 km to the northwest of the archaeological remains of Dura-Europos and 120 km northwest of the remains of the ancient city of Mari. During Roman times it was an important trading post between the Roman Empire and India. Conquered by Zenobia, it became part of the kingdom of Palmyra. After a successive wave of conquests, it was finally destroyed by the Mongols as they swept across the Middle East.

The modern town was built by the Ottoman Empire in 1867. In 1915, during the Armenian Genocide, it witnessed grim scenes as hundreds of thousands of Armenians arrived at the end of forced death marches from Anatolia. Thousands died in Deir and surrounding areas, many at the Ra's al-'Ain springs outside the town. France occupied Deir ez-Zor in 1921 and made it the seat of a large garrison. In 1941 British-led forces defeated the French during the Syria-Lebanon campaign, which included a battle over Deir, and they handed administration of the region to the Free French. In 1946 it became part of independent Syria.

The Armenian Apostolic Church in the town contains a memorial to the victims of the genocide of 1915, and is an important center of commemoration, especially on 24 April. A memorial to the Armenian victims was completed in 1990.

Deir ez-Zor is also famous for its suspension bridge (Arabic: الجسر المعلق) that spans the Euphrates and was built by the French in 1930.^[1]

It has a regional-level museum and big Arabian Cultural Center. The newly established Al-Furat University has its center in Deir ez Zor. Of this University, faculties of Agriculture, Science, Arts and Humanities, Education, Law, Petrochemical Engineering and Medicine are located in the city, while other faculties spread in neighbouring districts. Many other vocational schools and professional institutes also provide post-secondary education. Local daily newspaper Al Furat is published there.

[edit] Operation Orchard

Operation Orchard^[2]^[3] was an Israeli airstrike on a target in the Deir ez-Zor^[4] region carried out just after midnight on September 6, 2007. According to news reports, the raid was carried out by the Israeli Air Force's 69th Squadron of F-15Is,^[5] F-16s, and an ELINT aircraft; a total of as many as eight aircraft. The fighters were equipped with AGM-65 Maverick missiles, 500lb bombs, and external fuel tanks.^[2]^[6] One report indicated that a team of IAF Shaldag commandos arrived at the site the day before so that they could highlight the target with laser beams.^[7]

While the various governments involved have maintained a veil of secrecy concerning specific details of the incidents, experts with the Institute for Science and International Security released a report in October 2007 identifying what they believe is a nuclear facility under construction.^[8] The report compared the Syrian facility as similar to that of the North Korean reactor at Yongbyon. ^[9]