Abu Kamal

Al-Bukamal or Al-Bu-Kamal (Arabic: البوكمال‎ , Turkis: Ebu Kemal or Kışla), referred tae as Abu Kamal an aw, is a ceety in eastren Sirie on the Euphrates River near the border wi Iraq. The Euphrates divides Al-Bukamal intae twa auries: Shamiyya (belonging tae the Levant) an Jazira (belonging tae Mesopotamie) Al-Jazira, a plains region foond on northeastren Sirie an northwestren Iraq, quite destinct frae the Sirie Desert an lawer-lyin central Mesopotamie. Al-Bukamal is an economically prosperous fermin region wi cattle-breedin, cereals, an cotton crops. It is hame tae the historical steid Dura-Europos an the auncient kinrick o Mari an aw.

Abu Kamal البوكمال
Al-Bukamal
The Euphrates river seen frae Abu Kamal
Abu Kamal Location in Sirie
Coordinates: 34°27′13″N 40°56′12″E
Kintra	Sirie
Govrenorate	Deir ez-Zor Govrenorate
Destrict	Abu Kamal Destrict
Elevation	175 m (574 ft)
Population  (2008 est)
• Total	66,589
Time zone	UTC+2 (EET)
• Summer (DST)	+3

Etymology

Durin the Ottoman time, Al-Bukamal wis cried kışla, pronoonced locally as "qashla", which is a Turkis wird for "military barracks". This name "Qashla" is still uised bi some indwallers o the aurie, especially bi elderly villagers. The name "Al-Bukmal" (Arabic: البوكمال) means "the family of Kamal", Kamal bein the tribe that lives thare, whauras the name Abu Kamal means "the father of Kamal".

History

During Roman times Al-Bukamal wis, as pairt of Mesopotamie, an important trading post atween the Roman Empire an Indie. Conquered bi Zenobia, it became pairt o the kinrick of Palmira.

During the early Islamic Empire, the admeenistration of Jazira wis efter shared wi that of Armenie. At the time of Mu'awiyah (govrenor of Sirie an the later founder o the Umayyad Caliphate), the admeenistration of al-Jazira wis included in theadministration of Sirie.

In the 17'th century, Abukamal wis the seat of an Ottoman sanjak in the Eyalet o Ar Ruha, modren Şanliurfa. It wis a kaza centre in Zor Mutasarrıflığı (Destrict o Zor), which centre wis Deir ez-Zor afore endin Ottoman rule in 1918.

France occupied Al-Bukamal thegither wi Deir ez-Zor in 1921 an made it the seat o a lairge garrison. In 1946 it became pairt of independent Sirie. The region's poseetion at the border of Sirie an Iraq, especially efter the US invasion of Iraq, haes made it an important commercial as well as poleetical center.

American Attack

Main airticle: 2008 Abu Kamal raid

On Monday, 27 October 2008, fower US helicopters caried oot a raid on the vilage of Sukkariyeh in Al-Bukamal. It wis the first kent raid inside Sirie bi the US. News reports indicate that at least seiven fowk war killed, fower of them childer. Al-Bukamal is locatit near tae Qaim, a crossin pynt for the Iraqi insurgency an the location o Operation Steel Curtain in November, 2005. The Sirie Foreign Meenister Walid Muallem statit that "Killing civilians in internaitional law means a terrorist aggression."

Freemit airtins

• Abu Kamal Archived 2006-10-28 at the Wayback Machine (in Arabic)