Syria's communities and civilizations – history, sites and heritage
Arameans (Aramaean kingdoms)
الآراميون
Civilizations and historical peopleshistorical
The Arameans were a confederacy of Aramaic-speaking tribes who founded kingdoms across Syria from the late 11th century BC, including Aram-Damascus, Bit Adini, Bit Bahiani (Guzana), Hamath and Arpad. Assyria conquered them by 720 BC, but their language spread across the Near East. The ancient kingdoms are historical; Aramaic-speaking Christians today are covered elsewhere.
Arameans first appear in inscriptions of Tiglath-pileser I (1115–1077 BC). By the end of the 11th century BC they had formed Bit Adini on the Euphrates; Damascus, according to UNESCO, became an important city only with their arrival. The Aramean rulers of Bit Bahiani ruled from Guzana (Tell Halaf), where King Kapara built a hilani palace.
Sources and details
Hamath fought Shalmaneser III at Qarqar in 853 BC. Tiglath-pileser III took Arpad, the centre of Aramean resistance in northern Syria, in 740 BC and Damascus in 732 BC; Sargon II's destruction of Hamath in 720 BC ended the western Aramean kingdoms.
A bilingual Akkadian–Aramaic inscription of Hadad-yith'i was found at Tell Fekheriye. The core collection of the National Museum of Aleppo comes from the Tell Halaf finds.
Sites connected with this community 7
- Tell Fekheriye (Sikani)Hasakah · Churches & monasteries
Find-spot of the Akkadian–Aramaic bilingual of Hadad-yith'i.
- Tell Halaf (Guzana)Hasakah · Churches & monasteries
Tell Halaf (Guzana), capital of Bit Bahiani with Kapara's palace.
- National Museum of AleppoAleppo, Aleppo · Museums
Core collection formed from Tell Halaf finds.
- Tell Ahmar (Til Barsip / Masuwari / Kar-Shalmaneser)Aleppo · Churches & monasteries
Til Barsip, capital of Bit Adini.
- Ancient City of DamascusDamascus · Historic architecture
Damascus, an important city from the Aramean period onward.
- QarqarHama · Archaeological sites
Qarqar, battle of 853 BC between Shalmaneser III and a coalition including Hamath.
- Tell AfisIdlib · Archaeological sites
Tell Afis (Hatarikka-Luhuti), Luwian-Aramean state.
Further sites (not yet in the atlas)
- Arslan Tash (Hadatu) أرسلان طاشAleppo
Centre of an Aramean kingdom conquered by Assyria, with a Neo-Assyrian palace and famous ivories (some in Aleppo, some in the Louvre); not in the atlas data.
These categories describe history, language and faith – not exclusive identities. Many Syrians belong to several, and some names refer to civilizations of the past.