Al-Safa (Syria)


As-Safa, also known as Tulul al-Safa, Arabic for Al-Safa hills, is a hilly region which lies in southern Syria, north-east of Jabal Al-Arab volcanic plateau. It consists of a basaltic lava field of volcanic origin, covering an area of 220 square kilometres, and contains at least 38 cinder cones. This volcanic field lies within the northern part of the massive alkaline Harrat Ash Shamah volcanic field that extends from southern Syria, through eastern Jordan to Saudi Arabia. The region is extremely scarce in water.

Volcanic activities

The field contains numerous vents which have been active during the Holocene Epoch. A boiling lava lake was observed in the Es Safa volcanic area in the middle of the 19th century.

Demography

The region was frequently used by the Druze through history as a refuge in the years of war. The whole region currently lies within As-Suwayda Governorate, as the governorate's borders run along the region's boundaries. Only roaming Bedouins visit it occasionally, in addition to some archaeologists. Safaitic inscriptions were first discovered in this area in 1857, and were named after the region.

Syrian civil war

In the Syrian civil war, al-Safa became the last pocket of ISIL in the As-Suwayda Governorate and the Rif-Damasiq Governorate. It was surrounded by the Syrian Army in the As-Suwayda offensive. The area was captured on 17 November 2018.

List of volcanic cones in Es Safa