The Sājūr River is a long river originating in Turkey and flowing into the Euphrates in Syria. It is the smallest of the three rivers joining the Euphrates in Syria, and the only one that joins the Euphrates on its right bank. Occupation in the Sājūr basin started in the Lower Palaeolithic period and continues until today.
Course
The Sājūr River is long, of which in Turkey and in Syria. It is fed by two streams which join south of Gaziantep. From there, the Sājūr flows southeast until it crosses the Syro–Turkish border. The river then continues in a roughly easterly direction until it joins the Euphrates on its right bank in the area that is flooded by the Tishrin Dam reservoir. In Syria, the river cuts a valley into the Manbij Plain that is between below the level of the plain, and up to wide. Average discharge is per second. Maximum discharge, occurring in the months February and March, is per second, while minimum discharge, recorded for June–October, is per second. Average annual discharge is. Both in terms of length, as well as discharge, the Sājūr is the smallest of the three rivers that join the Euphrates on Syrian soil – the other two being the Balikh and the Khabur. The Sājūr is also the only river in Syria that enters the Euphrates on its right bank; both the Balikh and the Khabur flow into the Euphrates on the left bank.
Drainage basin
The Sājūr drains a total area of. The Syrian part of the Sājūr basin – the Manbij Plain – has been particularly well-studied. This area is bounded on the north by the Syro–Turkish border and extends as far south as Manbij. To the west, the Manbij Plain is bordered by basalt outcrops; probably the remains of a Pliocenevolcano. In the southeast of the plain, limestone outcrops force the Euphrates into the gorge of Qara Quzaq. These outcrops reach a height of over the plain. Reaching heights of amsl in the north, west and south, the Manbij Plain slopes down to amsl toward the east. In the western part of the drainage basin, flat grounds with fertile red-brown soils can be found, and this area is suitable for agriculture. Toward the east and along the Sājūr, the plain is dissected by numerous wadis, making these parts of the area less suitable for human occupation and agriculture. The Manbij Plain experiences a continental climate. Average temperatures range from in January to in July. Annual average precipitation is, but ranges from a minimum of per year in dry years to per year in exceptionally wet years. Although much of the area is cultivated today, combined palaeobotanical, climate and vegetation research suggest that the basin would support a xericwoodland vegetation with open oak forest and Rosaceae in the absence of human activity.
Both Turkey and Syria use water from the Sājūr for irrigation purposes. Since the 19th century, occupation in and cultivation of the Sājūr basin have steadily increased, especially in the western, more fertile part of the area. The introduction of motorized pumps has led to a considerable decrease of the groundwater table, with the effect that many wells have dried up. Turkey has built the Kayacık Dam on the Ayfinar Deresi, one of the two streams that join to form the Sajur. This high dam creates a reservoir with a surface area of. From this reservoir, an area of is irrigated. A dam with a planned reservoir capacity of is under construction on the Syrian part of the Sajour. The city of Aleppo disposes part of its wastewater into the Sājūr drainage system.
