Burj Qa'i

Burj Qa'i برج قاعي Burj al-Qa'y al-Burj
Village
Burj Qa'i Location in Syria
Coordinates: 34°52′56″N 36°34′35″E / 34.88222°N 36.57639°E / 34.88222; 36.57639
Country	Syria
Governorate	Homs Governorate
District	Homs District
Nahiya	Taldou
Population (2004)
• Total	2,351

Burj Qa'i (Arabic: برج قاعي‎‎, also spelled Burj al-Qa'y or simply al-Burj) is a village in central Syria, administratively part of the Homs Governorate, located northwest of Homs. Nearby localities include Taldou and the Houla 5 kilometers to the west, Talaf to the north, Kisin to the northeast, Kafr Nan to the east, Tasnin and Akrad Dayasinah to the southeast and Ghur Gharbiyah to the south. According to the Syria Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), Burj Qa'i had a population of 2,351 in the 2004 census.^[1] Its inhabitants are predominantly Sunni Muslims and ethnic Turkmens.^[2]

During the Roman era in Syria, Burj Qa'i was a village of army veterans by the 3rd-century CE. The local pagan deity was Semea, a goddess previously worshiped in northern areas of Syria. A temple dedicated to Semea was constructed in 196-97 upon the decision of the village's Council of Six. Christianity later spread to Burj Qa'i during the Byzantine period, as evidenced by the existence of a Christian tomb in the village dating to 457. A Christian martyrion built in 539-40 through funds raised by a bishop named Peter also exists in Burj Qa'i. The building's construction was supervised by the episcopal officials Leontius and Isaiah, who were oikonomos. Pagans and Christians inhabited Burj al-Qa'i simultaneously in the period between 457 and 532.^[3]

In 1838, during late Ottoman rule, Burj al-Qa'i was classified as a Muslim village in the Houla region by English biblical scholar Eli Smith.^[4] The village was also mentioned in passing in the fifth volume of the Bibliotheca Sacra in the mid-1840s.^[5]

In the aftermath of the Houla massacre on 25 May 2012, during the ongoing Syrian civil war, Burj Qa'i hosted around 5,000 refugees fleeing nearby Taldou, the scene of the massacre. Most refugees took shelter in schools, public buildings or the homes of host families. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) visited in June to provide food, medicines and mattresses to the displaced.^[6] In early October 2012 Syrian state television reported that Syrian Army forces killed several opposition fighters in Burj Qa'i.^[7]

References

Bibliography

Homs Governorate
Homs District Homs Subdistrict Homs Abil Abu Dali Ashrafiyah al-Dar al-Kabirah Fahilah Fairouzeh Hubub al-Rih Halmuz al-Hurriyah Jawalik Jawbar Judaydat al-Assi Judaydat al-Sharqiyah Kafr Abed Kafr Aya Maskanah al-Mubarakiyah al-Mukhtariyah al-Najmah al-Naqirah Qattinah al-Rayyan al-Riyadh Sakrah Teir Maalah Tell Ahmar Tell al-Naqa Tell al-Shur Tell Zubaydah al-Thabitiyah Zaidal Zhuriyah Ayn al-Niser Subdistrict Ayn al-Niser Ayn al-Dananir Ayn Husayn Gharbi Ayn Husayn Shamali Baddu Burzah Humaydiyah al-Jabiriyah al-Mushrifah Talamri Waridah Furqlus Subdistrict Furqlus Fatim al-Arnouk al-Hazzah Hulayah Jabab Hamad Jubb al-Shami al-Nasriyah al-Sabuniyah al-Sayyid Hisyah Subdistrict Hisyah Bureij Dibeh Jandar al-Kashaf al-Ma'murah Shamsin Khirbet Tin Nur Subdistrict Khirbet Tin Nur Aysun Balqasah Bataysah al-Dahiyah al-Umaliyah al-Faysiyah Ghuzaylah Khirbet Ghazi Khirbet al-Hamam Khirbet Hayek Khirbet al-Sawda Khirbet Tin Mahmoud Kunaysah Liftaya Marj Bulad Marj al-Qata Mashahdah (Khirbet Sawda) al-Mazraa Nur Nuwayha Qazhal Qebbi al-Rabwah Ram al-Anz Ram Jabal Sannun Shalluh Tarin Tannunah Umm al-'Adam Umm al-Qasab Umm Haratayn Wujuh al-Hajar al-Zurzuriyah Zayti al-Bahra Zawr Baqraya Mahin Subdistrict Mahin al-Ghunthir Huwwarin Qabu Subdistrict Al-Qabu Autan Fahil al-Qanaqiyah Rabah Sharqliyya al-Shinyah Qaryatayn Subdistrict Al-Qaryatayn Tiyas Riqama Subdistrict Al-Riqama Alyat Awar al-Aziziyah Dardaghan al-Hamrat Jabab al-Zayt al-Madaba al-Manzul al-Nuzhah al-Rawdah Shayrat Sadad Subdistrict Sadad al-Hafar Shin Subdistrict Shin Bahhur al-Diyabiyah Hadiyah Hasur al-Jabbat Jablaya Juwaykat al-Mahfurah Muranah Muta'arid Sufr Suwayri Uyun al-Wadi Zaafarinah Gharbi Taldou Subdistrict Taldou Karad Dayasinah Arqaya Burj Qa'i Ghawr Gharbiyah Hadatha Harqal al-Hashmah Haysah al-Humaymah Jurnaya Kafr Laha Kafr Ram Mahnaya Mujaydil Rafin Samalil Sinsil Tell Dahab al-Taybah al-Gharbiyah Zaybaq
Mukharram District Mukharram Subdistrict Al-Mukharram al-Fawqani Abu Hakfah al-Janubi Abu Hakfah al-Shamali Abu Khashabah Bab al-Hawa al-Batamah Buwaydat Rihaniyah Buwaydat Salamiyah al-Haraki Jubb Abbas al-Junaynat Khilfah al-Mukharram al-Tahtani Nawa al-Sankari Shawkatliyah Tell al-Ghar Tell Shinan Tell al-Ward Umm al-Amad Umm Jabab Umm al-Sarj al-Qibli Umm al-Sarj al-Shamali Umm Tuwaynah al-Uthmaniyah Jubb al-Jarrah Subdistrict Jubb al-Jarrah Abu Qatur Aliyat al-Alyan Duwayr al-Gharbiyah Duwayr al-Sharqiyah Ghuzayliyah Maksar al-Hisan Masaadah Masudiyah Mughayzil Muntar al-Abal Mushayrifah al-Qibliyah Rasm Humaydah Shiha Taladi Talaqtah Tarfawi Tawil Umm al-Rif (al-Rish) Umm Tuwaynah al-Shamali Usmud
Qusayr District Qusayr Subdistrict Al-Qusayr Abu Juri al-Aqrabiyah Arjoun Akkum Baluzah Burhaniyah al-Buwaydah al-Sharqiyah al-Dabaah Dahiyat al-Majd Daminah al-Sharqiyah Daminah al-Gharbiyah Dibbin Diyabiyah al-Fadeliyah al-Ghassaniyah al-Hamam al-Hawik Hawsh Murshid Sama'an Hawsh al-Sayyid Ali al-Houz Husseiniya Jubaniyah Jusiyah al-Amar Kafr Mousa al-Masriyah Mudan al-Nahariyah al-Naim al-Nizariyah al-Qurniyah Rablah al-Sakher al-Sallumiyah Samaqiyat al-Gharbiyah Samaqiyat al-Sharqiyah Saqrajah al-Sawadiyah al-Shayahat al-Shumariyah Shinshar Tell al-Nabi Mando Wadi Hanna Zira'a Zita al-Gharbiyah
Rastan District Rastan Subdistrict Al-Rastan Abu Hamamah Asiliyah Ballan Dalfin al-Ghasibiyah Gharnatah Izz al-Din Hameis Kafr Nan Kissin al-Manara Murayj al-Durr al-Qunaytrat Sulaym Tasnin al-Waza'iyah Zamaymer Talbiseh Subdistrict Talbiseh Deir Ful al-Farhaniyah al-Ghantu al-Hashimiyah al-Makramiyah al-Qanniyah Saan al-Aswad al-Sabil Tell Jayurin al-Thawrah Umm Sharshuh al-Zaafaraniyah
Tadmur District Tadmur Subdistrict Tadmur Arak al-Bayda al-Bi'arat Rasm al-Abid Sukhnah Subdistrict Al-Sukhnah Karim al-Kawm al-Kadir al-Taybah al-Tuwaynat
Talkalakh District Talkalakh Subdistrict Talkalakh Akkari al-Amariyah Aridah Ayn al-Sawda Ayn al-Tineh al-Gharbiyah al-Bahluniyah Baruha Bayt Qarin Burj al-Arab Burj al-Maksur Hajar Abyad Halat Hasrajiyah Jaafariyat Kafrish Khirbet al-Jabab Maarabu Masyadah Naarah Qanuta Qurayyat Qumayrah al-Shabaq al-Shabruniyah Shalluh Shamsiyah Sindiyana Samikah Tell Hawsh Tell Sarrin al-Zarah Zanbiyah Hadidah Subdistrict Hadidah Ayn al-Tineh al-Sharqiyah Barudiyah Bayun Baznaya Dardariyah Haratayn al-Malikiyah al-Mashrafah al-Sharqiyah Khansaa Khirbet al-Manqalah Lawaybdah Marasiyah Na'isiyah Na'urah Qaz al-Khass Rihaniyah Tell al-Safa Umm al-Dawali Umm Jamah Hawash Subdistrict Al-Hawash Anaz Ayn al-Gharah Ballat Basumaah Bisas al-Husn Ish al-Shuhah Inata Jawuniyat Mazinah Muqlus Qal al-Saqa al-Shuwayhid Tallih Nasirah Subdistrict Al-Nasirah Amar al-Husn Ayn al-Bardah Bahzinah Baydar Rafiah Daghlah Habnamrah Jankamrah Jiwar al-Afas Kafra Kimah Marmarita Mashta Azar al-Mishtaya Qalatiyah Qurb Ali Tannurin Zweitina