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Al-Sarkha ܒܟܥܐ - בכעאالصرخة, بخعة
Village
Al-SarkhaLocation in Syria
Coordinates: 33°53′4″N 36°33′46″E / 33.88444°N 36.56278°E / 33.88444; 36.56278
Country	Syria
Governorate	Rif Dimashq Governorate
District	Yabroud District
Nahiyah	Yabroud
Population
• Total	1,405
Time zone	UTC+2 (EET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+3 (EEST)

Al-Sarkha, Bakhʽah or Bakh'a (Western Neo-Aramaic: ܒܟܥܐ - בכעא lit. 'to cry or to weep', Arabic: الصرخة or بخعة) is a Syrian village in the Yabroud District of the Rif Dimashq Governorate. According to the Syria Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), Al-Sarkha had a population of 1,405 in the 2004 census. The village, inhabited by Sunni Muslims of Aramean descent, it was vastly damaged during the Syrian Civil War, and most of the inhabitants fled to other parts of Syria or to Lebanon as refugees. It is one of the only three remaining villages where Western Neo-Aramaic is spoken, alongside Maaloula and Jubb'adin.

Following their conversion to Islam in the 18th century, the inhabitants of Bakh'a underwent a religious transformation, shifting from being exclusively Christian to entirely Muslim.

References

1. ^ General Census of Population and Housing 2004 Archived 2014-10-31 at the Wayback Machine. Syria Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS). Rif Dimashq Governorate.(in Arabic)
2. "English: Maaloula 7". 11 September 2017.
3. http://friendsofmaaloula.de/blog/2018/12/06/zerstoertes-bachaa-in-syrien/,"Dear friends of the Aramaean village of Maaloula, We received a heartbreaking video from Bacha‘a, the Aramaic neighboring village of Maaloula. Rebels attacked Maaloula from there, resulting in the complete destruction of the village. There is no life left, and all surviving residents have fled to relatives and friends in other parts of Syria or to Lebanon."
4. "The Village of Bakh'a in Qalamoun: Interview". 26 January 2020.
5. Rafik Schami (25 July 2011). Märchen aus Malula (in German). Carl Hanser Verlag GmbH & Company KG. p. 151. ISBN 9783446239005. Ich kenne das Dorf nicht, doch gehört habe ich davon. Was ist mit Malula?‹ fragte der festgehaltene Derwisch. >Das letzte Dorf der Aramäer< lachte einer der…
6. Yaron Matras; Jeanette Sakel (2007). Grammatical Borrowing in Cross-Linguistic Perspective. De Gruyter. p. 185. doi:10.1515/9783110199192. ISBN 9783110199192. The fact that nearly all Arabic loans in Ma'lula originate from the period before the change from the rural dialect to the city dialect of Damascus shows that the contact between the Aramaeans and the Arabs was intimate…
7. Dr. Emna Labidi (2022). Untersuchungen zum Spracherwerb zweisprachiger Kinder im Aramäerdorf Dschubbadin (Syrien) (in German). LIT. p. 133. ISBN 9783643152619. Aramäer von Ǧubbˁadīn
8. Prof. Dr. Werner Arnold; P. Behnstedt (1993). Arabisch-aramäische Sprachbeziehungen im Qalamūn (Syrien) (in German). Harassowitz. p. 42. ISBN 9783447033268. Die arabischen Dialekte der Aramäer
9. Prof. Dr. Werner Arnold; P. Behnstedt (1993). Arabisch-aramäische Sprachbeziehungen im Qalamūn (Syrien) (in German). Harassowitz. p. 5. ISBN 9783447033268. Die Kontakte zwischen den drei Aramäer-dörfern sind nicht besonders stark.
10. Prof. Dr. Werner Arnold (2006). Lehrbuch des Neuwestaramäischen (in German). Harrassowitz. p. 133. ISBN 9783447053136. Aramäern in Ma'lūla
11. Prof. Dr. Werner Arnold (2006). Lehrbuch des Neuwestaramäischen (in German). Harrassowitz. p. 15. ISBN 9783447053136. Viele Aramäer arbeiten heute in Damaskus, Beirut oder in den Golfstaaten und verbringen nur die Sommermonate im Dorf.
12. Shannon Dubenion-Smith; Joseph Salmons (15 August 2007). Historical Linguistics 2005. John Benjamins Publishing Company. p. 247. ISBN 9789027292162. …Western Neo-Aramaic (Spitaler 1938; Arnold 1990), which is attested in three villages whose speakers just a few generations ago were still entirely Christian.
13. Wolfhart Heinrichs (14 August 2018). Studies in Neo-Aramaic. Brill. p. 11. ISBN 9789004369535. The inhabitants of Bakh'a and Jubb'Adin are Muslims (since the eighteenth century), as is a large portion of the people of Ma'lula, while the rest have remained Christian, mostly of Melkite (Greek Catholic) persuasion. The retention of the "Christian" language after conversion to Islam is noteworthy.

Bibliography

• Robinson, E.; Smith, E. (1841). Biblical Researches in Palestine, Mount Sinai and Arabia Petraea: A Journal of Travels in the year 1838. Vol. 3. Boston: Crocker & Brewster.

External links

• Samples of spoken Western Neo-Aramaic at the Semitisches Tonarchiv (Semitic Audio Archive)
  • Bakh’a dialect
  • Jubb'adin dialect
  • Maalouli dialect

v t e Rif Dimashq Governorate
Markaz Rif Dimashq District Kiswah Subdistrict Al-Kiswah Al-Adiliyah Arkis Deir Ali Deir Khabiyah Ayn al-Bayda Ayn al-Souda Al-Horjelah Jeb as-Safa Khan Dannun Khirbet al-Shiyab Khiyarat Dannun Marana Matahriyeh Morjana Muqaylibah Qara Saada Shaqhab al-Taybah Um al-Awamid Zakiyah Zureiqiya Babbila Subdistrict Babbila Aqraba al-Bahdaliyah Beit Sahem Buwayda Hujayrah Hawsh Sahiya Khirbet al-Ward Maalaqa Najha Al-Sitt Al-Sabinah Yalda Jaramana Subdistrict Jaramana Malihah Subdistrict Al-Malihah Ahdaf Deir al-Asafir Hawsh al-Sultan Hutaytet al-Turkman Shabaa Zabdin Sahba Kafr Batna Subdistrict Kafr Batna Beit Sawa Aftris Hamouriyah Hizzah Jisrin Saqba Arbin Subdistrict Arbin Ein Tarma Zamalka
Douma District Douma Subdistrict Douma Adra Batihat al-Wafidin Hawsh al-Dawahira Hawsh al-Farah Hawsh Nasri Hufayr al-Tahta Maydaa al-Rihan al-Shafuniyah Tal al-Swan Harasta Subdistrict Harasta Dahiyat al-Assad Mesraba Madira Sabe Biyar Subdistrict Sabaa Biyar Dumayr Subdistrict Al-Dumayr Nashabiyeh Subdistrict Al-Nashabiyah Al-Ahmadiyah Al-Bahariyah Al-Bilaliyah Beit Nayim Bzeineh Deir Salman Al-Damen Harasta al-Qantarah Al-Jarba Al-Khamisiyah Al-Mansoura Marj al-Sultan Nawla Al-Abadah Autaya Otaybah Al-Qasimiyah Al-Qisa Al-Salihiyah Wadyan al-Rabi Al-Zamaniyah Ghazlaniyeh Subdistrict Al-Ghizlaniyah Bayad Al-Bitariyah Deir al-Hajar Dalbeh Ghasulah Al-Haijaneh Qarahta Qarmashiyeh Sakka Tall Maskan Harran al-Awamid Subdistrict Harran al-Awamid Judaydat al-Khas Al-Kafrayn Mabarkah
Al-Qutayfah District Qutayfah Subdistrict Al-Qutayfah Helleh Muadamiyat al-Qalamoun Jayrud Subdistrict Jayrud Al-Atnah Al-Mansoura Al-Naseriyah Maloula Subdistrict Maaloula Ain al-Tinah Jubb'adin al-Tawani Raheiba Subdistrict Al-Ruhaybah
Al-Tall District Al-Tall Subdistrict Al-Tall al-Dreij Halboun Maarounah Maaraba Manin Talfita Sednaya Subdistrict Saidnaya Badda Maarat Saidnaya Akoubar Hafeir al-Fouqa Rankous Subdistrict Rankous al-Fayadiyah Hosh Arab al-Jarniyah al-Mahabah Ayn Dara al-Nour Sabnah
Yabroud District Yabroud Subdistrict Yabroud Ras al-Ayn Ras al-Maara Rima Al-Sarkha (Bakhah) Assal al-Ward Subdistrict Assal al-Ward al-Jebbah
An-Nabek District An-Nabek Subdistrict Al-Nabek Mashrafet Flita Qaldoun al-Marah Al-Qastal al-Sahel Deir Atiyeh Subdistrict Deir Atiyah Al-Humayra al-Jarajir Qara Subdistrict Qara
Al-Zabadani District Al-Zabadani Subdistrict Al-Zabadani Barheliya Bloudan Hosh Bajed Kafr al-Awamid Al-Rawdah (al-Batrounah) Souq Wadi Barada Madaya Subdistrict Madaya Baqin Hurayra Serghaya Subdistrict Serghaya Ain Hawr
Qatana District Qatana Subdistrict Qatana Ambiya al-Aamrat Arnah Artouz al-Bejaa Beqaasem Drousha Jdeidat Artouz Kafr Qouq Kawkab Khan al-Shih Manshiyat Khan al-Shih Mazraat Deir al-Ashayer Qalaat al-Jandal Rakhlah Ras al-Ayn Rima al-Sabboura Yaafour Beit Jann Subdistrict Beit Jinn Darbal Ain al-Shaara Harfa Hinah Khirbet al-Sawda Maghar al-Mir al-Maqrousa Mazraat Beit Jinn Sa'sa Subdistrict Sa'sa' Abou Qawouq al-Adnaniyah Beit Saber Beitima Deir Maker Denaji Dourin Hamrit al-Hubariyah Hosh al-Nufour Jisr al-Safra Kafr Hawr Kanaker Maas al-Nufour al-Qleiaah Rasem al-Tahin al-Shawkatliyah
Darayya District Darayya Subdistrict Darayya Muadamiyat al-Sham Sahnaya Subdistrict Sahnaya Ashrafiyat Sahnaya Hajar al-Aswad Subdistrict al-Hajar al-Aswad
Qudsaya District Qudsaya Subdistrict Qudsaya Ashrafiyat al-Wadi Basimah al-Hamah Jamraya Jdeidat al-Wadi Dahiyat Qudsaya ad-Dimas Subdistrict al-Dimas Jdeidat Yabous Kfeir Yabous Maadar Qura al-Assad Yabous Ein al-Fijeh Subdistrict Ain al-Fijah Efra Deir Muqaran Deir Qanun al-Husseiniyah Kfeir al-Zayt

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