Afro- Syrians of Yarmouk Basin People also referred as Black People of Yarmouk Basin river or Black Syrians are grouped as an Afro- Arab tribe in Syria. They can be found in Syria and some parts of Rabba in Present day Jordan, They have clans such as Bayt- al - Sudi, Bayt Abu Samir, Bayt Abu Marah and other clans.
It is said their ancestry can be traced to Present day Sudan and Other parts of East Africa such as Present day Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi.
They speak languages such as Arabic and Kurdish languages, they believe in Allah which they follow Islamic Religion as they are considered to be both Shia and Sunni Muslims, It is believed during the Syrian Civil War they came to Present day Syria from Present day Sudan, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi and settled in Syria. It is believed during the Syrian Civil war they came to Present day Syria and settled there and Yarmouk Basin has a lot of black population and It is said Yarmouk Basin came under the control of Islamic State of Iraq and Levant through first the Yarmouk Maryrs Brigade and then the Khalid Ibn al- Walid Army.
According to Arymenn Jawad Al- Tamimi’s account , The existence of Black People in some parts of the Middle East to the north of the Arabian Peninsula others believed Black People can be found in Syria , Jordan and Southern Iraq port city of Basra, thought to be descended of settlers from African regions such as Sudan, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi during the past Centuries and Palestine, Afghanistan also have Black People whose Ancestors came from some parts of Sudan, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi, Afro- Palestinians have their presence in Gaza.
It is said Afro- Palestinian, Afro- Syrians and Afro- Afghanistani have no connection with Slave trade but Afro- Palestinian, Afro- Syrians and Afro- Afghanistani served in the army. According to Rmir’s account, Afro- Syrian Yarmouk Basin People have many Sanadid who were warrior fighters and Pure Africans and Others believed they once civilized Damascus in Ancient Syria, Afghanistan, Palestine, Turkey and Uzbekistan.
It is said clans and extended families are referred as Bayt in Yarmouk Basin and Ancient Rome had unknown Afro- Syrian Emperor in Rome and Afro- Syrians have been affiliated with their Ancient history and early civilizations around Middle East. According to Moona’s account, It is said Afro- Syrians Yarmouk Basin People have been under many empires ranging from the Assyrian Empire, Byzantine Empire then they came under the control of the Arabs after the 7th Century, Afro- Syrians Yarmouk Basin People presence in Ottoman Turkish Empire as well. It is said a Black King of Syria who hailed from Sudan ruled Ancient Syria he has a wooly hair who reigned for over 1000 years ago. Amurru at town called Mari.
Traditionally, known as “ Ad” Aram” and “ Akkad” the earliest Amurru moved early on from Southern Arabia, Al- Yaman to Syria and Mesopotamia where the Afro- Asiatic language known as Akkadian. Since the Chronology of the Ancient Egyptian and there was painting by Afro- Syrians during Akkadian Civilization era. Sculptures and Paintings were made by Afro- Syrians Yarmouk Basin People in the 9th Century but the paintings dates back to the 3rd- 8th Century BC.
Afro- Syrians of Yarmouk Basin People are unknown ethnic group that is descended from Sundanese, Kenyan, Burundian and Tanzanian heritage and most of them are found in the Southwestern part of Syria and the Yarmouk river forms boundary between Present day Syria to the north, and Jordan to the South. Yarmouk was a site of the Battle of the Yarmouk river one of the decisive battles in the history of Palestine. The Arabs and Afro- Syrians of Yarmouk Basin were under Khalid Ibn Al- Walid and It is claimed Arabs and Afro- Syrians of Yarmouk Basin or Black People of Yarmouk Basin conquered Damascus in 635 AD, Black People of Yarmouk Basin were forced to leave the ancient City, when they were threatened by a large Byzantine army under Theodorus Trithurius.
It is believed Khalid concentrated on his forces south of Yarmouk river and on 636 AD, he took advantage of the desertion of Byzantines Armenian and Christian Arabs auxiliaries and attacked the Byzatine’s remaining forces, who were closer to being destroyed . Muslim dominance in Present day Palestine, which was broken by the period of Crusades from 1099 AD- 1291 AD.
The Village of Al- Shajarah, Black People of Yarmouk Basin are there and they were part of the Syrian Civil war it has displaced millions of Black People of Syria during the Syrian Civil war. Judiah allied itself with the Ancient Sundanese or Black King who ruled Damascus, Black People of Yarmouk Basin and the Black King of Damascus made war on Israel and its territory north of the Yarmouk river. The Assyrian King Tiglath Pileser ll descended into Syria . Afro- Syrians of Yarmouk Basin People also known as Black People of Yarmouk Basin of Syria fought in a battle around 736 AD with the Arabs after the Arab Muslim Invasion between 633 and 634 AD.
The fall of Byzantine in Syria with militia which maintained 2,000 men in Yarmouk Basin region of Daraa. Hamat Gader was a hot springs site in Yarmouk river valley, near the border with Jordan and the sea of Galilee in Southern Golan heights of modern day Israel, Yarmouk river shared borders with three countries such as Syria, Jordan and Israel. In addition, Islamic State control while Black People of Yarmouk Basin or Afro- Syrians captured an unknown Arab radical group in some areas in western Daraa, Al- Hajar Al- Aswad in Southern Damascus and the eastern countryside of Hama were under Islamic Control. It is said During the Battle of Yarmouk, Muslim forces defeated those of Byzantine Empire and gained control of Syria in the north. Afro- Syrian Yarmouk Basin People also known as Black People of Yarmouk Basin later left Kurdish region of Present day Iraq to Present day Syria tried to escaped from the black market which was brought illegally by outside in 211 AD. 1,500 Blacks now crossed the border but some were stucked in the northwestern corner of Present Jordan and Others believed they were Black Syrians who might have came Syrian Desert and Turkish peninsular regions, They have livestocks which were purebred such as shami goats, cows furthermore, Oronte rivers created separation from Ancient Alawite territory which belonged to the Africans in Central Syria . Mohammed Al- Jaafari an Ancient Black man of Yarmouk Basin or Afro- Syrian who once served in the Ancient Arab Army in Syria.
It is said Afro- Syrian Yarmouk Basin People discovered the Ancient Jordan Black desert which is hidden in the Jebel Qurma Region of Jordan’s Black desert before the modern day discovery research. It was the Black People of Yarmouk Basin river who wrote the first Safaitic alphabetic Script which is used by even Arab People of Syria, Jordan which dates back to 2,000 years ago, Jebel had trees, and wildlife before the Arab Muslim Invasion took place and It is believed they are not even given credit for their Ancestor’s role in Syria’s Beginning of Civilization in 9000 BC. The Ancient Africans were considered to be Black People of Yarmouk Basin river who were of Kenyan, Sundanese, Burundian, Rwandan and Tanzanian heritage and started the development of agricultural in Syria, Invented the first alphabet, religions but they were mostly Muslims, language, Unknown Kingdoms and in about 600 BC. They rose to power before Assyrian Empire rose in 800 BC and for nearly 2 centuries they administered Syria and Lebanon and in 612 BC it fell to the Babylonia land of Nineveh . It is claimed Canaanite, Judeans and Amorites were all originally African Ancient groups and They have a small populations in some areas of Rabba, Sofita , Homs and some parts of Jordan. They grow crops such as Date palm, common fig, Almond, Coconut , Banana, Pomegranate, Apricot, Avocado. They used honey for cream, Bread and others, food is an Important part of many celebrations. During Ramadan, each day’s feast is broken with evening meal known as Iftar and The meal begins is consumed rapidly, their exports Include cotton, textiles and Industrial accessories. Afro- Syrians of Yarmouk Basin People also known as Black People of Yarmouk Basin celebrate festivals such as Assyrian Spring festival, Vine festival, Honey festival, Kurdish festival, Cotton festival and Abosrane festival and Other festivals Include Id al- Fitr, al- Adha, Mazzah. It is claimed Black People of Yarmouk Basin once ruled Aleppo, In the northwest, and Damascus, In the Southwest. They recorded with the Arabs an Ancient Egyptian document which dates between 1300 BC and 1500 BC. It is said they and the Arabs were part of what is now Syria and controlled the Ottoman Empire then Blacks in Syria had Influence in what is now Afghanistan, Syria, Lebanon and Jordan. Black People in Syria used weapons to killed their enemies which is the Romans more than 400 people in Damascus and Daraa in Syria 760 AD.
They built mosques in Aleppo and Daraa also the small village known as Jamla and has a small black population. Traditionally, They bear names such as Ali, Sayid, Rahman, Osman, Ranim, Rahman, Rahim, Hayyan, Nooda, Usama, Sami, Bassel, Kawa, Ramee, Hussein , Zaid , Zakwan, Abdulrahmani, Alezar, Faraz, Iman, Ibrahim, Herman, Mohammad, Mufid, Mustafa, Nasser, Omar, Osama, Qaesen, Shabbaz, Shahram, Soulaiman, Sulayman, Hassan, Jamal, Mahdi, Amira, Farid, Fatiman and many more. In their Culture, Young men and women choose their partners, most of their marriages are arranged by their families and are preceded by engagement. It is said during engagement allows people to get to know each other before marriage.
Wealth plays a big role rich men have to establish their wealth before they get married and Naming Systems is very Important they have only Islamic names or Arabic names, there is a first name, second name which is considered as middle name and last name which is the father’s last name or Grandfather’s last name. The Middle name which is the Second name is their father’s first name and the last name is the father’s last name or grandfather’s last name. Women can have both her family and Spouse last name as her last name and in their tradition, Marriage, Death and Birth is considered to be their greatest celebrations among them , their women traced through their Patrilineal line from her father to her Paternal Ancestors which is believed to be honorable family background among their society . Men are the head of the family and they have authority and is their responsibility to take good care of their spouse furthermore, Sheep or lamb is their traditional meat they eat.
It is believed they practice Islam which is Shia and Sunni Islam also It is believed they are not slaves from Africa and they are not Indigenous but some believed they came from Africa to ruled Syria some also believed they came during the Syrian Civil war from Present day Sudan, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi in the 1900s and they were allies with the Islamic State and Islamic Muthanna Movement in Syria.
They usually wear a gown or robe with many traditional designs during weddings. During Syria’s Civil war, Black People of Yarmouk Basin river joined some of the Arabs and fought, It is said some Arabs became refugees and fled to other countries, It is said some of the Black People of Yarmouk Basin river fled to what is now Jordan while some of them settled in Syria and make Syria their final settlement and never returned back to Africa. They built villages and mosques in Tasil and their mosques consist of roof supported by 4 square pillars and enclosed by basalt walls in the corner of the mosque. Tasil in their field lay numerous dolmens, although most of them are collapsed or ruined.
Al- Sanamayn has Black People in Daraa in Syria , Al- Masmiyah has a small Black Population in the Southern Syria, the towns is situated along Hajj caravan route between Damascus and Mecca also Black People who were Soldiers freed forces from South Sudan in Present day Syria before some of the Blacks of Yarmouk Basin migrated to Jordan. In Tasil, they can be found in Southern Syria, Tasil came under the Influence of rebel free Syrian Army forces. Black of Yarmouk Basin has a population in Tasil about 200, Tasil was their large village with about 90 houses constructed from stone and mud bricks. During dry seasons, People in the village sometimes travel to Allan Spring where water is the main source and natural pool, consisting of 50 Square yards known as Al- Birkeh meaning the pool to the north. In Jordan their clans is the same in Syria, in Jordan they settled in Rabba which lies on the historical King’s Highway . It is situated on a thin semi- fertile plain, giving way to Wadi Ibn Hammad in the west, and the desert in the east. Located near the northern edge of the town . In Jalin a village in Syria, It consisted of 100 Blacks hailing from Sudan, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi. They settled in two villages such as Al- Shaykh Saad to the north, Sheikh Saad Ibn Abd Al- Qadir whose Ancestors came from Sudan, It is said Blacks in Syria were never slaves to the Arabs but rather settlers who came to Syria. On their Calendar they have New Year day which is throughout the month of January, Freedom day on the month of March, Liberatory day on the 6th September and they don't celebrate Christmas, Easter but celebrated Prophet Muhammad Birthday, Eid Ul- Fitr the end of Ramadan, Eid Ul- Adha and Cotton festival. Folklores is passed throughout generations, their Ancestors believed folklores was a way to entertain the people, folk songs were composed their Ancestors and the fall of the warriors which is one of the folklore among them.
Their Clothing Include traditional cloth which is of the Arab and jewelries and poetry was kept by their Ancestors. In the month of August and September, they celebrate folk music and performed their folk dances and Among them a great honor and respect is placed on the family, they believed there is no loyalty as great as loyalty among love ones and family.