The Euphrates Valley   The Euphrates At-Thawra Rasafeh Raqqa Deir Ezzor Doura Europos Mari   A very good road from Aleppo to Deir-Ezzor reaches the valley of the Euphrates «Furat» in Arabic at some 60 km from the city. This river, associated with the Tigris, recalls some of the most prestigious civilizations that ever saw light, bathes not only the prestigious Babylon (today's Iraq) but other dead cities such as Emar especially Mari. The Euphrates is mentioned in Genesis as one of the four rivers of Paradise, an allegation difficult to take seriously today given the discouraging barrenness of the countryside it crosses in its middle course. The Tabqa dam, inaugurated in 1974, may soften the severity of the landscape. Already an immense lake, the Lake Assad, 80 by 8 km., brings a dash of color. Going down the Euphrates valley, by a road that ignores the river or at least keeps a distance, is a plunge into some sort of Far West, even though you travel Eastwards. You cross a "new frontier" to the lands of the pioneer front the government has assigned to the Syrian people. The frontier has a good chance of success, judging by the demographic upsurge in the old cities as well as in the recently created cities as is the case with EI-Thawrah (The Revolution), housing the personnel needed for the operation of the dam, and which already counts 50,000 inhabitants. In fact this ambitious policy of reclaiming dry, sparsely populated lands is but a re-conquest. There was a time, long ago, when this part of the fertile crescent was really fertile and inhabited.     Next
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