Khabur

Khabur, also known as Habur, refers to a major river in Upper Mesopotamia that is a tributary of the Euphrates, running through southeastern Turkey and northern Syria. It rises in the eastern Taurus Mountains in southeastern Turkey, flows southeast through Şırnak Province, crosses into Syria, and continues toward the Hasakah region, where the river valley forms the fertile Khabur Plain.

The river plays an important role for irrigation and agriculture in the arid and semi-arid environments of the region. In some segments it also forms part of the border between Turkey and Syria. The Khabur Plain and its surrounding lands have supported farming communities for centuries and remain a key agricultural area in Hasakah Governorate.

Historically, the Khabur valley was part of the Assyrian heartland and hosts archaeological sites dating to ancient Mesopotamian civilizations. In modern times the region has been home to a diverse mix of communities, including Kurds, Arabs, and Assyrian Christians, contributing to the cultural mosaic of northeastern Syria.

In the 2010s, the Syrian Civil War affected the river and its inhabitants, with significant population displacement and the development of refugee and internally displaced camps along the river, particularly among Assyrian Christian communities. The Khabur continues to be an important hydrological and cultural feature, illustrating the cross-border nature of water resources in Mesopotamia and the long history of settlement along its banks.