Mhardeh

Government

Mhardeh (Arabic محردة, DMG Maḥarda ), also Maharda, Muhradah, is a city in the province of Hama in Syria.

Predominantly inhabited by Christians, it has 22,183 inhabitants ( 2009 calculation ) .. It is located in the center of the Mantiqa Mhardeh ( Mantiqa = district), one of five districts of Hamas. Mhardeh located on the Orontes River about 23 km northwest of the city of Hama, near the castle Shaizar. 3 km north of the town is the Mhardeh Dam, the power plant produces 2,500 kW - hours of electricity.

From the period of neo- Hittite states the hieroglyphic Luwian inscription grave (?) Comes a king Taitas, from the nearby Shaizar the grave stele of his wife is unknown. Mhardeh dates from the Hellenistic period Apameas, the most important archaeological remnants of this time is an ancient temple with stone gates and columns with Corinthian capitals, which was later converted into a church.

Due to the high emigration rate is at Mhardeh a relatively prosperous city. The main objective of the emigrants was formerly South America, nowadays most exiles working in sub-Saharan African countries.

Ghada Shouaa, the first Syrian athlete who won an Olympic gold medal, was born in Mhardeh, as Patriarch Ignatius IV