Orontes River
The Orontes (/ɔːˈrɒntiːz/; from Ancient Greek Ὀρόντης, Oróntēs) or Asi (Arabic: العاصي, romanized: al-‘Āṣī, IPA: [alˈʕaːsˤiː]; Turkish: Asi) is a 571 kilometres (355 mi) long river in Western Asia that begins in Lebanon, flowing northwards through Syria before entering the Mediterranean Sea near Samandağ in Hatay Province, Turkey.
| Orontes Asi | |
|---|---|
The Norias of Hama along the Orontes in Syria | |
Map of the Orontes. White lines are country borders, river names are italic on a blue background, current cities or major towns on white backgrounds, other places of significance on orange backgrounds. | |
| Native name | |
| Location | |
| Country | Lebanon, Syria, Turkey |
| Cities | Homs, Hama, Jisr al-Shughur, Antakya |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | Labweh |
| • location | Beqaa Valley, Lebanon |
| • coordinates | 34°11′49″N 36°21′9″E |
| • elevation | 910 m (2,990 ft) |
| Mouth | Samandağ |
• location | Hatay Province, Turkey |
• coordinates | 36°2′43″N 35°57′49″E |
• elevation | 0 m (0 ft) |
| Length | 571 km (355 mi) |
| Basin size | 24,660 km2 (9,520 sq mi) |
| Discharge | |
| • average | 67 m3/s (2,400 cu ft/s) |
| Basin features | |
| Tributaries | |
| • right | Afrin River, Karasu |
As the chief river of the northern Levant, the Orontes has been the site of many major battles including the Battle of Kadesh (13th century BCE). Among the most important cities on the river are Homs, Hama, Jisr al-Shughur, and Antakya (the ancient Antioch, which was also known as "Antioch on the Orontes").
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