The Hauran

Taken by Duncan Mackenzie in 1911, this General view of Druze country looking North towards Shahba shows the volcanic basalt landscape of the Hauran, which, though rocky, is one of the most fertile areas in Syria.

The volcanic region of the Hauran is one of the most fertile in Syria, particularly famous for its vineyards. Unlike other fertile areas of Syria, such as the Orontes Valley and the Euphrates regions, which rely on major rivers for their productivity and employ irrigated farming methods, the Hauran has very few rivers. 

Instead, the region relies on the rains of winter and spring and many of the sites contain cisterns and water storage facilities to take advantage of this rainfall. 

The area is best known for its classical period sites, but from the limited work carried out by both French and German teams in the region, it appears that during the Bronze Ages this area was an eastward extension of Canaanite material culture.