Mas'ade
Town in Northern District
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Mas'ade (Arabic: مسعدة, Hebrew: מַסְעַדֶה) is a village in southwestern Syria, in the Quneitra Governorate, Golan Heights. It has been under Israeli occupation since 1967 and is administered by Israel as a local council since 1982. The town has a predominantly Druze population.
Mas'ade
مسعدة מסעדה | |
|---|---|
Town | |
| |
  Mas'ade The Golan on the map of Syria; Mas'ade on the map of the Golan.  Mas'ade Mas'ade (Syria) | |
| Coordinates: 33°13′59″N 35°45′27″E | |
| Country | Golan Heights, internationally recognized as Syrian territory occupied by Israel. See Status of the Golan Heights. |
| Israeli District | Northern District |
| Israeli Subdistrict | Golan Subdistrict |
| Syrian Governorate | Quneitra Governorate |
| Syrian District | Quneitra District |
| Syrian Subdistrict | Mas'ade Subdistrict |
| Population (2024)[1] | |
• Total | 4,205 |
It covers an area of 11,985 dunams (11.985 km2; 4.627 sq mi), and in 2024 had a population of 4,205. Its inhabitants are mostly Syrian citizens and have permanent residency in Israel. Since the adoption of the 1981 Golan Heights Law, Mas'ade is under Israeli civil law and is incorporated into the Israeli system of local councils.
The presence of Druze around Mount Hermon is documented since the founding of the Druze religion in the beginning of the 11th century.[2] Mas'ade is one of the four remaining Druze-Syrian communities on the Israeli-occupied side of the Golan Heights and on Mount Hermon, together with Majdal Shams, Ein Qiniyye and Buq'ata. Geographically a distinction is made between the Golan Heights and Mount Hermon, the boundary being marked by the Sa'ar Stream; however, administratively they are usually lumped together. Mas'ade and Buq'ata are on the Golan side of the boundary and are characterized by black volcanic rock (basalt), while Majdal Shams and Ein Qiniyye are on the Hermon side, thus sitting on limestone.
Near Mas'ade are Lake Ram and Odem Forest.
Mas'ade is located at the intersection of Highway 99, which leads west to Kiryat Shmona, and Highway 98, which leads north to Mount Hermon and south to the Kinneret (Sea of Galilee/Lake Tiberias).
