Al-Rastan

Al-Rastan (Arabic: الرستن) is the third largest city in the Homs Governorate, located 25 kilometers (16 mi) north of its administrative capital Homs and 22 kilometers (14 mi) from Hama. Nearby localities include Talbiseh and al-Ghantu to the south, al-Zaafaraniyah and al-Mashrafah to the southeast, Murayj al-Durr to the northeast, Tumin to the north, Deir al-Fardis to the northwest and Kafr Nan and the Houla village cluster to the west. Al-Rastan had a population of nearly 40,000 in 2004. It occupies the site of the Hellenistic-era city of Arethusa (Ancient Greek: Ἀρέθουσα) and still contains some of its ancient ruins. It continued to exist as a relatively small, but strategic town throughout the early Islamic and Ottoman eras. Al-Rastan is situated adjacently south of the large bridge linking Homs and Hama. The total land area of the town is 350 hectares. It is the site of the al-Rastan Dam, a major dam on the Orontes River that has a retaining capacity of 225 million m3. The dam is principally used for irrigation. The city also contains one of Syria's principal marlstone quarries. From the start of the Syrian civil war until 2018, Al-Rastan served as a major opposition stronghold and had been the site of much fighting between Syrian Arab Armed Forces and rebels of various factions. The Syrian government retook control of the city on 15 May 2018 as part of an agreement which allowed rebels and their families safe passage to rebel-held parts of northern Syria in exchange for surrendering the territory along with their heavy weapons.