According to the Syria Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), Mharda had a population of 17,578 in the 2004 census. It is the center of Mahardah District, one of the Hama Governorate's five districts, and the nahiyah ("subdistrict") of Mharda, which contained 21 localities with a combined population of 80,165 in 2004.[1] Mharda's population was estimated to be 22,442 in 2010.[2] Its inhabitants are predominantly Christians of the Greek Orthodox Church.[3]
Mharda's residents mostly work in agriculture, industry and trade. The educational level of population is reported to be high.[citation needed] The climate in the city is mild in summertime and occasional snowfall may be seen in winter.[citation needed]
The Orontes River was recently[year needed] dammed 3 kilometers north, and the Mahardah Dam on the Ghab plain is used to generate hydroelectric power. Mharda dates back to the same Hellenistic period of Apamea and the most notable archaeological remnant from this period is an old temple with stone doors and columns with Corinthian capitals transformed later into a church.
Mharda is the nearest large town to Tremseh in which killings took place on 12 July 2012.[4] Additionally, a suicide bomber killed three civilians and one security officer in Mharda on 14 July 2012.[4]
During the Syrian Civil War, Mharda has been targeted by rebels, yet remained under government control.[5] According to pro-government media, the rate of attacks on Mharda increased during the course of the 2017 Hama offensive.[6]
Syria
