Maskanah

 ( Populated Places In Manbij District ) 

After the Muslim conquest of Syria, the town was overshadowed by the nearby Balis. The region was under the lordship of the rulers of Aleppo until the 12th century when the Zengid dynasty started asserting more control. The area was devastated by the Mongol invasions in the 13th and 14th centuries. In 1210, during Ayyubid dynasty rule, the al-Adil Minaret was constructed. The brick structure was built in the simple, Persian architectural style. It was further developed during the Mamluk Sultanate period. It was restored during Hafez al-Assad's rule (1970-2000) and is one last historic architectural remains in the town. Al-'Adil Minaret. Archnet Digital Library.

During Ottoman Syria, the area was mostly inhabited by nomadic Bedouin tribes. In 1838, Maskanah was classified as a ruined village (" khirba") by Biblical scholar Eli Smith.Smith, 1841, p. 174. The cultivable lands of the Aleppo Vilayet, including Maskanah, were confiscated in 1876 by Sultan Abdul Hamid II as his own personal property. The lands were later integrated back into the state as public property. In 1915 the town was visited by orientalist Alois Musil who mentions the town having barracks, a large Caravanserai, and the residence of the head of the telegraph service. A year later, Maskanah became a major deportation route during the Armenian genocide where an estimated 80,000 Armenians died.