Kalbiyya
| Kalbiyya الكلبية | |
|---|---|
| Alawite Syrian tribal confederation | |
Kalbiyya tribal areas, northwestern Syria | |
| Ethnicity | Arab |
| Location | Nusayri mountains region, Syria |
| Population | 480,000 (est. 2011) |
| Branches |
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| Language | Levantine Arabic (Alawite dialect) |
| Religion | Alawite |
The Kalbiyya (Arabic: الكلبية), or Kalbi or Kelbi tribe is one of four tribes, or tribal confederations, of the Alawite community in Syria. Appearing in historical sources from the 16th century, the Kalbiyya came to prominence when Hafez al-Assad, the son of a Kalbiyya tribal leader, seized power in Syria in a coup in 1970. Assad ruled Syria as a dictator for 30 years and ensured that power was concentrated in the hands of members of the Kalbiyya tribe, a policy which his son, Bashar al-Assad, continued for another 24 years until overthrown in 2024. The Kalbiyya population mainly live in the Latakia Governorate in north west Syria.