Orontes River
| Orontes Nahr al-ʿĀṣī | |
|---|---|
The Norias of Hama along the Orontes in Syria | |
| Native name | |
| Location | |
| Country | Lebanon, Syria, Turkey |
| Cities | Homs, Hama, Jisr al-Shughur, Antakya |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | Labweh |
| • location | Beqaa Valley, Lebanon |
| • coordinates | 34°11′49″N 36°21′9″E / 34.19694°N 36.35250°E |
| • elevation | 910 m (2,990 ft) |
| Mouth | Samandağ |
• location | Hatay Province, Turkey |
• coordinates | 36°2′43″N 35°57′49″E / 36.04528°N 35.96361°E |
• elevation | 0 m (0 ft) |
| Length | 571 km (355 mi) |
| Basin size | 24,660 km2 (9,520 sq mi) |
| Discharge | |
| • average | 67 m3/s (2,400 cu ft/s) |
| Basin features | |
| Tributaries | |
| • right | Afrin River, Karasu |
The Orontes (/ɔːˈrɒntiːz/; from Ancient Greek Ὀρόντης, Oróntēs) or Nahr al-ʿĀṣī, or simply Asi (Arabic: العاصي, romanized: al-‘Āṣī, IPA: [alˈʕaːsˤiː]; Turkish: Asi) is a 571 kilometres (355 mi) long river in Western Asia that begins in Lebanon, flowing northwards through Syria before entering the Mediterranean Sea near Samandağ in Hatay Province, Turkey.
As the chief river of the northern Levant, the Orontes has been the site of many major battles including the Battle of Kadesh (13th century BCE), and water distribution remains a controversial issue between the countries in the region. Among the most important cities on the river are Homs, Hama, Jisr al-Shughur, and Antakya (the ancient Antioch, which was also known as "Antioch on the Orontes").