Al-Qamishli

Al-Qamishli is a city in the Syrian Desert, on the border with Turkey, facing the city of Nusaybin on the Turkish side of the border.

Understand

Al-Qamishli was founded in the 1920s by Assyrian peoples escaping a genocide inflicted upon them by the Ottoman Empire. Today, it is home to a large Kurdish minority, which is partly why the self-declared Kurdish autonomous region Rojava has made it their capital, taking advantage of the instability resulting from Syria's ongoing civil war. Parts of the city, including the airport, are still controlled by the central government. This uneasy coexistence has faltered several times in the 21st century, resulting in deadly skirmishes.

Get in

SyrianAir offers a daily flight from Damascus.

• 1 Qamishli Airport (مطار القامشلي). (updated Oct 2019)

As of 2022, the border with Turkey is closed, and all other land routes remain extremely dangerous.

There used to be passenger trains to Al-Qamishli, but all services have been cancelled since 2012.

Road from Iraqi Kurdistan by Semalka border crossing

See

• 1 Farouk Mosque. (updated Oct 2019)
• Camiya Qasimo Mosque
• St. George's Church
• School of Nisibis (ruins)

Learn

The University of Rojava opened here in 2016 as a university for Syrian Kurds. It remained open as of late 2019.

Buy

• Safety Perfumes
• Island Gas Station
• Oscar Sweets
• There is also a traditional Syrian vegetable market.

Eat

• Palace Restaurant
• French Restaurant

Stay safe

See the warning in the Syria article.