Khaberni - Located 25 km west of the city of Daraa in southern Syria is the village of Jilin, inhabited by Syrians of African origin.
The ancestors of the town's population, which exceeds 7,000 people, came to this region and settled in 1813 through the Hajj caravans. Some of them came as soldiers in Ibrahim Pasha's campaign, sent by his father, Muhammad Pasha, the Governor of Egypt at the time, in a military campaign on Syria between 1831 and 1833 during the Ottoman rule.
Syria Now platform visited the village where some of the young residents said they carry on the traditions and customs of Hauran, related to Daraa province in the Hauran plain, while some of the older people mentioned that they are a mix of Haurani and African customs, particularly Sudanese, especially in food where they eat Mlihi, a traditional dish in Hauran, and also consume Sudanese Asida, made from flour of okra and meat.
The villagers' occupations are divided into two groups: one works in "Qasaib" decorations, which are handmade decorations made from reeds brought from the valley in the area, and another group works in agriculture, especially pomegranate trees.
It is noted that one of the factors that helped people of African origin settle in this area is the very fertile soil, as the village of Jilin and the surrounding areas are all agricultural and green.
The African population in southern Syria forms part of the Syrian mosaic, which includes Arabs, Kurds, Turkmen, Circassians, and other nationalities that have settled in Syria over the centuries.
