Chagar Bazar

Chagher Bazaar is a cluster of mounds dating back to the Bronze Age, yet distinguished by a rich sequence of Neolithic layers attributed to the Halaf period. This long-standing settlement lies in Syria’s Dara Valley, a tributary of the Khabur River, approximately 35 kilometers from al-Hasakah. It is encircled by the Taurus Mountains to the north, Mount Abd al-Aziz to the southwest, and Iraq’s Sinjar Mountain to the southeast. The site holds major archaeological significance, as it played a central role in defining and classifying the Late Neolithic period in the Near East. Excavations have yielded an exceptional quantity of remains, including richly painted ceramics, personal ornaments, baked figurines, and an array of stone and bone tools. Equally striking is the site’s architectural stratigraphy, marked by the evolution of distinct construction styles: from circular vegetal structures, known as tholoi, to multi-chambered rectangular buildings.