As-Safira ( / ALA-LC: as-Safīrah; Aleppo dialect: Sfīre) is a Syrian city administratively belonging to the Aleppo Governorate. It is the administrative center of the as-Safira District. As Safīrah has an altitude of 348 m, and a population of 106,382, making it the 11th largest city per geographical entity in Syria.

Name

Medieval geographer Yaqut al-Hamawi spells the name Asfīrah (أسفيرة), not as-Safira (السفيرة), which indicates that the definite article in the modern spelling is a result of hypercorrection. As-Safira was known in pre-Islamic times as Sipri. Historians have suggested that the name Sipri may have come from the Akkadian word siparru meaning "bronze", which might indicate that copper was mined and bronze was worked there.

History

Since ancient times the city has been the distribution point for salt gathered from the nearby Sabkhat al-Jabbul.

Archeological findings

The Sfire I Treaty which may contain 8th century BCE evidence of a deity called "Most High."

Geography

Climate

As-Safira has a cold semi-arid climate (Köppen climate classification: BSk).