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Deir ez-Zor
Deir ez-Zor; دير الزور
	Suspension bridge of Deir ez Zor over the Euphrates River
	; Deir ez-Zor Location in Syria
	Coordinates: 35°20′N 40°9′E / 35.333°N 40.15°E
Country	Syria
Governorate	Deir ez-Zor Governorate
District	Deir ez-Zor District
Elevation	210 m (689 ft)
	Population (2002)
- Total	230,000
Area code(s)	051

Coordinates: 35°20′N 40°9′E / 35.333°N 40.15°E / 35.333; 40.15

Deir ez Zor, also spelled Dayr az-Zawr, Deir al-Zur and other variants (Arabic: دير الزور‎; Syriac: ܕܝܪܐ ܙܥܘܪܬܐ, Armenian: Տէր Զօր or Der Zor, Turkish: Deyrizor), is a city in northeastern Syria on the Euphrates River and capital of the Deir ez-Zor Governorate, 450 km from the capital, Damascus.^[1] It has a population of 230,000 (2002 estimate).

The city and its rural surrounding is a fertile and prosperous farming area, with livestock-breeding (for awassi sheep), cereals and cotton crops. Many agribusiness institutions work there as well.

Since the discovery of light crude petroleum in the Syrian desert it has become a centre for the country's petroleum extraction industry. It is also a minor centre for tourism with many tourist facilities such as traditional French-style riverbank restaurants, up to 5-star hotels, a hub for trans-desert travel and an airport (IATA code: DEZ) in Al-Jafra suburb. There are salt mines nearby.

Deir ez-Zor is situated 85 km to the northwest of the archaeological remains of Dura-Europos and 120 km northwest of the remains of the ancient city of Mari. During Roman times it was an important trading post between the Roman Empire and India. Conquered by Zenobia, it became part of the kingdom of Palmyra. After a successive wave of conquests, it was finally destroyed by the Mongols as they swept across the Middle East.

The modern town was built by the Ottoman Empire in 1867. In 1915, the city became a major destination point in the Armenian Genocide; a memorial commemorating this tragedy is located in the city.^[2] France occupied Deir ez-Zor in 1921 and made it the seat of a large garrison. Meanwhile, the region was locally ruled by Haj-Fadel Abboud, a member of an aristocratic family. In 1941 British-led forces defeated the Vichy French during the Syria-Lebanon campaign, which included a battle over Deir, and they handed administration of the region to the Free French. In 1946 it became part of independent Syria.

Deir ez-Zor is also famous for its suspension bridge (Arabic: الجسر المعلق‎) that spans the Euphrates and was built by the French in 1930.^[1]

It has a regional-level museum and a big Cultural Center. The newly established Al-Furat University has its center in Deir ez Zor. Of this University, faculties of Agriculture, Science, Arts and Humanities, Education, Law, Petrochemical Engineering and Medicine are located in the city, while other faculties spread in neighbouring districts. Many other vocational schools and professional institutes also provide post-secondary education. The local daily newspaper Al Furat is published there. The city hosts the governorate's only two universities; a public one established in 2006, Al-Furat, and a private one established in 2007, Al-Jazeera. ^[3]

Most recently, Deir ez-Zor is known as the place where Israel, on September 6, 2007 executed Operation Orchard. Israel bombed a northern Syrian complex near Dayr az-Zawr and claimed that it was holding nuclear materials from North Korea.