Maseka

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nlhvXgPoZj8

The village of Maseka is located in the Recû district of the Efrîn region. According to local oral history, the village was established approximately 400 years ago. An elder, Apê Mihemed, recounts that the original inhabitants came from Gewrkan and established their families here. However, the history of the settlement was interrupted roughly 300 years ago when a sickness described as "wêran" caused the population to abandon the site. Eventually, the residents returned to rebuild. Today, the village is home to over 300 families, including lineages such as Mala Ecko şeqe pî, Mala Misî Yûsiv, Mala Mistik Xedê, Mala Elî Qere, Mala Kenîn, Mala Durdu, Mala Bildirêjê, Mala Hecî Şikeftka, Mala Şêxê Bilkê, Mala Hevidî, and Mala Bekir Cadan. While many residents migrated to cities like Reqqa, Heleb, and Şam for work, many returned to their land following the onset of the conflict in Sûriyê to cultivate crops like olives, melons, and grain.

Maseka is distinguished by several unique landmarks and local beliefs. Residents speak of a large stone with a hole in it known as Kevirê Kuxikê (Stone of the Whooping Cough). Historically, before modern medicine was accessible, villagers believed that passing a sick child through the hole in this stone three times at dawn, without looking back, would cure whooping cough. Adjacent to this stone stands an oak tree called Dara Mirazan (Tree of Wishes), where people tie fabrics to the branches in hopes of having their wishes granted.

Between Maseka and the neighboring village of Mamola lies a historic well known as Bîra Barcûq. The resident Jwara explains that the name may derive from "Pareçûq," while others interpret it as "the well that lifts heavy loads." This area serves as a shared space for both villages, featuring a communal cemetery. Local lore suggests this site was once a city named Barcûq containing mosques and water reservoirs, with roots potentially stretching back to the Mîtanî era. For generations, this well was the primary water source for domestic use and livestock, though it has recently been replaced by private cisterns.

The village is also defined by the Riya Hesin (Railway) constructed during the Osmanî period, around 1912, by Elman (German) engineers. The construction involved digging a tunnel through the rocky terrain, a labor-intensive process that employed local villagers from Maseka and Dewdûrê, such as Hisênê Ekeş, Reşîdê Ehme, and Hesenê Hecî Evdê. An elder, Ehmed, recounts a story passed down from his ancestors: the Elman engineer in charge was so concerned about the tunnel excavation meeting perfectly from both sides that he vowed to shoot himself with a Mauser ("Mozer a şûna xwe bikule") if the alignment was incorrect. The tunnel was successfully completed, becoming a vital link between Ewropa and the Levant.

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZzLlgtowmgk

The village of Maseka is located in the Reco district of the Efrîn region and holds a history spanning approximately three to four centuries. According to village elders like Apê Mihemed, the current settlement is not the original site. The ancestors of the current residents originally lived about 300 meters away in a location now referred to as the ruins. A severe disease known locally as Kulor or Wêranşar struck that original settlement about 300 years ago. This tragedy forced the survivors to relocate and establish Maseka at its present location. The founding lineage is identified as the Xadînan family who migrated from Gawirîn and laid the foundations of the new village.

The social structure of Maseka is defined by close kinship and cooperation among several distinct families. Elders list these key lineages as Ekaşî Qapê, Mîso Yisiv, Mistê Xedê, Elî Qere, Kenîn, Dirdê, Bildirêjê, Hecî Şiketko, Şêxî Bilkê, Hewîdî, and Bekir Ce'don. These families are described as living in brotherhood and maintaining their livelihood primarily through agriculture. The village is particularly renowned for its figs (Hejîr) which are processed by the women into bastîq (fruit leather), mîj (stuffed dried figs), and leçer (jam) during the summer months to be sold in markets like Reco and Efrîn.

Spirituality and folk medicine in Maseka are centered around specific natural landmarks. The most prominent is Kevirê Kuxikê which translates to the Stone of the Whooping Cough. In the past villagers believed this large stone with a hole in it possessed healing powers. Parents would pass sick children through the hole three times and leave without looking back to cure respiratory illnesses. Next to this stone stands Dara Mirazan or the Tree of Wishes where locals tie fabrics to the branches while making vows or requests for divine favor.

Another historically significant site is Bîra Barcuq a deep well shared between Maseka and the neighboring village of Mamala. The well is situated in an area containing ancient ruins and a cemetery that locals believe dates back to the Mîtaniyan era. The name Barcuq is locally interpreted by some elders to mean "much money" in reference to a Turkish etymology while others interpret it as "burden of the people." This well was once the center of daily life where women washed clothes and shepherds watered their flocks.

The village also features a prominent section of the railway known as Rêya hesin which connects the region to Heleb and Ewropa. Built between 1912 and 1919 this infrastructure project involved German engineers. A local legend recounts how a German engineer bet that he would divorce his wife if he failed to break a particularly stubborn black rock known as Zinarê reş. He eventually succeeded using dynamite and the railway remains a testament to that era of heavy labor. Noted figures from the village include the musician Mihemed Bilko who composes songs about the pain of exile and the beauty of the village.