 Originally built and inhabited by Assyrians from the Upper Tyari tribe in the late 1930's the town is now predominantly populated by Kurds and Arabs, with the Assyrians remaining a substantial minority of about 20%.At the 2004 census, Tell Tamer had a population of 7,285.Located by the Khabur River at an intersection between the M4 Highway (Aleppo–Mosul) and the major road between al-Hasakah and Diyarbakır (Turkey), the town is a transport hub of major importance.