During Ottoman times , the area was mostly inhabited by nomadic tribes . In 1838 Maskanah was classified as a ruined village ( " '' khirba '' " ) by Biblical scholar Eli Smith . The cultivable lands of the Aleppo Vilayet , including Maskanah , were confiscated in 1876 by Sultan Abdulhamid II as his own personal property . The lands were later integrated back into the state as public property . In 1915 the town was visited by orientalist Alois Musil who mentions the town having barracks , a large '' khan '' , and the residence of the head of the telegraph service . A year later , Maskanah became a major deportation route during the Armenian Genocide where an estimated 80,000 Armenians died
Armenian Genocide
Armenian Genocide
Maskanah