During the Armenian Genocide , Ras al-Ayn was one of the major collecting places of deported Armenians . From 1915 on , 1.5 million Armenians were deported from all over Anatolia , many forced to death marches into the Syrian desert . Approximately 80,000 Armenians , mostly women and children , were slaughtered in desert death camps near Ras al-Ayn . Besides the Deir ez-Zor Camps , the Ras al-Ayn camps became " synonymous with Armenian suffering "
Armenian Genocide
Armenian Genocide
Ras al-Ayn