The city is located in the middle of Hesinyan plain between the Tigris and Safan rivers. The region was controlled by the Kurdish
Bohtan principality until 1848 and inhabited mostly by the Kurdish Hesinyan tribe, gaving the plain its name. Before attaining the size of a city, Derik village was given by the prince
Bedirkhan Botani to
Hemko Hesinî, who was a military leader for Botan principality in its last years, hence the city has its alternative name: Dêrika Hemko. After
World War I, the French enlisted help from the Kurdish Milli tribe to control the whole region east of
Euphrates river up to the Tigris. The French chose the village of Ayn Dywar as the center for the region, but in 1927 they moved the administrative center to Derik. And since then the village developed into a city . , Al-Malikiyah is the fifth largest city in Al-Hasakah governorate.
Syrian Civil War As a result of the ongoing
civil war, Al-Malikiyah is currently controlled by the
Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES). On 21 July 2012, the ethnic Kurdish
People's Defense Units (YPG) reportedly captured Al-Malikiyah, which is located just 10 kilometers from the
Turkish border, although another report stated that fighting was still going on in the city. On 22 July, it was reported that YPG forces were still fighting for Al-Malikiyah, and one young Kurdish activist was killed after Pro-
Assad government forces allegedly opened fire on protesters. In November 2012, government forces withdrew from the city. Kurdish-led authorities subsequently installed the "Dêrik prison" for captured
Islamic State members in al-Malikiyah. In April 2019, the prison was the site of
a major prison escape attempt by about 200 ISIL detainees, including several French jihadists. The breakout was foiled, however, and some prisoners were distributed to other detention centers. In May 2020, reports emerged that
Russia had begun building a new military base in Qeser Dib, a village outside of al-Malikiyah. On 2 February 2022, four civilians were killed after an armed
Turkish drone bombed a power station near the city. ==Demographics==