DEIR or DEIR a town in the state of Syria (French mandated territory), on the right bank of the Euphrates, 271 m. above its junction with the Khabar : pop. about 8,000. The chief town of a considerable area it boasts a hotel, bazaar and many shops. It has a French garrison and an aerodrome, macadam ized streets and a public garden, and is a centre of commerce. In Ptolemaeus' list of towns on the right bank of the Euphrates (Geog. v. 18) the following have been identified with Deir ez Zor : Gadirtha (Fischer, Herzfeld), Birtha (Kiepert), Auzara (=Azaura) (Dussaud). The ancient roads from Aleppo and Damascus to Baghdad met here. One of the modern motor routes from Damascus to Baghdad passes through the town.