Elarai

Elarai ܐܠܐܪܐܝ
Capital city
Central Business District National Library of Almeraei Obelisk of Elarai Agricultural Bureau of the United Congress Ministry of Defense Building Royal Mound of Elarai National Altar
Flag Seal
Country	Almeraei
Regions	Capital
Establishment	6225–6170 BCE
Government
• Mayor	Tamar Asuriel (ALP)
Area
• Capital city	972 km2 (375 sq mi)
Elevation	103 m (337 ft ft)
Population  (2024)
• Capital city	9,891,013
• Density	10,175/km2 (26,350/sq mi)
• Metro	19,871,091
Demonym	Elaraites
Time zone	UTC-2 (EST)
Postal code	0001-0001
Area code	1
Vehicle registration	AR-I

Elarai (Almeraei: ܐܠܐܪܐܝ) formerly Al-Qatara, officially the capital and largest city of Almeraei, is a political, cultural, and economic hub located in Southeast Abaria. Situated along the banks of the Imir River, Elarai is home to approximately 12 million residents, making it one of the largest cities in the region. Elarai serves as the administrative heart of Almeraei and houses key government institutions, including the seat of the executive and its associated ministries, the legislature, and the nation's highest court.

Etymology

The name Elarai originates from the ancient Almeraeite words "El", meaning "city" or "place," and "Arai," derived from one of the many names of Oraei, a prominent polytheistic deity worshipped in the prehistoric and ancient Almeraei religion. The city of Elarai, historically known as a major religious center, was deeply associated with the god Oraei, who was revered as the patron of the ancient El-Arai and was a paramount figure in Almeraeite religion and culture. The name El-Arai is a literal translation to Fallish "the city of Arai" or "the place of Oraei".

After the region that is now modern Almeraei was subjugated by the Shiraqic Qal'aldesh, the Adorationists were expelled and Elarai was renamed to Al-Qatara which translates to "the place of dripping" or "the place of trickling water," deriving from the root قَطَر (qatr), meaning "to drip" or "to trickle." This name was chosen due to the city's prominence on the Imir River and proximity to numerous natural springs.

History

Main article: El-Arai

Prehistoric

Elarai and it peripheral region is one of the most ancient urban centers in Almeraei and has a history that traces back thousands of years. Archaeological evidence suggests that the area around El-Arai was first settled by the Onnu culture around 24,000 years ago, during the late Epipaleolithic period. The development of permanent agriculture, driven by the domestication of wheat among prehistorica populations laid the foundation for more complex societies, particularly as the need for cooperative management of natural resources grew.

Prior to the establishment of Elarai, around 9,000 years ago, the Imirian people established the city of El-Cimir on Cimir Island, located in the center of Lake Cimir. El-Cimir's rise and demise played a part in the rise of Elarai. Approximately 6,170 years ago, an inundation event led to the temporary abandonment of El-Cimir, prompting settlers to move southward, where they founded the ancient city of El-Arai.

Ancient

El-Arai was established in honor of Oraei by Araite settlers of El-Cimir. Literally meaning "the place of Oraei", its etymology is sourced from one of the earliest written recordings of a city's founding, known as the Stele of El-Arai. Archeological efforts in the late 19th and early 20th centuries uncovered that El-Arai developed in a similar way to El-Cimir, where numerous smaller agricultural villages coalesced into a larger urban center. Among the academic community there lacks a consensus regarding the validity of the story commemorated in the Stele of El-Arai. The Stele of El-Arai is also one of the earliest inscriptions mentioning the deity Oraei.

El-Arai and its administration is documented through various writings, recorded mostly on clay tablets and steles. Modern archeologists believe that the more mundane administrative inscriptions found on clay tablets better reflect the growth of the city, while the steles were utilized by the early rulers of El-Arai for commemorative purposes that may embellish the truth. Archeological records show that El-Arai became the heart of a stratified society, with an extensive religious and political bureaucracy. The construction of the Royal Mound of Elarai, a monument still visible throughout the modern city, is a significant archeological aspect of the era. The royal mound was constructed in El-Arai in a process known as mound swathing, in which ancient rulers were interred atop predecessors’ mounds, creating a massive tumulus still visible to this day.

The city became an influential within the Aimur Empire around 4,900 years ago, during the rule of King Al-Hinnari, who consolidated control over the reestablished city El-Cimir, El-Mur, and El-Rheol. El-Arai emerged as the political and religious center of the empire, with Oraei as its patron deity. Emphasis on the worship of Oraei in the city is heavily documented, which historians call Oraeism. Other deities of the ancient Almeraeite pantheon also had temples dedicated to them in the city during this period.

Dominance of the region ended after approximately 230 years when the Aimur Empire collapsed, and the cities became independent powers. Sometime between 4,400-4,200 years ago the ancient city of El-Arai were subjugated by the northern peoples of Ra’hat, who established an empire originating from an area in what is now southern Razan.

Antiquity

Main article: Kingdom of Almeraei

Approximately 2,830 years ago, after thirty years of wars and conquests, the Kingdom of Almeraei was established by Raeianar, unifying the region to a scale comparable to the Aimur Empire. El-Arai was restored to a position of prominence as the kingdom’s spiritual and political center, where worship of the monotheistic God of the modern faith of Adorationalism. During this period the ancient city of El-Arai underwent significant expansion, especially with the construction of the Temple of El-Arai and the Royal Palace of El-Arai.

Medieval

The Gardens of Altan are remnants of the Al-Qatara Citadel, constructed in 1391 under Shiraqic rule.

In 781, the city came under the control of the Shiraqic Qal'aldesh, a Himaya power that exerted influence over the region. In 803, the Shiraqic retaliated against the Almeraeites for their rebellion resulting in the destruction of the Temple, the Royal Palace and numerous monuments. Much of the city was burned, and thousands of Almeraeites were executed and expelled from the region. In the 805, the city was renamed to Al-Qatara. Much of the older city and the historical monuments of Ancient Almeraei were buried and overtaken by forests. Al-Qatara and its road layout was designed by the Shahanshah of the Shiraqic Qal'aldesh Selim Altan.

In 1348 the Catabole and the proceeding Catabolic Crisis led to the collapse of the Shiraqic Qal'aldesh, and Al-Qatara was devastated by famine and disease. Most of Al-Qatara was emptied and left to ruins. Al-Qatara served as the capitol of numerous rump states, changing hands regularly over the next 400 years.

Modern

It served as the capital of the Emirate of Al-Qatara during the early modern period before the region of southeast Abaria was colonized by the Hyacinthe in 1891. Interest among the Adorational community in Hyacinthe to resettle Almeraei had grown significantly, an essential element of the Adorationist belief known as the Canonical Return. In 1893 the first group of Adorationists returned, and the settler party to reestablish an Adorationalist presence in Al-Qatara was Tammuz Kinnur. According to colonial government, Al-Qatara had a population 45,000, most of which were described as being of mixed-Abaria descent, 58% of which practiced Himayaism and the remainder being Adorationists. Efforts to relocate the rural Abarian Adorationist communities to Al-Qatara resulted in drastic demographic changes, and the 1898 riots that resulted in the deaths of 498 civilians.

From 1901 to 1922 the Adorationist and and Himaya communities engaged in retaliatory hostilities against one another, until the National Adorationalist Front (NAF) seized control of the region and expelled the non-Adorationist populations. On October 11, 1923 the city was renamed to Elarai. On December 1, 1923 Adorationist delegates from across the colony assembled in Old Elarai City Hall where they declared the independence of the Republic of Almeraei.

Demographics

Historical population of Elarai
Year	Pop.	±% p.a.
1900	203,091	—
1910	210,450	+0.36%
1920	218,300	+0.37%
1930	345,210	+4.69%
1940	482,300	+3.40%
1950	582,000	+1.90%
1960	770,450	+2.84%
1970	985,300	+2.49%
1980	1,315,000	+2.93%
1990	2,150,200	+5.04%
2000	5,612,000	+10.07%
2010	7,910,000	+3.49%
2020	9,510,000	+1.86%
2024	9,891,013	+0.99%

As of 2024, Elarai has a population of approximately 9.89 million within the city proper and 19.87 million in the metropolitan area. Elarai’s population is predominantly Almeraeites, comprising 82.4% of the total city population, or 8,873,330 residents. Other significant ethnic groups include; 405,490 are Abarians (4.1%), 326,370 are Chals (3.3%), 148,350 are Altiqors (1.5%), and 138,460 areChaburs (1.4%).

Almeraei is the official and most widely spoken language in Elarai, and is used in officially in government, education, and public media. Other commonly spoken languages, primarily used by the Adorational diaspora, includes Fallish, Hyacinthean, and Ruthish.

Elarai is predominantly Adorationalist (61.5%). or 6,081,735 people, with the remainder of the population belonging to other Imirianic religions, 9.8% practicing Himayaism, or 969,920, and 1.7% practicing Palmerism, or 168,130. In 2024, 24.7% or 2,442,830 of the respondents to religious surveys stated they were irreligious or unaffiliated.

Economy

As of 2024, Elarai's GDP (PPP) is approximately $1.02 trillion, contributing around 21.2% of Almeraei's national GDP (PPP) of $4.82 trillion. The local nominal GDP of Elarai is estimated at $720 billion, or 24.2% of the national nominal GDP of $2.97 trillion. The economy of Elarai is predominantly driven by the service sector, with significant contributions from industry and a minimal contribution from agriculture. Approximately 58% of Elarai’s workforce, or 2.91 million people, are employed in the service sector. Around 40% of Elarai’s workforce, or 2.01 million people, work in the manufacturing sector. Agricultural employment is minimal, involving 2% of the workforce, or roughly 100,000 people.

Services comprising 61.3% of the city’s GDP (PPP), equal to approximately $625.3 billion, including financial services, real estate, healthcare, and retail and government. Industry comprises 36.4% of the city’s GDP (PPP), totaling approximately $371 billion. Key industries include steel production, high-tech electronics, aluminum manufacturing, and automobile manufacturing.

Almeraei's main stock exchange, the Elarai Stock Exchange (ESX), located in the city's central business district. The Elarai Stock Exchange has a total market capitalization is approximately $2.3 trillion, and an average daily trading volume of $6.8 billion. In 2024, there were 430 companies listed. Major domestic financial corporations located in Elarai include; Baqir Holdings, Mazri Bank, Sharaz, Amanat-Imir Bank, Raheemi Securities, Yashir Corporation.

Infrastructure

The Port of Elarai on the Imir River is one of the largest river ports in Abaria, handling around 424,920 kilotons of cargo annually. Most commonly exported commodities include petroleum, aluminum, steel, machinery, and electronics, while the most commonly imported goods are high-tech electronics, aircraft material, pharmaceutical and medical supplies. The port facilities cover an area of approximately 12 square kilometers and include specialized terminals for containerized goods, bulk cargo, and heavy equipment.

Elarai’s road infrastructure includes several bridges that connect different parts of the city across the Imir River and its tributaries, including the the double-decked Kinnur Bridge.

The Elarai Metro is the largest rapid transit system in Almeraei, and includes 10 lines and over 210 stations, covering approximately 380 kilometers of track. In 2024, the metro carried an estimated 3.8 million passengers daily.