ERBIL
![](locationofebril.jpg)
Location
of Ebril
Country
: Iraq
Region
: Kurdistan Region
Governorate
: Erbil
![](Erbil_Montage_2014.jpg)
Clockwise,
from top: Downtown, Mudhafaria Minaret, Statue of Ibn al-Mustawfi,
Citadel of Erbil
Erbil
or Hawler (Romanized: Arbil or Arwil, Syriac: Arbel) known in
ancient history as Arbela, is the capital and most populated city
in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. It has around 1.5 million inhabitants,
while Erbil Governorate has 2,932,800 inhabitants as of 2020.
Human
settlement at Erbil may be dated back to the 5th millennium BC,
which would make the city one of the oldest continuously inhabited
areas in the world. At the heart of the city is the ancient Citadel
of Erbil and Mudhafaria Minaret. The earliest historical reference
to the region dates to the Third Dynasty of Ur of Sumer, when
King Shulgi mentioned the city of Urbilum. The city was later
conquered by the Assyrians.
Erbil
became an integral part of the kingdom of Assyria by the 21st
century BC through to the end of the seventh century BC, after
it was captured by the Gutians, and it was known in Assyrian annals
variously as Urbilim, Arbela and Arba-ilu. Subsequent to this,
it was part of the geopolitical province of Assyria under several
empires in turn, including the Median Empire, the Achaemenid Empire
(Achaemenid Assyria), Macedonian Empire, Seleucid Empire, Armenian
Empire, Parthian Empire, Roman Assyria and Sasanian Empire, as
well as being the capital of the tributary state of Adiabene between
the mid-second century BC and early second century AD.
Following
the Muslim conquest of Persia, it no longer remained a unitary
region, and during the Middle Ages, the city came to be ruled
by the Seljuk and Ottoman empires.
Erbil's
archaeological museum houses a large collection of pre-Islamic
artefacts, particularly the art of Mesopotamia, and is a center
for archaeological projects in the area. The city was designated
as Arab Tourism Capital 2014 by the Arab Council of Tourism. In
July 2014, the Citadel of Arbil was inscribed as a World Heritage
site.
The
city has an ethnically diverse population of Kurds, Turkmens,
Assyrians, Arabs and Armenians. It is equally religiously diverse,
with believers of Sunni Islam, Shia Islam, Christianity, Yarsanism
and Yazidism.
Etymology
:
Erbil - the name most used internationally for the ancient city-
is often referred to by the phonetic equivalents of Arbil or Erbil,
as well as Arbela. The origin of the name can be traced back
to Sumerian writings as early as 2000 BC referring to Arbilum,
Orbelum or Urbilum. It is believed to be composed from the
Sumerian roots 'Ur' (town) and 'Bela' (high), presumably on the
basis that it is located in the upper regions, beyond the lower
deltas of the Tigris. There are traces of early settled existence
in the Erbil region as far back as the twenty-third century BC,
but probably the first major population expansion took place when
Cyaxares (625 - 585 BC), the first King of Media, settled some
of the sagarthian tribes in what is today Erbil and Kirkuk. Neighbors
to the Parthians in north eastern Iran, these early Iranian tribes
were nomadic pastoralists, reputed to use the lasso as their principal
weapon.
The
city's ancient name, known in the classical era as Arbela (Greek:
translit. Arbela), can be traced back to Old Persian Arbaira and
ultimately Assyrian Arbailu.
History
:
![](590px-Si%E8ge_d%27Irbil_1258-1259.jpeg)
Siege
of Erbil by the Ilkhanid Mongols in 1258–59 depicted in
the Jami' al-tawarikh by Rashid-al-Din Hamadani Bibliothèque
Nationale de France, Département des Manuscrits, Division
Orientale
![](Citadel_of_Hewl%EAr_(Erbil),_Iraqi_Kurdistan.jpg)
Citadel
of Arbil, Iraqi Kurdistan
![](399px-Chaldean_Catholic_Cathedral_of_Saint_Joseph_2005_(Ankawa,_Erbil,_Iraq).jpg)
Chaldean
Catholic Cathedral of Saint Joseph in Ankawa, a suburb of Erbil
Ancient history :
The region in which Erbil lies was largely under Sumerian domination
from c. 3000 BC, until the rise of the Akkadian Empire (2335–2154
BC) which united all of the Akkadian Semites and Sumerians of
Mesopotamia under one rule. Today the Assyrian people, a Syriac-speaking
community who claim descent from Akkadian speakers, endure as
a minority in northern Iraq, north east Syria, south east Turkey
and north west Iran, their population is estimated to be 3.3 million.
The
first mention of Erbil in literary sources comes from the archives
of the East Semitic-speaking kingdom of Ebla. They record two
journeys to Erbil (Irbilum) by a messenger from Ebla around 2300
BC. Erridupizir, king of the language isolate speaking kingdom
of Gutium, captured the city in 2150 BC. The Neo-Sumerian ruler
of Ur, Amar-Sin, sacked Urbilum in his second year, c. 1975 BC.
Erbil
was an integral part of Assyria from around 2050 BC, becoming
a relatively important city during the Old Assyrian Empire (1975–1750
BC), Middle Assyrian Empire (1365–1050 BC) and the Neo Assyrian
Empire (935–605 BC), until the last of these empires fell
between 612–599 BC. However, it remained part of Assyria
under Persian, Greek, Parthian, Roman and Sassanid rule until
the first half of the 7th century AD.
Under
the Median Empire, Cyaxares might have settled a number of people
from the Ancient Iranian tribe of Sagartians in the Assyrian cities
of Arbela and Arrapha (modern Kirkuk), probably as a reward for
their help in the capture of Nineveh. According to Classical authors,
the Persian emperor Cyrus the Great occupied Assyria in 547 BC
and established it as an Achaemenid satrapy called in Old Persian
Aoura (Athura), with Babylon as the capital.
The
Battle of Gaugamela, in which Alexander the Great defeated Darius
III of Persia, took place in 331 BC approximately 100 kilometres
(62 mi) west of Erbil. After the battle, Darius managed to flee
to the city. (Somewhat inaccurately, the confrontation is sometimes
known as the "Battle of Arbela".) Subsequently, Arbela
was part of Alexander's Empire. After the death of Alexander the
Great in 323 BC, Arbela became part of the Hellenistic Seleucid
Empire.
Erbil
became part of the region disputed between Rome and Persia under
the Sasanids. The ancient Ashkenazi-Riphathean kingdom of Adiabene
(the Greek form of the Assyrian Hadyab) had its centre at Erbil,
and the town and kingdom are known in Jewish history for the conversion
of the royal family to Judaism. During the Parthian era to early
Sassanid era, Erbil became the capital of the Ashkenazi-Riphathean
state of Adiabene.
Its
populace then gradually converted from the Mesopotamian religion
between the 1st and 4th centuries to Christianity—primarily
the Chaldean Catholic Church (and to a lesser degree to the Syriac
Orthodox Church), with Pkidha traditionally becoming its first
bishop around 104 AD. The ancient Mesopotamian religion did not
die out entirely in the region until the 10th century AD. The
metropolitanate of Hadyab in Arbela (Syriac: Arbel) became a centre
of eastern Syriac Christianity until late in the Middle Ages.
Medieval
history :
As many of the Assyrians who had converted to Christianity adopted
Biblical (including Jewish) names, most of the early bishops had
Eastern Aramaic or Jewish/Biblical names, which does not suggest
that many of the early Christians in this city were converts from
Judaism. It served as the seat of a Metropolitan of the Assyrian
Church of the East. From the city's Christian period come many
church fathers and well-known authors in Syriac.
Following
the Muslim conquest of Persia, the Sasanid province of Assuristan,
of which Erbil made part of, was dissolved, and from the mid 7th
century AD the region saw a gradual influx of Muslim peoples,
predominantly Arabs, Kurds and Turkic peoples.
The
most notable Kurdish tribe in the region were the Hadhabani, of
which several individuals also acted as governors for the city
from the late 10th century until the 12th century when it was
conquered by the Zengids and its governorship given to the Turkic
Begtegenids, of whom the most notable was Gökböri, who
retained the city during the Ayyubid era Yaqut al-Hamawi further
describes Erbil as being mostly Kurdish-populated in the 13th
century.
When
the Mongols invaded the Near East in the 13th century, they attacked
Arbil for the first time in 1237. They plundered the lower town
but had to retreat before an approaching Caliphate army and had
to put off the capture of the citadel. [broken footnote] After
the fall of Baghdad to Hülegü and the Mongols in 1258,
the last Begtegenid ruler surrendered to the Mongols, claiming
the Kurdish garrison of the city would follow suit; they refused
this however, therefore the Mongols returned to Arbil and were
able to capture the citadel after a siege lasting six months.
Hülegü then appointed an Assyrian Christian governor
to the town, and the Syriac Orthodox Church was allowed to build
a church.
As
time passed, sustained persecutions of Christians, Jews and Buddhists
throughout the Ilkhanate began in earnest in 1295 under the rule
of Oïrat amir Nauruz, which affected the indigenous Assyrian
Christians greatly. This manifested early on in the reign of the
Ilkhan Ghazan. In 1297, after Ghazan had felt strong enough to
overcome Nauruz's influence, he put a stop to the persecutions.
During
the reign of the Ilkhan Öljeitü the Assyrian inhabitants
retreated to the citadel to escape persecution. In the Spring
of 1310, the Malek (governor) of the region attempted to seize
it from them with the help of the Kurds. Despite the Turkic bishop
Mar Yahballaha's best efforts to avert the impending doom, the
citadel was at last taken after a siege by Ilkhanate troops and
Kurdish tribesmen on 1 July 1310, and all the defenders were massacred,
including many of the Assyrian inhabitants of the lower town.
However,
the city's Assyrian population remained numerically significant
until the destruction of the city by the forces of Timur in 1397.
In
the Middle Ages, Erbil was ruled successively by the Umayyads,
the Abbasids, the Buwayhids, the Seljuks and then the Turkmen
Begteginid Emirs of Erbil (1131–1232), most notably Gökböri,
one of Saladin's leading generals; they were in turn followed
by the Ilkhanids, the Jalayirids, the Kara Koyunlu, the Timurids
and the Ak Koyunlu. Erbil was the birthplace of the famous 12th
and 13th century Kurdish historians and writers Ibn Khallikan
and Ibn al-Mustawfi. After Battle of Chaldiran in 1514 Erbil came
under Soran emirate In 18th century Baban Emirate took the city
but it was retaken by Soran ruler Mir Muhammed Kor in 1822 The
Soran emirate continued ruling over Erbil until it was taken by
the Ottomans in 1851. Erbil became a part of the Musul Vilayet
in Ottoman Empire for until World War I, when the Ottomans and
their Kurdish and Turcoman allies were defeated by the British
Empire.
The
Medes :
The Medes, and with them the Sagarthians, were to revolt against
Darius I of Persia in 522 BC, but this revolt was firmly put down
by the army which Darius sent out under the leadership of General
Takhmaspada the following year. The events are depicted in the
Behistun Inscription which stands today in the mountains of Iran's
Kermanshah province. Ever the buffer zone between the two great
empires of Byzantium and Persia, the plains of 10 Km to the west
of Erbil were to witness the Battle of Gaugemela between Alexander
the Great and Darius III of Persia in 331 BC. Vanquished, Darius
managed to flee to Erbil, which is why the battle is still sometimes
referred to - rather inaccurately - as the Battle of Erbil. Erbil
went on to be the seat of rule of the Adiabene Kingdom in the
first century AD, largely located to the north west in the region
of modern day Diyarbakir in Turkey. It is remembered in Jewish
traditions for the notable conversion of its Queen, Helena of
Adiabene, to Judaism before she moved on to Jerusalem. Early Christianity
was also to flourish in Erbil with a bishop established in the
town as early as AD 100 with a community of followers thought
to be converts from Judaism.
Modern
history :
Erbil lies on the plain beneath the mountains, but for the most
part, the inhabitants of Iraqi Kurdistan dwell up above in the
rugged and rocky terrain that is the traditional habitat of the
Kurds since time immemorial.
![](Postcard_of_the_city_of_Erbil,_1900.jpg)
A
postcard showing the city of Erbil in 1900
The modern town of Erbil stands on a tell topped by an Ottoman
fort. During the Middle Ages, Erbil became a major trading center
on the route between Baghdad and Mosul, a role which it still
plays today with important road links to the outside world.
Erbil
Main Square
Erbil is also home to a large population of refugees due to ongoing
conflicts in Syria and in the rest of Iraq. In 2020, it was estimated
that 450,000 refugees had settled in the Erbil metropolitan area
since 2003, with many of them expected to remain.
The
parliament of the Kurdistan Autonomous Region was established
in Erbil in 1970 after negotiations between the Iraqi government
and the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) led by Mustafa Barzani,
but was effectively controlled by Saddam Hussein until the Kurdish
uprising at the end of the 1991 Gulf War. The legislature ceased
to function effectively in the mid-1990s when fighting broke out
between the two main Kurdish factions, the Kurdistan Democratic
Party and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK). The city was
captured by the KDP in 1996 with the assistance of the Iraqi government
of Saddam Hussein. The PUK then established an alternative Kurdish
government in Sulaimaniyah. KDP claimed that on March 1996 PUK
asked for Iran's help to fight KDP. Considering this as a foreign
attack on Iraq's soil, the KDP asked Saddam Hussein for help.
The
Kurdish Parliament in Erbil reconvened after a peace agreement
was signed between the Kurdish parties in 1997, but had no real
power. The Kurdish government in Erbil had control only in the
western and northern parts of the autonomous region. During the
2003 Invasion of Iraq, a United States special forces task force
was headquartered just outside Erbil. The city was the scene of
celebrations on 10 April 2003 after the fall of the Ba'ath regime.
![](576px-Clock_of_Erbil.jpg)
Erbil
Clock Tower
During the coalition forces occupation of Iraq, sporadic attacks
hit Erbil. Parallel bomb attacks against Eid celebrations killed
109 people on 1 February 2004. Responsibility was claimed by the
Ansar al-Sunnah. A suicide bombing on 4 May 2005 killed 60 civilians
and injured 150 more outside a police recruiting centre.
The
Erbil International Airport opened in the city in 2005.
In
2015, the Assyrian Church of the East moved its seat from Chicago
to Erbil.
In
February 2021, a series of missiles hit the city killing 2 and
injuring 8 people.
Transportation
:
Erbil International Airport is one of Iraq's busiest airports
and it is near the city. Services include direct flights to many
domestic destinations such as Baghdad international airport. There
are international flights from Erbil to many countries; such as
the Netherlands, Germany, Saudi Arabia, Austria, Turkey, Jordan
and many more flights elsewhere around the world. There are occasionally
seasonal flights from Erbil international airport. Erbil International
Airport was briefly closed to international commercial flights
in September 2017 by the Iraqi government in retaliation for the
Kurdish independence vote but reopened in March 2018.
Another
important form of transportation between Erbil and the surrounding
areas is by bus. Among others, bus services offer connections
to Turkey and Iran. A new bus terminal was opened in 2014. Erbil
has a system of five ring roads encirling the city.
Climate
:
Erbil has a Mediterranean climate (Köppen climate classification
Csa), with long, extremely hot summers and mild winters. Summer
months are extremely dry, with little to no precipitation occurring
between June and September. Winters are usually wet and humid,
with January being the wettest month.
Culture
:
Citadel of Erbil :
The Citadel of Erbil is a tell or occupied mound in the historical
heart of Erbil, rising between 25 and 32 metres (82 and 105 ft)
from the surrounding plain. The buildings on top of the tell stretch
over a roughly oval area of 430 by 340 metres (1,410 ft ×
1,120 ft) occupying 102,000 square metres (1,100,000 sq ft). It
has been claimed that the site is the oldest continuously inhabited
town in the world. The earliest evidence for occupation of the
citadel mound dates to the 5th millennium BC and possibly earlier.
It appears for the first time in historical sources during the
Ur III period and gained particular importance during the Neo-Assyrian
Empire (10th to 7th centuries BC) period. West of the citadel
at Ary Kon quarter, a chamber tomb dating to the Neo-Assyrian
Empire period has been excavated. During the Sassanian period
and the Abbasid Caliphate, Erbil was an important centre for Assyrian
Christianity and the Assyrians. After the Mongols captured the
citadel in 1258, Erbil's importance began to decline. The main
gate is guarded by an immense statue of a Kurd reading. The house
of the citadel behind him are built into stony ground of the mound
and look down on the streets and tarmacked roads that circle them.
During
the 20th century, the urban structure was significantly modified,
as a result of which a number of houses and public buildings were
destroyed. In 2007, the High Commission for Erbil Citadel Revitalization
(HCECR) was established to oversee the restoration of the citadel.
In the same year, all inhabitants, except one family, were evicted
from the citadel as part of a large restoration project. Since
then, archaeological research and restoration works have been
carried out at and around the tell by various international teams
and in co-operation with local specialists, and many areas remain
off-limits to visitors due to the danger of unstable walls and
infrastructure. The government plans to have 50 families live
in the citadel once it is renovated.
The
only religious structure that currently survives in the citadel
is the Mulla Afandi Mosque. When it was fully occupied, the citadel
was divided in three districts or mahallas: from east to west
the Serai, the Takya and the Topkhana. The Serai was occupied
by notable families; the Takya district was named after the homes
of dervishes, which are called takyas; and the Topkhana district
housed craftsmen and farmers. Other sights to visit in the citadel
include the bathing rooms (hammam) built in 1775 located near
the mosque and the Textile Museum. Erbil citadel has been inscribed
on the World Heritage List on 21 June 2014 .
Other
sights :
Time
Period |
• |
The
covered Erbil Qaysari Bazaars, lying below the
main entrance to the citadel and stocking mainly
household goods and tools. |
• |
The
36-metre-high (118-foot) Mudhafaria Minaret, situated
in Minaret Park several blocks from the citadel,
dates back to the late 12th century AD and the
Governor of Erbil, in the reign of Saladin, Muzaffar
Al-Din Abu Sa’eed Al-Kawkaboori (Gökböri),
who had entered in the obedience of Salahuddin
without war and married his sister. It has an
octagonal base decorated with two tiers of niches,
which is separated from the main shaft by a small
balcony, also decorated. Another historical minaret
with turquoise glazed tiles is nearby. |
• |
Sami
Abdul Rahman Park. |
• |
Franso
Hariri Stadium. |
• |
The
Mound of Qalich Agha lies within the grounds of
the Museum of Civilization, 1 kilometre (0.62 mi)
from the citadel. An excavation in 1996 found tools
from the Halaf, Ubaid and Uruk periods. |
• |
Kurdish
Textile Museum. |
|
Sports :
![](Franso_Hariri_Stadium.JPG)
Franso
Hariri Stadium
The local major football team is Erbil Soccer Club which plays
its football matches at Franso Hariri Stadium (named after the
assassinated Assyrian politician, former governor of Erbil city
Franso Hariri) which is based in the south part of central Erbil.
Erbil Football Team Wins 3 Iraqi nation league and reached the
AFC Final twice, but lost both times.
Source
:
https://en.wikipedia.org/
wiki/Erbil