Sulaymaniyah
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Sulaimaniyah | |
|---|---|
| Country | Iraq |
| Governorate | Kurdistan Sulaimaniyah |
| Elevation | 2,895 ft (882 m) |
| Population | |
• Total | 759.508 |
Sulaimaniyah (BGN: Kurdish: سلێمانی, Silêmanî, Sulaimānīyah; Template:Lang-ar) is a city in the east of Iraqi Kurdistan. It is situated in the northeast of Iraq, and is the capital of As Sulaymaniyah Governorate.Sulaymaniyah is surrounded by the mountain ranges of Azmar (1700M),Goizja(1525M) and Qaiwan from the north east, Baranan mountain (1373M) from the south and Tasluje hills from the west. The plain of Sharazor lies to the east stretching up to 45 kilometers in length and 15 kilometers in width.The city is 853 meters above sea level,and has a semi-arid climate which is very hot at summer and very cold at winter.Sulaymaniya served as the historic capital of the Kurdish principality of Baban from 1784 to 1850.The modern city of Sulaimanyah was founded in 1784 by the Kurdish prince Ibrahim Pashay Baban who named it after his father Sulaiman Pasha. Because it was founded as the capital of a powerful Kurdish principality,Sulaimaniah has developed into a large city with a population of about 759.508 people. It is the cultural centre of the Sorani-speaking Kurds and an important economic centre for Kurdistan.
History
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The region of Sulaimanyah was known as Zamwa prior to its founding in 1784.The capital of the Kurdish Baban principality (1649-1850),before Sulaymaniyah was a territory named "Qelachwalan".At the time of the Babani's rule there were major conflicts between the Safavid dynasty and the Ottoman empire,so Qelachuwalan became a battle ground for the two rivals.Being of strategic importance and lying deep inside Safavid teritory,there was major concern that Qelachwalan would be attacked and captured if the Babanies did not give the Safavids military support ,as both Sultan Mahmud II and Nadir Shah were trying to gain the support of the disparsed Kurdish Emirates[1].This obliged Mahmud Pashah of Baban in 1781 to think about moving the center of it's Emirate to another safer place.He chose Melkandi,then a village, to construct a number of Serahs for his political and armed units[2].In 1783 Ibrahim pashah of Baban undertook the rule of the Emirate and began the construction of a new city which would become the capital of the Baban Emirate.In 1784 he finished erecting a number of palaces for trade called Qaiseries and bazars,which were used as baths as well, and began inviting people from the surrounding villages and even Emirates to move over to the newly established city,soon Malkandi which was originally intended to be the city itself instead became one of its quarters and still is today[3].During the post-World War I-British occupation of the newly created state of Iraq, Sulaimaniyah was the center of nascent Kurdish nationalism, and it was from here that Shaykh Mahmud Barzanji sparked the first rebellion against the British occupation in 1919 and declared an independent Kurdistan in May.On the 10 October 1921, a statement was issued in Sulaymaniyah,then the capital of Kurdistan, to establish the kingdom of Kurdistan[4].Sheikh Mahmud Barzanji, now backed by the British, declared himself as the King of the Kingdom of Kurdistan.[3]
The British occupation declared Sheikh Mahmud as king in order to silence the residents of Sulaymaniyah and stop their rebellion, but Sheikh acted and ruled independently from the British, and wanted them out of the kingdom. As a result, in the same year, he was exiled for several years to the Andaman islands in India by the British occupation, only to return and raise another unsuccessful rebellion centered in Sulaimaniyah in 1923. Kingdom of Kurdistan with Republic of Ararat and Republic of Mahabad are the only Independent kurdish states in history. With Kurdistan's subsequent inclusion in Arab Iraq, Sulaimaniyah enjoyed a few further years of greater autonomy than the western Kurdish cities like Erbil and Mosul.
In 1925 mass revolts broke out against British occupation. Winston Churchill argued ‘in favour of using poisoned gas against uncivilised tribes’ but contrary to recent claims, there is no evidence that it was ever used (see "British and Poison Gas" for a discussion of sources and inaccuracies). [1]
Since liberation in 1991, it has been administered by Autonomous Kurdish Government and serves as one of the metropolises of Iraqi Kurdistan (KRG). The city is rapidly becoming a tourist attraction for Iraqis and other Middle Easterners due to its relative prosperity, security, and natural beauty.
Education
Education is free from primary school until graduation from university.The University of Sulaimani opened in 1968 with instruction in Kurdish, Arabic, and English. It has faculties in engineering, agriculture, the arts, science, and medicine. The University was moved during the 1980s to Arbil, and is now known as the University of Salahadin.
A new University of Sulaimany was established in 1991, teaching in Kurdish,English and Arabic. In 2007 the American University of Sulaimani, The American University of Iraq - Sulaimani (AUI-S) is a new addition to the American universities in the Middle East, opening its first classes in October 2007. teaching in English only.
In 2008 the University of Human Development was opened in Qaradax with three colleges and four departments. Its first year courses include law, politics, computer engineering and English language. More than 400 students have enrolled.
Culture
Sulaimany is considered the center of the Sorani Kurdish culture in Kurdistan.It is recognized officially as the cultural capital of Iraqi Kurdistan.Development of Sorani as a modern literary language started in this city in the early 19th century, when many Kurdish poets and philosophers like Nalî,Piremerd,Muhamed Amin Zaki,Abdulla Goran,Muhamad Salih Dilan,Ahmad Hardi,Ibrahim Ahmad,Sherko Bekas and Bachtyar Ali were born,lived or published their works here. The museum of Sulaimani, a popular destination for tourists, is located at Salim avenue, the most popular street of Sulaymaniyah city. It contains many valuable Mesopotamian artifacts. Zamoa Gallery, open all year round, displays the works of the artists of the city[5]. It is runned by Rostem Aghella, a well-known modern kurdish artist. Aram Gallery is another place for various artistic activities. It intiated the night cinema project where people can go to watch Kurdish and foreign films. The "hall of Art" and "the hall of culture" are the locations of the main occasional artistic displays, such as the concert on 21 February 2009, which featured well-known performers such as the American Tariq Snare, Iranian musician Sohrab Pournazeri playing kemancheh, [Matthaios Tsahouridis] of Greece, Youssif Mohammed from Afghanistan playing the tabla and Hussein Zehawy from Kurdistan playing the kurdish Deff. More than 3000 people attended.The recently formed the National youth orchestra of Iraq,held their initial concert in Sulaymaniyah city,over 30 Iraqi musicians formed the orchestra. Their work included European and Iraqi orchestral works: Beethoven,Haydn and "Kurdish Dances" symphony.
Economy
Sulaymaniyah governorate has many fertile acres of land such as the Sharazor and Bitwen plains which are considered two of the most fertile plains in the Middle East.Local farmers from Bitwen and Sharazor are generally more active and are greater in number,and their products are most famouse not only in Sulaymaniyah but across Iraq as well.Sulaymaniyah used to rely mainly on agriculture in the past.One of Iraq's major supplies of wheat and other agricultural products used to come from Kurdistan and specially Sulaymaniyah,but its role has declined due to the policies of Seddam Hussein aimed to reduce the city's economical capabilities,as the vast majority of the Kurdish revolution's power was concentrated in this city.Seddam once said that the head of the serpent lies in Sulaymaniyah.Sulaymaniyah's economy also rely's on tourism.Annually thousands of Iraqi Arabs travel to Sulaymaniyah.Small factories are established most of them produce building materials and are contributing to it's economy.Sulaymaniyah is known for its strong economic ties with Iran. The Chinese telecoms company Huawei has its Iraq office in Sulaimaniyah.
Transportation
In the absence of any railway connecting Sulaymaniyah with other Iraqi cities, the city is dependent on road transport. 0n 20 July 2005 Sulaimaniyah International Airport opened, with regular flights to various eastern and European destinations such as Vienna,Frankfurt,Stockholm,Munich and Dusseldorf as well as Middle Eastern cities like Dubai, Amman,Beirut,Damascus,Istanbul. A flight from Sulaymaniyah to Baghdad costs about 100.000 ID[6].
Notable People
- Mahmud Barzanji..........King of Kurdistan (1921_1924)[7]
- Piremerd (1867-1950).................... poet,writer,novelist and journalist.
- Muhamed Amin Zaki (1880-1948)........ writer, historian, statesman.
- Abdulla Goran (1904-1962)............... poet (Father of modern Kurdish literature)[8]
- Muhamad Salih Dilan...... poet and musician[9]
- Ahmad Hardi (1922—2006)................... Poet.
- Ibrahim Ahmad (1914—2000)............... writer,novelist,poet and politician
- Sherko Bekas................. a prominent contemporary poet[10]
- Nawshirwan Mustafa (1944—)......... politician,media proprietor,author and historian[11]
- Bachtyar Ali(1960—).................. novelist.[12]
References
- ^ http://www.sulygov.com/
- ^ http://www.sulygov.com/
- ^ http://www.sulygov.com/
- ^ http://www.sulygov.com/
- ^ http://www.sulygov.com/
- ^ http://www.sulairport.net/
- ^ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahmud_Barzanji
- ^ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abdulla_Goran
- ^ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muhamad_Salih_Dilan
- ^ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sherko_Bekas
- ^ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nawshirwan_Mustafa
- ^ http://www.bachtyar-ali.com/