From the city's Christian period come many church fathers and well-known authors in Syriac. Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. With more than 7,000 years of history and, today, a UNESCO World Heritage site, Erbil (or Hawler, as the locals call it) is the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan and a city that has played a very significant role in 21st-century history and the fight against the Islamic State. 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. They plundered the lower town but had to retreat before an approaching Caliphate army and had to put off the capture of the citadel. Updates? Ring in the new year with a Britannica Membership. 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. Other religious groups include Shīʿite Muslims, Assyrian and Chaldean Catholic Christians, Yazīdīs, and Kākāʾīs. They record two journeys to Erbil (Irbilum) by a messenger from Ebla around 2300 BC. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Geographical Data: Erbil city is located east to Sulaymanyah Governorate and it is only 350 km from Baghdad. About Kurdistan City Constructed By Rostvale Company That is located Near Bahrka behind Ganjan City , Constructed in a good quality, It Consists Of 408 And 364 Apartments ,The project has school ,kindergarten , hospital , football field, police station and parks it also 24/7 electricity. 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. Now $139 (Was $̶1̶7̶4̶) on Tripadvisor: Erbil International Hotel, Iraq. [54] Erbil citadel has been inscribed on the World Heritage List on 21 June 2014 . The city of Erbil is administered as a district, headed by a qāʾim-maqām (mayor). Erbil has 30 foreign diplomatic representations, including 18 full consulates general. 208 pp. In the desert region, “caravan cities” such as Hatra and Palmyra began their rise in the Seleucid period and had their heyday under the Parthians.…. Pop. 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. 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 KRG parliament building is architecturally impressive even if the institution itself is less so. ERBIL, Iraq — At exactly 9:30 pm local time on Feb. 15, several rockets were launched on US coalition forces located inside Erbil’s international airport from the southern side of the city.. In the Middle Ages, Erbil was ruled successively by the Umayyads, the Abbasids, the Buwayhids, the Seljuks and then the Turkmen Begtegīnid 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. The American Village in Erbil, Kurdistan is strategically located in a country with lots of future potential. A wealthy class has emerged, accompanied by an increase in alleged corruption and nepotism. The Erbil Plain Archaeological Survey. Parallel bomb attacks against Eid celebrations killed 109 people on 1 February 2004. The Erbil International Airport opened in the city in 2005. There is no appreciable middle class, and many remain poor. Arbēla), can be traced back to Old Persian Arbairā and ultimately Assyrian Arbailu. Turkish business investments have led the construction frenzy, but other countries are also involved, including the United States, Lebanon, South Korea, Iran, Britain, France, and the United Arab Emirates. Most businesspeople are merchants, buying and selling food and services connected mostly with the construction industry. Erbil possesses a semiarid climate with low humidity in summer and moderate humidity in winter. Saddam’s defeat at the end of the Persian Gulf War (1990–91) led to the establishment of the autonomous Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) in northern Iraq. When the Mongols invaded the Near East in the 13th century, they attacked Arbil for the first time in 1237. In the past there also was an important Jewish presence in Erbil, the last remnants of which departed after the creation of the State of Israel in 1948. Akre is rich in historical sites, such as temples, statues, and ancient buildings, and mineral springs can be found near the town. Subsequently, Arbela was part of Alexander's Empire. harvnb error: no target: CITEREFVillard2001 (, 'Directorate Antiquities of Erbil's Guide' Brochure produced by General Directorate of Antiquities, KRG, Ministry of Tourism. The Erbil Plain Archaeological Survey (EPAS) maps archaeological sites and landscape features over the past 10,000 years. The PUK then established an alternative Kurdish government in Sulaimaniyah. [43] A suicide bombing on 4 May 2005 killed 60 civilians and injured 150 more outside a police recruiting centre.[44]. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. For those interested in checking out popular landmarks while visiting Erbil, Grand Palace Hotel is located a short distance from Erbil Citadel (2.4 mi) and Erbil-Kurdistan (2.5 mi). Castle is the highest point in … Erbil Erbil is the capital and largest city in Iraqi Kurdistan, and the fourth-largest city in Iraq.It is one of the oldest continually-inhabited sites of human civilization, and is also a rapidly-growing and urbanizing center for the oil industry and NGOs in the Middle East. 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. The city was the scene of celebrations on 10 April 2003 after the fall of the Ba'ath regime. Erbil has a primary and secondary education system modeled on that of the British. It is the capital of Kurdistan Region and the second capital of the Federal of Iraq after Baghdad. 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. Akre is located 100 km East of Duhok, 25 km from the Ruvea intersection, on the way to Erbil and the Barzan Region. It lies 80 kilometres (50 miles) east of Mosul, and is the capital of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. That is because of the ancient establishment of the city (The city was established in 2300 BC by the Sumerians). 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. Erbil, capital of Erbil governorate, Iraq. Total Area of the city : 15214 Km2 Museum: The local population is dominated by the Kurdish nation, and local culture is also heavily influenced by Kurdish traditions and lifestyle. Among others, bus services offer connections to Turkey and Iran. Erbil Football Team Wins 3 Iraqi nation league and reached the AFC Final twice, but lost both times. The city is host to Salahaddin University, which was originally established in 1968 in Al-Sulaymāniyyah but moved to Erbil in 1981. The Erbil Citadel, locally called Qelat is a tell or occupied mound, and the historical city centre of Erbil in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Consulate General Erbil is located in the Ankawa suburb of Erbil, on the Erbil Road next to the Police Station and opposite the Chaldean Cultural Center. Akre is rich in historical sites, such as temples, statues, and ancient buildings, and mineral springs can be found near the town. 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. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Security forces have located the launch site of Monday night’s rocket attacks on the Kurdistan Region’s capital Erbil, the interior ministry announced, saying investigations are continuing. The 2021 Erbil rocket attacks occurred when multiple rockets were launched against Erbil, the capital of the Kurdistan Region, Iraq.On 15 February, approximately fourteen rockets were fired from an area south of the city at around 21:30 local time. Erbil, also spelled Arbil, locally called Hewlêr by the Kurds, is the capital city of Iraqi Kurdistan and the most populated city in the Kurdish inhabited areas of Iraq. Please select which sections you would like to print: While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies.