May 24, 2013
The week's top five must-sees,
delivered to your inbox.
Features include interactive map, in-depth stories, and more.
Download now. »
The week's top five must-sees,
delivered to your inbox.
|
Description
Kirkuk is a city in Iraq and the capital of Kirkuk Governorate.
It is located in the Iraqi governorate of Kirkuk, 236 kilometres north of the capital, Baghdad. Kirkuk city lies 83 km south of Arbil, 149 km southeast of Mosul, 97 km west of Sulaymaniyah, and 116 km northeast Tikrit
It stands on the site of the ancient Assyrian capital of Arrapha, which sits near the Khasa River on the ruins of a 5,000-year-old settlement. Arrapha reached great importance under the Assyrians in the 10th and 11th centuries BC. Because of the strategic geographical location of the city, Kirkuk was the battle ground for three empires—the Neo-Assyrian Empire, Babylonia, and Media—which controlled the city at various times.
Kirkuk lies in a wide zone with an ethnically mixed population, which has moreover experienced dramatic demographic changes in the course of the twentieth century. Kurds, Turkmen and Arabs lay conflicting claims to this zone, and all have their historical accounts and memories to buttress their claims.
Historically, the city has always been considered by Kurds and Turkmens as a cultural capital. It was named the "capital of Iraqi culture" by the ministry of culture in 2010.
(via Freebase)
|
![Iraqi troops, Peshmerga forces on verge of confrontation south of Kirkuk [Al Jazeera, Qatar]](/images/image_cache/base-14258000/14258793/thumbnail.width=304,height=171,grow=1,crop=center.jpg?sig=6fa60e7e13e97316488869a1b2e23cdd)
![Series of deadly bombings rock Iraq ahead of holy month of Muharram [BBC Arabic, UK]](/images/image_cache/base-14196000/14196180/thumbnail.width=304,height=171,grow=1,crop=center.jpg?sig=80932c0699537e0cb92e84ce23536aae)
![Five killed in series of attacks across Iraq [Press TV, Iran]](/images/image_cache/base-12856000/12856638/thumbnail.width=304,height=171,grow=1,crop=center.jpg?sig=94ce36cbac50c7a00e53717a04059351)
![Iraq hit by wave of deadly bombings and shootings [Al Jazeera, Qatar]](/images/image_cache/base-8756000/8756981/thumbnail.width=304,height=171,grow=1,crop=center.jpg?sig=e27a075723e23438b267ea230f57c5e2 "Security personnel inspect the site of a car bomb attack in Kirkuk, 250 km (155 miles) north of Baghdad, August 16, 2012: REUTERS/Ako Rasheed")
![Turkish FM's visit to Kirkuk upsets Iraq [Press TV, Iran]](/images/image_cache/base-8367000/8367106/thumbnail.width=304,height=171,grow=1,crop=center.jpg?sig=95bcdc4803e01793c0612823d1dbd764)
![Iraq's deadliest day in two years leaves 107 dead in 13 cities [Al-Alam, Iran]](/images/image_cache/base-7566000/7566750/thumbnail.width=304,height=171,grow=1,crop=center.jpg?sig=eae6d507a8fdb851716a3028cab32e03 "A boy inspects a damaged police pick up truck at market where a car bomb exploded in Diwaniya province, 150 km (95 miles) south of Baghdad on July 23, 2012: REUTERS/Imad al-Khozai")
