Sulaymaniyah (BGN: As Sulaymānīyah; Arabic: السليمانية; Kurdish: سلێمانی, Slêmanî) is a city in the east of Iraqi Kurdistan. It is situated in the northeast of Iraq, and is the capital of Sulaymaniyah Governorate. It served as the historic capital of the Kurdish principality of Baban from 1784 to 1850.
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History
The modern city of Suleimania was founded in 1784 by a Kurdish prince known as Ibrahim Pasha Baban who named it for his father Sulaiman Pasha. Since being founded as the capital of a powerful Kurdish principality it has grown to about 800,000 people. It is the cultural centre of the Sorani-speaking Kurds and an important economic centre for Kurdistan. During the post-World War I-British occupation of the newly created state of Iraq, Sulaymaniyah was the center of nascent Kurdish nationalism, and it was from here that Shaykh Mahmud Barzanji raised the first rebellion against British occupation in 1919. After his defeat at Bazyan Pass that year, he was exiled for several years, only to return and raise another unsuccessful rebellion centered in Sulaymaniyah in 1923. With Kurdistan's subsequent inclusion in Arab Iraq, Sulaymaniyah enjoyed a few further years of greater autonomy than western Kurdish cities like Irbil and Mosul. In 1925 a mass revolts broke out against British occupation. Winston Churchill argued ‘in favour of using poisoned gas against uncivilised tribes’ after which British planes dropped poison gas on Sulaimaniya. [1] Since liberation in 1991, it has been administered by Kurdistan authorities and serves as one of the metropolis of Iraqi Kurdistan (KRG). The city is quickly becoming a tourist attraction for Iraqis and other Middle Easterners due to its relative prosperity, security and natural beauty. It is also known for its strong economic ties with Iran.
Universities
The University of Sulaymaniyah 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 1980’s to Arbil, and is now known as the University of Salahadin. A new university called The University of Sulaymaniyah was established in 1991, teaching in Kurdish, Arab and English.
In 2007 the American University of Iraq, teaching in English only, was inaugurated in Sulaymaniyah, with 50 students enrolled for the first year
Kurdish culture in Sulaimaniya
Sulaimaniya is considered as the center of the Sorani Kurdish culture in Kurdistan. Development of Sorani as a modern literary language started in this city around early 19th century.
Kurdish writers of 19th century
Kurdish writers of 20th century
- Piramerd, 1867-1950
- Goran, 1904-1962
- Ahmad Hardi, 1922-2006
- Rauf Hassan, 1945-
- Jamal Nebez, 1933-
- Sherko Bekas, 1940-
- Choman Hardi, 1974-
- Kackey Falah
- Najmadin Mala
- Hasib Qaradaghi
Kurdish movie makers of 21th century
- Shero Rauf , 1979-
Sulaimaniya Airport
The airport is situated at the western part of the city. The international Airport was opened on July 21, 2006. The most flights are operated by Kurdish Airlines; Fly Air connects Sulaimaniya with Turkey, Hamburg International with Munich and Frankfurt, several other airlines also with Stockholm and Kopenhagen.
Sister Cities
Sulaymaniya was twinned with Tucson, Arizona until December 2006.
Statistics
- Location above sea level: 2895 feet (Britannica 1911).
- Current population: estimated at over 500,000.
- Historical population: about 12,000 (1906 estimate, Britannica 1911)
