Xanzad Castle (also written Khanzad) alternatively Banaman Castle, is a medieval castle build by ruler of the Kurdish Soran Emirate, Mir Xanzad in the late 16th century. The castle lies in southern Kurdistan, part of autonomous Kurdistan, itself part of the Republic of Iraq.
Xanzad Castle is a medieval castle built by Mir Xanzad the ruler of the Soran Emirate. She ordered it built to serve her as place of residence and as defense of Erbil, her capital. She named the castle after herself.
It is built from stones and gypsum, and it has kept its original shape. Xanzad Castle is 40 meters high and consists of two floors.
Amanj Adil, a local historian, considers it one of the most important archaeological and historical sites of the region. Adil also said; "Mir Khanzad built many other castles across Kurdistan but they have been destroyed, but Khanzad Castle is still in good shape." [1]
The castle is located east of Erbil, on the Erbil-Shaqlawa Road. It sits atop a hill a mere 22 kilometers (14 miles) away from the capital. [1]
Reza Shamal, a local from Erbil said;
"This castle is proof that Kurdish people once had their own country (...)"
Khanzad Bakir, another local from Erbil said;
"I've visited the castle so many times because it gives me strength and pride." [1]
Sulaymaniyah or Slemani, is a city in the east of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq and is the capital of the Sulaymaniyah Governorate. It is surrounded by the Azmar (Ezmer), Goizha (Goyje) and Qaiwan (Qeywan) Mountains in the northeast, Baranan Mountain in the south and the Tasluja Hills in the west. The city has a semi-arid climate with very hot dry summers and cold wet winters.
Akre is a city located in Kurdistan Region of Iraq. it is part of the Duhok Governorate, Akre is known for its celebrations of Newroz.
The Erbil Citadel locally called Qellat, is a tell or occupied mound, and the historical city centre of Erbil in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. The citadel has been included in the World Heritage List since 21 June 2014.
Salahaddin University-Erbil is one of the public higher education institutions in the Kurdistan region It is located in Erbil (Hewler), capital of the autonomous Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Sulaimani University-Sulaimani was established in 1968. It was moved to Erbil in 1981 and changed its name to Salaheddin university. Initially, the university included seven Academic Colleges: Science, Agriculture, Engineering, Administration, Arts, Education, and Medicine. In 1985, a college of Law and Politics was added, followed by the college of Dentistry in 1995. Several more were established in the following years so that by 2004, the university offered courses in 22 departments. In 2005, the departments of Medicine, Dentistry, Nursing, and Pharmacy split from Salahaddin University to establish Hawler Medical University.
Rawandiz is a city in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, located in the Erbil Governorate in Soran district, close to the borders with Iran and Turkey. It is only 7 km from the city center of Soran city and it is located 10 km to the east of the Bekhal Waterfall. The city is 123 km from Erbil. The city along with the Soran district is surrounded by the Zagros mountain range; Korek Mountain is to the south, Hindren Mountain to the north, Zozik Mountain to the west, and Bradasot Mountain to the east. Rawandiz is populated by Kurds.
Harir is a town and sub-district in Erbil Governorate in Kurdistan Region, Iraq. The town is located in the Shaqlawa District.
Bahdinan (Bahdīnān) or Badinan (Bādīnān) was one of the most powerful and enduring Kurdish principalities. It was founded by Baha-al-Din originally from Şemzînan area in Hakkari in sometime between 13th or 14th century CE. The capital of this emirate was Amedi for a long time. The rulers of the Bahdinan Emirate governed over the Emirate since the Abbasid Empire, an early dynasty in Islamic history.
Soran Emirate was a medieval Kurdish emirate established before the conquest of Kurdistan by Ottoman Empire in 1514 and later revived by Emir Kor centered in Rawandiz from 1816 to 1836. Kor was ousted in an offensive by the Ottomans.
Citation for the Gorani Kurdish court language.
Soran or Diyana is a city in Erbil Governorate, and the capital of Soran District in Kurdistan Region, Iraq. Soran is one of the largest cities in Kurdistan Region with a population of about 350,000 people.
Yazidis, also spelled Yezidis, are a Kurdish-speaking endogamous religious group indigenous to Kurdistan, a geographical region in Western Asia that includes parts of Iraq, Syria, Turkey, and Iran. The majority of Yazidis remaining in the Middle East today live in Iraq, primarily in the governorates of Nineveh and Duhok.
Erbil, also called Hawler, is the capital and most populated city in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. The city is the capital of the Erbil Governorate.
Sidekan also called Bradost, is a vast subdistrict belonging to Soran District (Diana-Rawanduz) north of Erbil in Kurdistan Region, with 250 villages. The district also contains the area where the ancient Armenian city of Mahkert was. Sidekan has a population of less than 15,000. The exact number of Bradostian people estimated is more than this census but as the original inhabitants had been deported three times in 1961, 1978, and 1988 and a lot of them have not yet returned due to the frequent bombing by the Turkish and Iranian militaries on the Kurdistan Workers Party strongholds in Khakurk mountains, and also because of the lack of renovation projects by the local authorities.
Balak, باڵەک, Balek is an ancient Kurdish tribe living in the former Soran Emirate which is now part of Erbil Governorate in Southern Kurdistan. it is located in the mountainous region of northern Erbil Governorate in Southern Kurdistan. People from the Balak area speak a language that is mixed in the Kurdish Sorani dialect and the Kurdish Kurmanji dialect.
The Erbil Civilization Museum is an archeological museum which is located within the city of Hawler, the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan. It is the second largest museum in Iraqi Kurdistan, after the Sulaymaniyah Museum in Sulaymaniyah Governorate in terms of contents and collections. It houses artifacts which date back to the pre-historic period to the late Abbasid period.
Noreldin Waisy,, is a Kurdish political analyst and journalist. He helped found the Kurdish media broadcasting outlets Rudaw and Kurdistan 24. He served as the general manager of Kurdistan 24, based in the Kurdistan's capital Erbil, from 2015 to 2019. Waisy currently serves as the press secretary to Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Prime Minister Masrour Barzani.
Mir Xanzad was a military commander and ruler of the Soran Emirate in the late 16th or early 17th century.
The Islamic Emirate of Kurdistan, was an unrecognized Kurdish Islamic state located in the Halabja Governorate. It had been outside the control of the Iraqi government since 1991, and was a self-governing entity within the Kurdistan Region in 1994, and officially declared independence in 2001. It ceased to exist after Operation Viking Hammer.
The Daseni Principality, also known as Shaykhan principality or Sheikhan principality, was a Yezidi Kurdish principality, centered in Sheikhan and ruled by Daseni tribe. It ruled from the 900s until 1832, when it was conquered by the Soran Emirate.