Qayyarah
Qayyarah | |
---|---|
Qayyarah | |
Coordinates: 35°47′47.0″N 43°17′36.0″E / 35.796389°N 43.293333°ECoordinates: 35°47′47.0″N 43°17′36.0″E / 35.796389°N 43.293333°E | |
Country | Iraq |
Governorate | Nineveh |
Municipality | Mosul District |
Government | |
• Mayor | Salah Hassan Hamid |
Qayyarah or Qayara (Arabic: القيارة) is an Iraqi town located in southern Nineveh Governorate on the west bank of the Tigris river, and about 60 km (35 miles) south of Mosul.[1] It is located in the Mosul District, and it is the seat of Qayyarah subdistrict. It has a population of 15,000.[2] The town is located near the Qayyarah oil field and has an oil refinery on its south-western outskirts. The Qayyarah Airfield West is 20 kilometers west of the town.[3]
The town and subdistrict fell to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant in June 2014. It was reported that its recapture was of strategic importance for the .[4] In August 2016, Qayyarah was fully captured by Iraqi forces, with Lieutenant General stating that they controlled all parts of the city and Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi hailing the capture of the city as a "key step in the fight" against ISIL.[5] In July 2016, the Pentagon said they were sending another 560 troops to Iraq, mainly to develop the Qayyarah airfield and use it as support for the planned attack on Mosul.[6] Following the town's liberation, members of the Jubur tribe from Qayyarah and surrounding villages formed the Popular Mobilization Forces' 39th Regiment (nicknamed "Commandos of al-Jubur" or "Lions of the Tigris") to fight against ISIL. This unit subsequently took part in the Battle of Mosul (2016–2017).[7]
The town's name derives from the Arabic word for tar.[citation needed]
Qayyarah has been known for its bitumen springs since at least the middle ages. Ibn Battuta passed through Qayyarah and described how its bitumen was exported to other towns; Shihab al-Din al-'Umari also noted that Qayyarah's bitumen springs produced a large revenue for the sultans.[8]
Notable people[]
- Farhan Jubouri, Iraqi intelligence officer
- Najim Abdullah al-Jubouri, Iraqi army officer
References[]
- ^ Zebari, Abdelhamid (25 August 2016). "Iraq forces retake key town south of Mosul". AFP. Retrieved 21 November 2016.
- ^ Giblin, Ruaidhrí (1 October 2016). "Retreating Isis fighters leave dark pall in their wake in Iraq". The Irish Times. Retrieved 1 October 2016.
- ^ "Iraq: Iraqi forces liberate Alqayara air force base from ISIS". Arab 24. 11 July 2016. Archived from the original on 27 August 2016. Retrieved 21 August 2016.
[...] the Qayara Air Force Base, located 20 km from the town of Qayara [...].
- ^ "Iraqi army launches offensive to push Isis out of Mosul". The Guardian. Reuters. 24 March 2016. Retrieved 21 August 2016.
- ^ "Iraqi forces seize strategic town near Mosul from ISIL". Al Jazeera. 25 August 2016. Retrieved 25 August 2016.
- ^ Lamothe, Dan; Morris, Loveday (2016-07-11). "Pentagon will send hundreds more troops to Iraq following seizure of key airfield". Washington Post. Retrieved 2016-09-14.
- ^ Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi (6 September 2019). "Tribal Hashd of Ninawa: Interview with the 39th Regiment". Retrieved 7 September 2019.
- ^ al-Feel, Muhammad Rashid (1965). The historical geography of Iraq between the Mongolian and Ottoman conquests, 1258-1534, Vol. 1. Najaf: Al-Adab Press. p. 95. Retrieved 11 October 2020.
External links[]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Qayyarah. |
- Populated places on the Tigris River
- Populated places in Nineveh Governorate