Koy Sanjaq
کۆیە Koye | |
---|---|
Town | |
Coordinates: 36°04′59″N 44°37′47″E / 36.08306°N 44.62972°E | |
Country | Iraq |
Region | Kurdistan Region |
Governorate | Erbil Governorate |
District | Koy Sinjaq District |
Area | |
• Total | 2,050 km2 (790 sq mi) |
Population (2013)
[1] | |
• Total | 21,026 |
Time zone | UTC+3 |
Koy Sanjaq [nb 1], also called Koye ( Kurdish: کۆیە, romanized: Koye, [2] [3] Arabic: كويسنجق, [4] Hebrew: כוי סנג’ק, [5] Syriac: ܟܘܝܐ) [6] is a town and district in Erbil Governorate in Kurdistan Region, Iraq. In the town, there is a Chaldean Catholic church of Mar Yousif, constructed in 1923. [6]
The name of the town is derived from " köy" ("village" in Turkish) and " sanjaq" ("flag" in Turkish), and thus Koy Sanjaq translates to "village of the flag". [7]
According to local tradition, Koy Sanjaq was founded by the son of an Ottoman sultan who planted his flag and established a garrison at the site of a seasonal bazaar after having defeated a rebellion at Baghdad, and developed into a town as locals moved to the settlement to provide services to the soldiers. [7] A Jewish community at Koy Sanjaq is first mentioned in the late 18th century, by which time it was already well established. [7] The community had its own graveyard, [5] and spoke both Jewish Neo-Aramaic and Sorani Kurdish. [8] A small Chaldean Catholic community was established in the town in the 19th century. [9] In 1913, 200 Chaldean Catholics populated Koy Sanjaq, and were served by two priests and one functioning church as part of the archdiocese of Kirkuk. [10]
The Iraqi census of 1947 recorded a total population of 8198 people, with 7746 Muslims, 268 Jews, and 184 Christians. [11]
80-100 Jews from the village of Betwata took refuge in the town for several months in 1950, increasing the size of the local community to 350-400 people. The Jews of Koy Sanjaq immigrated to Israel the following year. [11]
Koy Sanjaq had a population of 10,379 in 1965. [1] In 1994, the town was struck by Iranian airstrikes targeting the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) base, resulting in the death of a civilian and wounding three KDP militants. [12] In 1999, Assyrians from the nearby village of Armota protested the construction of a mosque in their village at Koy Sanjaq. [13] Koya University was established in 2003. [14]
35 displaced Assyrian families from Mosul were housed in a converted church building in the town in November 2014, and had not been rehoused as of April 2015. [15] As of March 2018, 60 Assyrian families inhabit Koy Sanjaq. [16] The Assyrian population largely speak Kurdish, but some continue to speak Syriac. [17]
An Iranian missile attack on the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan headquarters in the town on 8 September 2018 killed 14 people. [18]
Notes
Citations
36°05′N 44°38′E / 36.083°N 44.633°E
Koy Sanjaq
کۆیە Koye | |
---|---|
Town | |
Coordinates: 36°04′59″N 44°37′47″E / 36.08306°N 44.62972°E | |
Country | Iraq |
Region | Kurdistan Region |
Governorate | Erbil Governorate |
District | Koy Sinjaq District |
Area | |
• Total | 2,050 km2 (790 sq mi) |
Population (2013)
[1] | |
• Total | 21,026 |
Time zone | UTC+3 |
Koy Sanjaq [nb 1], also called Koye ( Kurdish: کۆیە, romanized: Koye, [2] [3] Arabic: كويسنجق, [4] Hebrew: כוי סנג’ק, [5] Syriac: ܟܘܝܐ) [6] is a town and district in Erbil Governorate in Kurdistan Region, Iraq. In the town, there is a Chaldean Catholic church of Mar Yousif, constructed in 1923. [6]
The name of the town is derived from " köy" ("village" in Turkish) and " sanjaq" ("flag" in Turkish), and thus Koy Sanjaq translates to "village of the flag". [7]
According to local tradition, Koy Sanjaq was founded by the son of an Ottoman sultan who planted his flag and established a garrison at the site of a seasonal bazaar after having defeated a rebellion at Baghdad, and developed into a town as locals moved to the settlement to provide services to the soldiers. [7] A Jewish community at Koy Sanjaq is first mentioned in the late 18th century, by which time it was already well established. [7] The community had its own graveyard, [5] and spoke both Jewish Neo-Aramaic and Sorani Kurdish. [8] A small Chaldean Catholic community was established in the town in the 19th century. [9] In 1913, 200 Chaldean Catholics populated Koy Sanjaq, and were served by two priests and one functioning church as part of the archdiocese of Kirkuk. [10]
The Iraqi census of 1947 recorded a total population of 8198 people, with 7746 Muslims, 268 Jews, and 184 Christians. [11]
80-100 Jews from the village of Betwata took refuge in the town for several months in 1950, increasing the size of the local community to 350-400 people. The Jews of Koy Sanjaq immigrated to Israel the following year. [11]
Koy Sanjaq had a population of 10,379 in 1965. [1] In 1994, the town was struck by Iranian airstrikes targeting the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) base, resulting in the death of a civilian and wounding three KDP militants. [12] In 1999, Assyrians from the nearby village of Armota protested the construction of a mosque in their village at Koy Sanjaq. [13] Koya University was established in 2003. [14]
35 displaced Assyrian families from Mosul were housed in a converted church building in the town in November 2014, and had not been rehoused as of April 2015. [15] As of March 2018, 60 Assyrian families inhabit Koy Sanjaq. [16] The Assyrian population largely speak Kurdish, but some continue to speak Syriac. [17]
An Iranian missile attack on the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan headquarters in the town on 8 September 2018 killed 14 people. [18]
Notes
Citations
36°05′N 44°38′E / 36.083°N 44.633°E