Ankawa
| Ankawa Enkawa ܥܲܢܟܵܒ̣ܵܐ | |
|---|---|
  Ankawa | |
| Coordinates: 36°13′45″N 43°59′37″E / 36.22917°N 43.99361°ECoordinates: 36°13′45″N 43°59′37″E / 36.22917°N 43.99361°E | |
| Country |
 Iraq |
| Autonomous region |
 Iraqi Kurdistan |
| Province | Erbil Governorate |
| Municipality | Ankawa |
| Population (2011) | |
| • Total | 30,000 (refugees included-100,000)[1] |
| The town received thousands of Chaldean Refugees from Baghdad and Mosul | |
Ankawa or Ainkawa (Kurdish: Enkawa, Syriac: ܥܲܢܟܵܒ̣ܵܐ, Arabic: عنكاوا, ‘ankāwā) is an Assyrian-populated suburb of Erbil, outside the city limits.[2] It is seen as the "Assyrian Quarter" of Erbil. It is located five miles north-north-west of downtown Erbil, just outside the ring road that is Erbil's city limit.
History
Ankawa was originally called Beth Amka, which later morphed to Amku-Bad, Amkawa, and finally Ankawa. The name of the town is mentioned in different historical books, including Bar Hebraeus's book entitled "A Brief History of the Countries," where he states: "Mongolian troops attacked the area of Erbil on Sunday July 1285 and reached some villages.....including Ankawa."
Ankawa has many archaeological sites, including "The Hill," which was recorded as an archaeological site in Iraq in 1945. It is also home to St Joseph's Cathedral (Umra d'Mar Yosip), the seat of the Chaldean Catholic archbishop of Erbil.[2] The city has recently become a principal settlement for Christians in Iraq. One of the main reasons for the cities rise is due to the ISIS takeover of the Nineveh Plans, because a fair amount of those who fled went here. The city's rise has even attracted the eye of the Assyrian Church of the East, which after several decades of being located in the United States, has decided to put its faith in the security of Iraqi Kurdistan by moving their Patriarchal see to Ankawa.[2]
References
- ↑ "Pictures Show Aftermath of ISIS Looting, Plundering Assyrian Town". Retrieved 26 November 2016.
- 1 2 3 Richard Spencer, Iraq crisis: The streets of Erbil’s newly Christian suburb are now full of helpless people, The Daily Telegraph, August 08, 2014