Qaraqosh

The present name of the town, Qaraqosh, is first attested in a source from the sixteenth century. It is of Turkic origin, meaning 'Black Bird', and was introduced either by the Ottomans after their conquest of the area at the beginning of the sixteenth century or by the Turkmen rulers of the region in the fifteenth century. The local population, however, when speaking in their Aramaic dialect, still refer to the town by its former name.{{Cite web|url=http://nena.ames.cam.ac.uk/dialects/3/|title=NENA}} The name Bakhdida ({{langx|syr|ܒܝܬ ܟܘܕܝܕܐ}}; Beth Khdeda), is of uncertain origin and when translated from the Syriac language it has two components Beth which means "house", and Khodida which could either mean "Youths" in Aramaic or actually "Baghdadak" a diminutive form of Baghdad, Old Persian meaning "God's gift". Some also believe that Bakhdida comes from the Aramaic Beth Deta, meaning "Land of the Kite".[http://www.bakhdida.com/BehnamAtallah/Usool.htm اصول أسماء القرى والمواقع التابعة لمنطقة بخديدا], بهنام عطاالله

As of October 2016, the city is under the control of the Nineveh Plain Protection Units.{{cite web | url = https://www.wsj.com/articles/iraqs-christians-turn-to-militia-for-protection-1481020200 | title = Iraq's Christians Turn to Militia for Protection | last = Stancati | first = Margherita | date = December 6, 2016 | website = The Wall Street Journal| access-date = August 2, 2020}} On November 25, 2017; Nineveh Plain Protection Units (NPU) celebrated the completion of its new military camp in Bakhdida, Nineveh Plain.{{cite web | url = http://www.zowaa.org/en/completion-npu-camp-bakhdeda-nineveh-plain/#.Wid9plWnEuU | title = Completion of the NPU Camp In Bakhdeda, Nineveh Plain| date = December 5, 2017 | website = Zowaa.org }}

Students from the village were harassed in University of Mosul; many female students were forced to wear an Islamic dress for fear of being attacked.{{cite web|url=http://christiansofiraq.com/studentsjune176.html |title=Assyrian University Students Beaten By Iraqi Police |publisher=Christiansofiraq.com |access-date=December 1, 2010| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20101120143551/http://christiansofiraq.com/studentsjune176.html| archive-date= November 20, 2010 | url-status= live}} On May 2, 2010, a convoy of buses carrying students from Bakhdida to the University of Mosul was the target of a coordinated attack, which killed and injured more than a hundred.[https://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/03/world/middleeast/03iraq.html Bombs Hit School Buses in North Iraq], SAM DAGHER, The New York Times{{cite web|url=http://www.asianews.it/news-en/Car-bomb-targets-Christian-student%E2%80%99s-bus-near-Mosul-18297.html |title=IRAQ Car bomb targets Christian student's bus near Mosul - Asia News |publisher=Asianews.it |date=November 14, 2009 |access-date=December 1, 2010}}

The Iraqi Ministry of Education started the construction of a subsidiary of the University of Mosul which in 2014 became the [https://www.uohamdaniya.edu.iq/en/ University of AL-Hamdaniya], which is planned to serve the whole Nineveh Plains region.{{Cite book|title=Die Welt hat uns vergessen|last=Schmidinger|first=Thomas|publisher=Mandelbaum Verlag|year=2019|isbn=9783854765905|pages=67}} The [https://www.uohamdaniya.edu.iq/en/ University of AL-Hamdaniya] currently consists of two colleges: The college of Education and the college of Administration and Economics. The University is based at the Mosul-Erbil road, Al-Hamdaniya intersection.{{Cite web |title=The University of Al-Hamdaniya official website |url=https://www.uohamdaniya.edu.iq/en/}}

File:BM; RM6 - ANE, Assyrian Sculpture 14 West Wall (M + N) ~ Assyrian Empire + Lamassu, Gates at Balawat, Relief Panel's & Full Projection.3.jpg]]

It is thought that the ancient city of Rasin mentioned in some texts, the second city built by the Assyrian king Nimrud, was in Bakhdida.{{cite book |last1=George |first1=Nashwan |title=Södertälje |publisher=Ishtar TV |location=Ankawa |page=21}}

The Assyrians of Bakhdida became Christians during early Christianity. With the Christological disputes of the 4th century, they followed the Church of the East teachings, but switched to the Syriac Orthodox Church through the influence of Shapur of Baghdeda in the 7th century and the arrival of Assyrian refugees from Tikrit in the 11th century.{{cite web | url = http://www.ishtartv.com/en/viewarticle,35746.html | title = Baghdede | date = December 16, 2011 | website = Ishtar Broadcasting Corporation | access-date = August 2, 2020}}

File:Qatarta d'beth Ina.JPG

In their literature and writings, the Assyrians of Bakhdida remember vividly the raids of the Persians and Kurds on their village and churches. In 1171, while the governors of Mosul and Damascus were fighting each other, the Kurds used the opportunity to attack the Mor Mattai Monastery.[https://archive.org/details/b31365334 The chronography of Gregory Abû'l Faraj, the son of Aaron, the Hebrew physician] According to the 13th-century writer Bar Hebraeus, in 1261 the Kurds came down to Mosul, killing many Christians who refused to follow Islam and looting their homes and churches. The Kurds then occupied the Monastery of Saint John of Dailam and killed many of its nuns and those who had sought refuge there. In 1288, a battle took place between the Kurds and Iraqi Turkmen near Baghdida. In 1324 Baghdida was attacked by the Kurds again, in which many homes and four churches were burned.Bar Hebraius, Summary of the History of the lands, Arabic edition P. 492-497

In the early 18th century, Persians under the leadership of Nader Shah invaded the Mosul region and most of the inhabitants of Baghdida escaped to Mosul with all their valuables, in accordance with the governor's orders. Mosul was harassed and then besieged for months. However, the Christians defended it and after months of blockade, the Persians finally signed a peace agreement with Mosul's governor Hasan Pasha Al Jalili, and withdrew in 1743. To reward the Christians for their bravery, the Jalili governor permitted many churches in the Mosul region to be restored.{{cite web |author=Ghassan Hanna |url=http://www.chaldeansonline.org/village/bakhdida.html |title=Bakhdida |publisher=Chaldeansonline.org |access-date=December 1, 2010 |archive-date=February 4, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090204192421/http://www.chaldeansonline.org/village/bakhdida.html |url-status=dead }}

The people of Bakhdida got the chance to vote for the first time on 30 January 2005. The secular Ayad Allawi led the votes in the town.{{cite web|author=Ankawa.con |url=http://www.ankawa.com/forum/index.php?topic=21090.0 |title=الاف الغديداي يتوجهون الى مراكز الاقتراع للاشتراك في الانتخابات وقائمة النهرين وطني تأتي في المرتبة الثانية |publisher=Ankawa.com |access-date=December 1, 2010}}

However many Assyrians, Shabaks and Yazidis were not allowed to vote, which led to demonstrations against the results.{{cite web|url=http://www.aina.org/news/20050227125922.htm |title=Assyrian Christians of Iraq Wanted to Vote But Were Not Allowed |publisher=Aina.org |date=February 27, 2005 |access-date=December 1, 2010| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20101202091157/http://www.aina.org/news/20050227125922.htm| archive-date= December 2, 2010 | url-status= live}}

The next parliamentary elections on 7 March 2010, saw the rise of local candidates with the Assyrian Democratic Movement coming second. Only 52% of registered voters participated in this election.[http://www.karemlees.com/t6123-topic سير الأنتخابات في مراكز بغديدا وكرمليس]{{dead link|date=July 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}, منظمة حمورابي لحقوق الأنسان Due to the rise of extremism in Iraq shortly after the US-led invasion, many of the villagers in Mosul and Baghdad were targeted for being Christians.{{cite web|url=https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/18462/new-archbishop-of-mosul-calls-persecuted-iraqi-christians-to-hope |title=New Archbishop of Mosul calls persecuted Iraqi Christians to hope :: Catholic News Agency (CNA) |publisher=Catholic News Agency |date=January 27, 2010 |access-date=December 1, 2010}}

On 22 November 2006 Yeshu' Hadaya, the leader of a National Syriac movement was assassinated in Bakhdida.{{cite web|url=http://election.elmarada.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=40465:%D9%85%D8%B3%D9%8A%D8%AD%D9%8A%D9%80%D9%80%D9%80%D9%80%D9%80%D9%88-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D9%80%D9%80%D9%80%D9%80%D9%80%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%82-%D9%88%D8%AA%D8%AD%D8%AF%D9%8A%D9%80%D9%80%D9%80%D9%80%D9%80%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A8%D9%82%D9%80%D9%80%D9%80%D9%80%D9%80%D8%A7%D8%A1&catid=63:literature&Itemid=108 |title=مسيحيـــــو العـــــراق وتحديـــــات البقـــــاء |publisher=Election.elmarada.org |access-date=December 1, 2010 }}{{dead link|date=October 2016 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

{{See also|Northern Iraq offensive (June 2014)|Northern Iraq offensive (August 2014)}}

At the beginning of July 2014, IS forces attempted to occupy the city. The Kurdish Peshmerga and the Assyrian Qaraqosh Protection Committee successfully defended it, while elders, women, and children fled to neighboring towns, thus joining other Christian refugees from nearby Mosul that had previously escaped the city in fear of the extremists.As reported by [https://www.faz.net/aktuell/politik/ausland/naher-osten/irakische-christen-stehen-unter-kurdischem-schutz-13032626.html Frankfurter Allgemeine] (in German language) The Islamists proceeded to cut off the town's water supply. This, together with the rise in the price of oil following IS's invasion of nearby oil field and an embargo imposed by IS forcing nearby Muslim villages to stop trade with Bakhdida, rendered life difficult in the town also burdened with incoming refugees.[Iraq's Waterless Christians: The Campaign to Expel a Religion Business Week: Iraq's Waterless Christians: The Campaign to Expel a Religion] On August 6, 2014, the Kurdish troops withdrew from the city and the next day Islamists from IS invaded the city.As reported by [http://www.lefigaro.fr/flash-actu/2014/08/07/97001-20140807FILWWW00062-irak-des-jihadistes-prennent-la-plus-grande-ville-chretienne-du-pays.php Le Figaro] (in French language) Much of the population, including recent arrivals, was left joining the 150,000 Assyrians fleeing, though they were forced to walk towards Erbil without their cars and possessions as Kurdish forces feared Islamist infiltration.As reported by [http://fr.radiovaticana.va/news/2014/08/07/irak__les_chr%C3%A9tiens_contraints_de_fuir_qaraqosh/1104121 Radio Vatican] (in French language)

All of its citizens fled to Kurdistan Region after the IS invasion on 6 August 2014. The town was under control of IS until 19 October 2016, when it was liberated as part of the Battle of Mosul.

Currently, the Nineveh Plain Protection Units run the security profile in the city and participated alongside the Iraqi Army in the liberation efforts of the city.{{cite web | url = https://www.hrw.org/news/2017/02/16/iraq-looting-destruction-forces-fighting-isis | title = Iraq: Looting, Destruction by Forces Fighting ISIS | date = February 16, 2017 | website = Human Rights Watch | access-date = August 2, 2020}}

On 26 September 2023, a fire broke out at the Al Haytham Wedding Hall during a Syriac Catholic wedding in the city, which killed at least 114 people, and injured 150.{{Cite news |date=2023-09-26 |title=At Least 100 Are Killed in Fire at Wedding Hall in Iraq |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/26/world/middleeast/iraq-wedding-fire.html |access-date=2023-09-27 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=27 September 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230927115531/https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/26/world/middleeast/iraq-wedding-fire.html |url-status=live }}

It is {{convert|32|mi|km}} southeast of Mosul."[http://www.christiantoday.com/article/no.mass.said.in.mosul.for.first.time.in.1600.years.says.archbishop/38493.htm No Mass said in Mosul for first time in 1,600 years, says Archbishop]" ([https://web.archive.org/web/20140707040050/http://www.christiantoday.com/article/no.mass.said.in.mosul.for.first.time.in.1600.years.says.archbishop/38493.htm Archive]). Christian Today. June 28, 2014. Retrieved on July 7, 2014.

Bakhdida has a hot-summer Mediterranean climate (Köppen climate classification Csa). Most rain falls in the winter. The average annual temperature in Bakhdida is {{convert|20.7|°C|1}}. About {{convert|468|mm|2|abbr=on}} of precipitation falls annually.

{{Weather box|location = Bakhdida

|metric first = Y

|single line = Y

|Jan high C = 12.6

|Feb high C = 14.9

|Mar high C = 18.6

|Apr high C = 24.6

|May high C = 32.1

|Jun high C = 38.8

|Jul high C = 42.7

|Aug high C = 42.5

|Sep high C = 38.2

|Oct high C = 30.8

|Nov high C = 21.9

|Dec high C = 14.7

|Jan low C = 2.1

|Feb low C = 3.6

|Mar low C = 6.3

|Apr low C = 10.6

|May low C = 15.8

|Jun low C = 20.0

|Jul low C = 23.4

|Aug low C = 22.5

|Sep low C = 17.9

|Oct low C = 12.6

|Nov low C = 8.3

|Dec low C = 3.5

|Jan precipitation mm = 78

|Feb precipitation mm = 79

|Mar precipitation mm = 88

|Apr precipitation mm = 64

|May precipitation mm = 25

|Jun precipitation mm = 0

|Jul precipitation mm = 0

|Aug precipitation mm = 0

|Sep precipitation mm = 1

|Oct precipitation mm = 15

|Nov precipitation mm = 49

|Dec precipitation mm = 69

|year precipitation mm= 468

|source = Climate-Data.org, Climate data

|date=January 16, 2018}}

Since the late 19th century, various locations on the outskirts of the town were excavated by Hormuzd Rassam. In Balawat (the ancient Assyrian city of Imgur-Enlil) a number of Assyrian artifacts have been excavated; they are currently displayed in the British Museum and Mosul Museum.{{cite web|url=https://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/highlights/article_index/b/balawat_ancient_imgur-enlil.aspx |title=Balawat (ancient Imgur-Enlil, Iraq) |publisher=British Museum |access-date=December 1, 2010}} There is a lot of interest in the archaeology of Baghdida today. It has many Assyrian remains, like those of Tel Bashmoni (Beth Shmoni), Tel Muqortaya, Tel Karamles, Tel Mar Bihnam and others. These mounds were fortresses, temples or buildings that belonged to the Assyrian capital of Nimrud. Throughout 1922, 1927, and 1935, archaeologists found gold pieces and cylinder seals, as well as an Assyrian statue (now in Mosul museum) in a well in the church of Mar Zina. In 1942 an Assyrian bathroom and several graves were found near the church of Bashmoni. Furthermore, during the 1980s excavations in the grounds of the Church of Mar Youhanna (Saint John), archaeologists found human remains inside graves in the eastern side and at a depth of one and a half metres. These graves were built with typical Assyrian large rectangular bricks.

References to Athur (Assyria) continued in texts from Bakhdida. Mapharian Athanasius Ibrahim II of Tur Abdin visited Tikrit, Baghdad, and Arbil to attend to his congregation. According to Afram Abdal al-Khouri and his book al-Lu'lu' al-Nadheed fi Tareekh Deir Mar Bihnam al-Shaheed{{Citation needed|date=July 2023}}(The Layers of Pearls in the History of the Monastery of Martyred Mar Bihnam), 1951, p. 219, Sony writes: "in 1365 the Mapharian came to Athur or Mosul and was welcomed by Nour al-Din the Chief of Baghdeda … " (Sony 1998, 699). Last but not least, Sony writes that in 1294–1295 (according to the Mar Bihnam monastery archives) a certain king "came to Lower Athur, the city of Saint Mar Bihnam … " (Sony 1998, 95).

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Category:Populated places in Nineveh Governorate

Category:District capitals of Iraq

Category:Assyrian communities in Iraq

Category:Shabak communities

Category:Nineveh Plains