Soran Diyana | |
|---|---|
City | |
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 | |
| Country |  Iraq |
| Autonomous region |  Kurdistan Region |
| Province | Erbil Province |
| Elevation | 680 m (2,230 ft) |
| Population | |
• Total | 350,000 |
Soran (Kurdish:سۆران ,Soran)[1][2] orDiyana (Kurdish:دیانا ,Diyana,Classical Syriac:ܕܐܝܢܐ)[3][4][5] is a city inErbil Governorate,[6] and the capital ofSoran District inKurdistan Region,Iraq. Soran is one of the largest cities inKurdistan Region with a population of about 350,000 people.[7]
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The city and district of Soran or Suran[8][9][10][11] is named after the Sorani Kurds who inhabit the same geographical region. Surani people are first attested during the rule of the Urartian Empire to have lived in modern Soran district stretching up to the areas around lake Urmia in Iran.[12][13] SoraniKurds have given their name to the Sorani Dialect as well, which is one of the three branches ofKurdish language.
Cuneiform texts spanning the Early Bronze Age to the early Iron Age suggest the Soran district formed the territorial core of the Hurro-Urartian kingdom of Musasir (Ardini), famed as home to the trans-regional cult center of the Hurrian storm-god Haldi. TheAssyrian kingSargon II in 714 BC during his renowned Eighth Campaign conquered Soran, which he refers to it as Sarun, and sacked theKurdish fire temple and its treasury. Archaeological reconnaissance and excavations have revealed evidence for human occupation over the long duration of occupations with clear evidence of the region’s prosperity in the later Bronze and early Iron Age.[14][15][16][17]
The Muslim army led byUbadah ibn al-Samit conquered Soran and the surrounding areas in 642 (22 A.H.), after they defeated theKurdish forces inMosul andErbil plains.[18] TheMuslim Empire gave Soran and Rawanduz area the name 'al-Hanana'.[19]
In the Medieval era Soran was at the heart of theSoran Emirate which was established by the Soran Dynasty, it lasted until late 19th century. Its most famous ruler wasMuhammad Pasha of Rawanduz.
In the 1920s a settlement in Soran was established by the British to settleAssyrianChristian refugees as part of the Assyrian settlement scheme in northern Iraq known as the Z plan, and the settlement came to be known as Diana.[20][21][22][23]
The former Iraqi Baathist regime during Anfal Campaign and the Arabization process changed the city's name to Diana and later to Qadha Al Siddiq (District of Saddiq), after theKurdish uprising in 1991 its name was changed back to Soran.
Soran city is a very beautiful area. Due to its mountainous nature, it has many tourist attractions, including:
While the vast majority of the population isSunniKurdish, Soran is home to a diverse array of ethnicities and religions, includingAssyrian Christians andYezidis. This diversity contributes to the cultural richness of the area.
In addition to Soran University, there are numerous primary and secondary schools in the district that offer education in Kurdish, Arabic, and English. The educational system is focused on promoting Kurdish culture and language.
Soran hosts various cultural festivals throughout the year, celebrating Kurdish heritage, including Newroz (Kurdish New Year) and other traditional events that promote local customs and music.
The currentsub-governor of the Soran district is Halgurd Sheikh Najib. He was appointed by the governor of Erbil.[27]
Soran has aMediterranean climate (Csa) with very hot, dry summers, and cool to cold, damp, humid winters.
| Climate data for Soran | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 9.7 (49.5) | 11.0 (51.8) | 15.3 (59.5) | 21.2 (70.2) | 28.3 (82.9) | 35.0 (95.0) | 39.0 (102.2) | 39.2 (102.6) | 35.2 (95.4) | 28.3 (82.9) | 18.7 (65.7) | 11.6 (52.9) | 24.4 (75.9) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 0.3 (32.5) | 1.1 (34.0) | 4.7 (40.5) | 9.5 (49.1) | 14.7 (58.5) | 20.1 (68.2) | 23.7 (74.7) | 23.5 (74.3) | 19.0 (66.2) | 13.5 (56.3) | 7.4 (45.3) | 2.2 (36.0) | 11.6 (53.0) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 144 (5.7) | 164 (6.5) | 135 (5.3) | 96 (3.8) | 40 (1.6) | 1 (0.0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 1 (0.0) | 12 (0.5) | 76 (3.0) | 104 (4.1) | 773 (30.5) |
| Source:[28] | |||||||||||||
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36°39′38″N44°33′3″E / 36.66056°N 44.55083°E /36.66056; 44.55083