Erbil Citadel | Kurdistan

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Iraqi Kurdistan or Kurdistan Region is an autonomous region of Iraq. It borders Iran to the east, Turkey to the north, Syria to the west and the rest of Iraq to the south.

Erbil, also spelled Arbil, Arbel and Irbil locally called Hewlêr by the Kurds, is the capital city of Iraqi Kurdistan. Erbil Citadel is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Erbil | ھەولێر Capital of the Kurdistan Region in Iraq

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Erbil (also known as Arbil, Irbil or Hewlêr) is the largest city and capital of the Kurdistan Region in Iraq. Until recently one of the more peaceful regions in Iraq.

(Reuters) - The British government told its citizens to leave parts of Iraqi Kurdistan, including the regional capital Arbil, on Friday as the sweeping advance of Islamist militants brought them closer to Kurdish territory.

The government said the security situation could deteriorate quickly after fighting in the last two days to the southwest of Arbil, where many Western oil workers and executives are based, so British citizens in the regional capital of 1.5 million people should leave immediately.

This follows attacks by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) on towns to the Southwest of Erbil (Arbil) on 6-7 August.

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Gali Ali Beg Waterfall in the Iraq Kurdistan Region

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The Kurdistan Region is an autonomous region in federal Iraq. It borders Syria to the west, Iran to the east, and Turkey to the north.

The three northern provinces of Iraq blossomed into a quasi-independent state in the 21 years since the U.S. placed a protective umbrella - the 'no-fly zone' - over the region to stop a genocidal anti-Kurdish campaign waged by Saddam Hussein.  The area is Administered by the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG).

Turkey, Iran and Syria - all of which have sizeable Kurdish minorities they do not want to become autonomous - are viewing the KRG's progress with considerable concern. They fear full independence for Iraqi Kurdistan would set off a chain reaction in the region.

Erbil is a rich agricultural region and boasts some of the most ancient tourism sites in Iraq, along with beautiful mountains and waterfalls, like the Guli Ali Beg.

Iraqi Kurdistan: The Jalil Al Khayat Mosque in Erbil | هه‌ولێر

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Mosque architecture in Kurdistan has two primary influences: Iranian and Ottoman. Ottoman architecture is the architecture of the Ottoman Empire which emerged in Bursa and Edirne in 14th and 15th centuries.

The Jalil Al Khayat Mosque is the largest in Erbil, the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan region.

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From a set of four stamps, Red Crescent.

“The Red Crescent is an internationally accepted symbol that stands for emergency assistance, and is simply another symbol for the commonly known Red Cross.  In fact, the full name of the "Red Cross" is "International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies"

The old city of Erbil | Hewlêr, Iraqi Kurdistan

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Iraqi Kurdistan or Kurdistan Region is an autonomous region of Iraq. It borders Iran to the east, Turkey to the north, Syria to the west and the rest of Iraq to the south. The regional capital is Erbil, known in Kurdish as Hewlêr.

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From a set of four stamps, Red Crescent.

“The Red Crescent is an internationally accepted symbol that stands for emergency assistance, and is simply another symbol for the commonly known Red Cross.  In fact, the full name of the "Red Cross" is "International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies"

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A postcard from Iraqi-Kurdistan | هه‌رێمی کوردستان

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Iraqi Kurdistan or Kurdistan Region is an autonomous region of Iraq. It borders Iran to the east, Turkey to the north, Syria to the west and the rest of Iraq to the south. The regional capital is Arbil (Erbil), known in Kurdish as Hewlêr.

The 2003 invasion of Iraq and the subsequent political changes led to the ratification of a new Constitution of Iraq in 2005. The new Iraqi constitution defines Iraqi Kurdistan as a federal entity of Iraq, and establishes Arabic and Kurdish as Iraq's joint official languages.

Iraqi Kurdistan is a parliamentary democracy. The three governorates of Duhok, Erbil and Sulaymaniyah comprise around 40,000 square kilometres (15,000 sq mi) and have a population of around 4 million.

(source: wikipedia)

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2010 Post festival Erbil.

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