Diyala River
| Sirwan (Diyala river) | |
|---|---|
| Country | Iran/Iraq |
| Basin features | |
| Main source | Western Iran |
| River mouth | Tigris River |
| Basin size | 32,600 km2 (12,600 sq mi) |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Length | 445 km (277 mi) |
The Diyala River (Kurdish: and Persian: Sirwan, سيروان, Arabic: نهر ديالى, Persian: سیروان ), is a river and tributary of the Tigris that originates in Iran as the Sirwan (or Sirvan) River then runs mainly through Eastern Iraq. It covers a total distance of 445 km (277 mi).
It rises near Hamadan, in the Zagros Mountains of Iran. It then descends through the mountains, where for some 32 km it forms the border between the two countries. It finally feeds into the Tigris below Baghdad. Navigation of the upper reaches of the Diyala is not possible because of its narrow defiles, but the river's valley provides an important trade route between Iran and Iraq.
The river flows southwest of the Hamrin Mountains.
Its origin in Kurdish and Persian is called "Sirwan", meaning 'roaring sea' or 'shouting river', as well as being the name of an ancient city near Ilam city in Iran. In the Sassanid and early Islamic periods, the lower course of the river formed part of the Nahrawan Canal. The Diyala Governorate in Iraq is named after the river.
The river is mentioned in Herodotus' Histories under the name Gyndes, where it is stated that the king Cyrus the Great dispersed it by digging 360 channels as punishment after a sacred white horse perished there. The river returned to its former proportions after the channels disappeared under the sand.
The Battle of Diyala River took place in 693 BC between the forces of the Assyrian empire and the Elamites of southern Iran.
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Wikipedia