Halabja
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Halabja Kurdish: هەڵەبجە Arabic: حلبجة |
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|---|---|
| city | |
Halabja city
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|
 Halabja
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| Coordinates: 35°11′11″N 45°58′26″E / 35.18639°N 45.97389°E | |
| Country |
 Iraq
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| Autonomous region |
 Kurdistan
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| Province | Halabja |
| Established | 1650 AD |
| Government | |
| • Governor | Abdulla Nawroli |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1,599 km2 (617 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 721 m (2,365 ft) |
| Population (2013) | |
| • Total | 117,000 |
| Time zone | UTC+3 |
Halabja (Kurdish: ههڵهبجه Hełebce), is a city in Iraqi Kurdistan and the capital of Halabja Governorate, located about 240 km (150 mi) north-east of Baghdad and 14 km (9 mi) from the Iranian border.
The city lies at the base of what is often referred to as the greater Hewraman region stretching across the Iran–Iraq border. Halabja is surrounded by Hawraman and Shnrwe range in northeast, Balambo range in south, and Sirwan river in west. The Kurds in the city of Halabja generally speak only the Sorani dialect of Kurdish, but some residents of the surrounding villages speak the Hewrami dialect.
Halabja has a long history. The cemetery includes the tombs of several historical figures, such as Ahmed Mukhtar Jaf, Tayar Bag Jaf and Adila Khanim. In August 2009, three 17th century tombs were discovered in the Ababile district of the town.
This suggests that the town is somewhat older than indicated by some sources, which claim that it was built by the Ottoman Empire at about 1850. However, modern developments date from the early 20th century. The post office opened in 1924 and the first school opened the following year. The Qaysari Pasha and Hamid Bag bazaars were built in 1932. Electricity did not reach the city until 1940.
At the beginning of the 20th century, there were many British soldiers stationed in Halabja. During World War I, Adela Khanum saved the lives of several British soldiers, resulting in the British honoring her with the title Khan Bahadur, Princess of the Brave. She was also responsible for the building of a new prison, setting up a court of justice, of which she was the first president and building a new bazaar.
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Wikipedia