Khanaqin
خانەقین Xaneqîn | |
---|---|
City | |
![]() Alwand River in Khanaqin with the historical Alwand Bridge on top of it | |
Coordinates: 34°20′N 45°23′E / 34.333°N 45.383°E | |
Country | ![]() |
Governorate | Diyala Governorate |
District | Khanaqin |
Elevation | 183 m (602 ft) |
Population (2008)[1] | |
• Total | 175,000 |
Khanaqin (Arabic: خانقين;[2] Kurdish: خانەقین, romanized: Xaneqîn[3][4]) is the central city of Khanaqin District in Diyala Governorate, Iraq, near the Iranian border (8 km) on the Alwand tributary of the Diyala River.[1] The town is populated by Kurds who speak the Southern Kurdish dialect.[5] Khanaqin is situated on the main road which Shia pilgrims use when visiting holy Islamic cities.[1] The city is moreover rich in oil and the first Iraqi oil refinery and oil pipeline was built nearby in 1927.[6][7] The main tribes of Khanaqin include Kalhor,[8] Feyli,[9] Zand,[10] Malekshahi[11] Suramiri,[12] Arkavazi[13] and Zangana.[14]
The city experienced Arabization during the Saddam era, but this has been substantially reversed after the fall of the regime in 2003 and remains disputed.[1][15]
:4
was invoked but never defined (see the help page).