Altun Kupri | |
---|---|
Town | |
Coordinates: 35°45′12″N 44°08′37″E / 35.75333°N 44.14361°E | |
Country | Iraq |
Governorate | Kirkuk Governorate |
District | Dibis |
Elevation | 284 m (935 ft) |
Population (2013)
[2] | |
• Total | 9,275 |
Altun Kupri ( Arabic: التون كوبري, [3] Turkish: Altınköprü, lit. 'Golden Bridge', [4] Kurdish: پردێ, romanized: Pirdê [5] [6]) is a town in Kirkuk Governorate, Iraq. Its inhabitants are predominantly Turkmen, with a minority of Arabs and Kurds. [7] [8] [9] It is located on the shores of the Little Zab and on the Erbil– Kirkuk road. [10] [11] The town is described as having an 'intrinsic strategic significance' and is disputed. [12] [13]
Altun Kupri is the Anglicized version of the Iraqi Turkmen word for "altın köprü" in standard Turkish language, which is literally 'Golden Bridge' in English. [4]
There are different theories for the town's name. Some believe that 'Golden Bridge' refers to a Turkish or Kurdish woman of that name, while others believe it refers to the colorful caravans that passed the town and its bridge on their way between Mosul and Baghdad. [14]
Ottoman Sultan Murad IV built two bridges in the town which made it gain importance. It was visited by many European travellers and known for its scenery. [14]
Altun Kupri had approximately 400 to 500 households by the end of the 18th century. Mirza Abu Taleb Khan visited the town in 1799, describing it as a big village with a mixed Kurdish and Turkmen population busy with farming. Moreover, it was a trading center between Kurdistan and Baghdad for figs, grapes and other agricultural products. Under the reign of Muhammad Pasha of Soran (1813-1836) he was able to extend his influence to this town and force the Ottoman governor of Baghdad to recognize his control. [15] In 1906, the town had 4,000 inhabitants. [16] The Ottomans destroyed the town's famous stone-built bridges in 1918 and replaced it with modern steel constructions. [14]
In 1925, the town's population was predominantly Turkmen. [17]
The town experienced Arabization during the Saddam era and an increased militarization to counter uprisings in the north from spreading towards Kirkuk. [18]
More than a hundred Turkmen civilians were killed in the 1991 Altun Köpru massacre during the Gulf War by the Iraqi Army. [19]
In the 1947 census Kurds constituted 70% of the population but decreased to 50% in 1957. In the census of 1965, the percentage of Kurds fell further to 25.7% but increased again to 75.6% in 1977. [20] In the 2005 elections, the DPAK received 80% of the vote in the sub-district of Altun Kupri. [21]
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