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42-524: In 1956, the southern part of the Tharthar depression was turned into an artificial reservoir to collect floodwaters of the Tigris River. The water flows via an artificial inlet canal, named Tharthar Canal. The canal diverts the excess water, by means of a regulator Samarra Barrage . It merges with the lake in its southeastern bank. The lake has an artificial outlet called Taksim Tharthar Canal, which drains to

84-705: A Plan of Action for promoting exchange and calibration of data and standards pertaining to Tigris river flows was achieved. The consensus, known as the "Geneva Consensus On Tigris River", was reached at a meeting organized in Geneva by the think tank Strategic Foresight Group . In February 2016, the United States Embassy in Iraq as well as the Prime Minister of Iraq Haider al-Abadi issued warnings that Mosul Dam could collapse. The United States warned people to evacuate

126-495: A higher bed than the Tigris. The Sumerian form was borrowed into Akkadian as Idiqlat and from there into the other Semitic languages (compare Hebrew : חִדֶּקֶל‎ , romanized :  Ḥîddéqel ; Jewish Babylonian Aramaic : דיגלת‎, דיקגלת‎ , romanized:  diqlāṯ or diglāṯ ; Classical Syriac : ܕܩܠܬ‎ , romanized:  Deqlāṯ , Arabic : دِجلَة , romanized :  Dijlah ). Another name for

168-454: A largely desert country. Shallow-draft vessels can go as far as Baghdad, but rafts have historically been needed for transport downstream from Mosul . The Tigris is heavily dammed in Iraq and Turkey to provide water for irrigating the arid and semi-desert regions bordering the river valley. Damming has also been important for averting floods in Iraq, to which the Tigris has historically been notoriously prone following April melting of snow in

210-563: Is 1,750 km (1,090 mi) long, rising in the Taurus Mountains of eastern Turkey about 25 km (16 mi) southeast of the city of Elazığ and about 30 km (19 mi) from the headwaters of the Euphrates. The river then flows for 400 km (250 mi) through Southeastern Turkey before forming part of the Syria-Turkey border . This stretch of 44 km (27 mi) is

252-463: Is an alternative form of Tígrēs ( Τίγρης ), which was adapted from Old Persian 𐎫𐎡𐎥𐎼𐎠 ( Tigrā ), itself from Elamite Tigra , itself from Sumerian 𒀀𒇉𒈦𒄘𒃼 ( Idigna or Idigina , probably derived from *id (i)gina "running water"). The Sumerian term, which can be interpreted as "the swift river", contrasts the Tigris to its neighbour, the Euphrates, whose leisurely pace caused it to deposit more silt and build up

294-746: Is the third of the four rivers branching off the river issuing out of the Garden of Eden . The second mention is in the Book of Daniel , wherein Daniel states he received one of his visions "when I was by that great river the Tigris". The Tigris River is also mentioned in Islam in Sunan Abi Daud 4306. The tomb of Imam Ahmad Bin Hanbal and Syed Abdul Razzaq Jilani is in Baghdad and

336-673: The Abbasid Caliph Al-Mu'tasim founded a new capital at the banks of the Tigris. Here he built extensive palace complexes surrounded by garrison settlements for his guards, mostly drawn from Central Asia and Iran (most famously the Turks , as well as the Khurasani Ishtakhaniyya , Faraghina and Ushrusaniyya regiments) or North Africa (like the Maghariba ). Although quite often called Mamluk slave soldiers, their status

378-593: The Euphrates River directly. The canal, after 28 km (17.4 mi) from its outlet, bifurcates to another canal called "Dhira'a Dijla" (arm of tigris) that returns water back to the Tigris River. Lake Tharthar was the site of an American raid in 2005 against an insurgent training base in the region. The Tharthar depression was formed during the Holocene age, mainly by karstification , due to dissolving of gypsum rocks of

420-679: The Freer Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. The civilization flourished alongside the Ubaid period , as one of the first town states in the Near East . It lasted from 5,500 BCE and eventually collapsed in 3,900 BCE. A city of Sur-marrati (refounded by Sennacherib in 690 BC according to a stele in the Walters Art Museum ) is insecurely identified with a fortified Assyrian site at al-Huwaysh on

462-624: The Hawizeh Marshes . The main channel continues southwards and is joined by the Al-Kassarah , which drains the Hawizeh Marshes. Finally, the Tigris joins the Euphrates near al-Qurnah to form the Shatt-al-Arab . According to Pliny and other ancient historians, the Euphrates originally had its outlet into the sea separate from that of the Tigris. Baghdad , the capital of Iraq , stands on

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504-611: The Hittite nominative form) is the Hurrian name of the Tigris River, which was deified. He was the son of Kumarbi and the brother of Teshub and Tašmišu , one of the three gods spat out of Kumarbi's mouth onto Mount Kanzuras . Later he colluded with Anu and the Teshub to destroy Kumarbi ( The Kumarbi Cycle ). The Tigris appears twice in the Old Testament . First, in the Book of Genesis , it

546-656: The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) as part of the Northern Iraq offensive . ISIL forces captured the municipality building and university, but were later repulsed by the Iraqi army and SWAT forces. The nearby Imam Dur Mausoleum , a historic mausoleum dedicated to Muslim ibn Quraysh , a Shi'i ruler, was destroyed by ISIL in 2014. Samarra has a hot desert climate ( Köppen climate classification BWh ). Most rain falls in

588-650: The Samarra Barrage , which was built in order to prevent the frequent flooding of Baghdad. Many local people were displaced by the dam, resulting in an increase in Samarra's population. Samarra is a key city in Saladin Governorate, a major part of the so-called Sunni Triangle where insurgents were active during the Iraq War . Though Samarra is famous for its Shi'i holy sites, including the tombs of several Shi'i Imams,

630-673: The Syrian and Arabian Deserts , before merging with the Euphrates and reaching to the Persian Gulf . The Tigris passes through historical cities like Mosul , Tikrit , Samarra , and Baghdad . It is also home to archaeological sites and ancient religious communities, including the Mandaeans , who use it for baptism . In ancient times, the Tigris nurtured the Assyrian Empire , with remnants like

672-595: The Fatha (nearby area) Formation. Tharthar covers roughly 2,050 km (790 sq mi), flows from the central and eastern parts of the Sinjar Mountains and adjacent hills, with a floor of –3 m, above the sea level. The maximum length and width of the depression are 120 and 48 km, respectively. The eastern rim of the depression is higher than the western one, the heights of both rims are 90 metres (300 ft) and 75 metres (246 ft), respectively. The main purpose of

714-636: The Iraqi football league system, namely Iraqi Premier Division League . Its ground is the Samarra Stadium . The metaphor of "Having an appointment in Samarra", signifying death, is a literary reference to an ancient Babylonian myth recorded in the Babylonian Talmud and transcribed by W. Somerset Maugham , in which Death narrates a man's futile attempt to escape him by fleeing from Baghdad to Samarra. The story "The Appointment in Samarra" subsequently formed

756-626: The Syrian , III, 88), described as a village. The possibility of a larger population was offered by the opening of the Qatul al-Kisrawi, the northern extension of the Nahrawan Canal which drew water from the Tigris in the region of Samarra, attributed by Yaqut al-Hamawi ( Muʿjam , see under "Qatul") to Khosrau I (531–578). To celebrate the completion of this project, a commemorative tower (modern Burj al-Qa'im)

798-465: The Tharthar Lake is to collect excess water of the Tigris River during flood seasons and to recharge water to the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers during dry seasons, when there is shortage of water in both rivers. Moreover, it aims to wash out the salts from the stored water in the lake by means of natural continuous draining of the stored water. Tharthar lake and the surrounding areas are considered one of

840-557: The Tigris opposite modern Samarra. The State Archives of Assyria Online identifies Surimarrat as the modern site of Samarra. Ancient place names for Samarra noted by the Samarra Archaeological Survey are Greek Souma ( Ptolemy V.19, Zosimus III, 30), Latin Sumere , a fort mentioned during the retreat of the army of Julian in 363 AD ( Ammianus Marcellinus XXV, 6, 4), and Syriac Sumra (Hoffmann, Auszüge , 188; Michael

882-621: The Tigris used in Middle Persian was Arvand Rud , literally "swift river". Today, however, Arvand Rud ( Persian : اروندرود ) refers to the confluence of the Euphrates and Tigris rivers, known in Arabic as the Šaṭṭ al-ʿArab . In Kurdish languages , it is known as Ava Mezin , "the Great Water". The name of the Tigris in languages that have been important in the region: ἡ, ὁ Τίγρις, -ιδος , hē, ho Tígris, -idos The Tigris

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924-545: The Turkish mountains. Mosul Dam is the largest dam in Iraq. Recent Turkish damming of the river has been the subject of some controversy, for both its environmental effects within Turkey and its potential to reduce the flow of water downstream. Water from both rivers is used as a means of pressure during conflicts. In 2014 a major breakthrough in developing consensus between multiple stakeholder representatives of Iraq and Turkey on

966-560: The banks of the Tigris. The port city of Basra straddles the Shatt al-Arab. In ancient times, many of the great cities of Mesopotamia stood on or near the Tigris, drawing water from it to irrigate the civilization of the Sumerians . Notable Tigris-side cities included Nineveh , Ctesiphon , and Seleucia , while the city of Lagash was irrigated by the Tigris via a canal dug around 2900 B.C. The Tigris has long been an important transport route in

1008-664: The belief of the Twelver or Shias . This has made it an important pilgrimage centre for the Imami Shias. In addition, Hakimah and Narjis , female relatives of the Prophet Muhammad and the Imams, held in high esteem by Muslims, are buried there, making this mosque one of the most significant sites of worship. Samarra is home to the Samarra SC , that plays in the second highest division of

1050-411: The city declined, but it remained an important market center. From the tenth century onward it turned into an important pilgrimage site. During the 12th and 13th centuries, the river's course to the south of the city shifted further east. As a result, the main road between Baghdad and Mosul was moved to the west bank and Samarra lost its importance as a trading town. In the eighteenth century, one of

1092-622: The east bank of the Tigris in the Saladin Governorate , 125 kilometers (78 mi) north of Baghdad . The modern city of Samarra was founded in 836 by the Abbasid caliph al-Mu'tasim as a new administrative capital and military base. In 2003 the city had an estimated population of 348,700. During the Iraqi Civil War (2006-08), Samarra was in the " Sunni Triangle " of resistance. The archeological site of Samarra still retains much of

1134-590: The endemic race of hooded crow [ Corvus cornix capellanus ] was present. Golden jackals have been observed regularly at the site. Striped hyenas and caracals were reported by local people near the lake edge. Many species of reptiles have been observed such as Turkish gecko and Egyptian spiny-tailed lizard . Ten fish species have been found in the lake including: Aspius vorax , yellowfin barbel , B. luteus , B. sharpeyi , goldfish , Cyprnion kais , common carp , Silurus triostegus , Chondrostoma regium , and Liza abu . Tharthar lake and

1176-419: The floodplain of the Tigris because between 500,000 and 1.5 million people were at risk of drowning due to flash flood if the dam collapses, and that the major Iraqi cities of Mosul , Tikrit , Samarra , and Baghdad were at risk. In Sumerian mythology , the Tigris was created by the god Enki , who filled the river with flowing water. In Hittite and Hurrian mythology, Aranzah (or Aranzahas in

1218-504: The flow of Tigris restricts the number of visitors. Baháʼu'lláh , the founder of the Baháʼí Faith , also wrote The Hidden Words around 1858 while he walked along the banks of the Tigris river during his exile in Baghdad. The river featured on the coat of arms of Iraq from 1932 to 1959. Samarra Samarra ( Arabic : سَامَرَّاء , Sāmarrāʾ ) is a city in Iraq . It stands on

1260-507: The historic city's original plan, architecture and artistic relics. In 2007, UNESCO designated it a World Heritage Site . The remains of prehistoric Samarra were first excavated between 1911 and 1914 by the German archaeologist Ernst Herzfeld . Samarra became the type site for the Samarra culture . Since 1946, the notebooks, letters, unpublished excavation reports and photographs have been in

1302-503: The mosque again and destroyed the two minarets that flanked the dome's ruins. On July 12, 2007, the clock tower was blown up. No fatalities were reported. Shiʿi cleric Muqtada al-Sadr called for peaceful demonstrations and three days of mourning. He stated that he believed no Sunni Arab could have been behind the attack, though according to the New York Times the attackers were likely Sunnis linked to Al-Qaeda . The mosque compound

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1344-500: The most important grazing areas in Iraq, including the wide wheat and corn fields covering the area. The area harbors many species of animals and vegetation. Tharthar lake is considered the main wintering grounds for many threatened species of migrant birds such as saker falcon , MacQueen's bustard , and sociable lapwing . 54 bird species were seen in Tharthar lake including: pallid harrier , European roller , and black-tailed godwit (all near threatened) were recorded on passage and

1386-511: The most violent battles of the 1730–1735 Ottoman–Persian War , the Battle of Samarra , took place, where over 50,000 Turks and Persians became casualties. The engagement decided the fate of Ottoman Iraq and kept it under Istanbul's suzerainty until the First World War . During the 1950s, Samarra gained new importance when a permanent lake, Lake Tharthar , was created through the construction of

1428-787: The only part of the river that is located in Syria. Some of its affluences are Garzan, Anbarçayi, Batman , and the Great and the Little Zab . Close to its confluence with the Euphrates, the Tigris splits into several channels. First, the artificial Shatt al-Hayy branches off, to join the Euphrates near Nasiriyah . Second, the Shatt al-Muminah and Majar al-Kabir branch off to feed the Central Marshes . Further downstream, two other distributary channels branch off (the Al-Musharrah and Al-Kahla ), to feed

1470-499: The patriarchal seat of the Church of the East from Baghdad to Samarra, and one or two of his immediate successors may also have sat in Samarra so as to be close to the seat of power. Samarra remained the residence of the caliph until 892, when al-Mu'tadid returned the capital to Baghdad. Historical sources report that the city was looted around this time. Its population probably decreased and

1512-400: The relief of King Tiglath-Pileser . Today, the Tigris faces modern threats from geopolitical instability, dam projects, poor water management, and climate change, leading to concerns about its sustainability. Efforts to protect and preserve the river's legacy are ongoing, with local archaeologists and activists working to safeguard its future. The Ancient Greek form Tigris ( Τίγρις )

1554-537: The surrounding area contains about 38 species of plants. Four main habitat types observed within the Al-Tharthar Lake and Al Dhebaeji Field area: Tigris The Tigris ( / ˈ t aɪ ɡ r ɪ s / TY -griss ; see below ) is the eastern of the two great rivers that define Mesopotamia , the other being the Euphrates . The river flows south from the mountains of the Armenian Highlands through

1596-549: The town was traditionally and until very recently, dominated by Sunni Arabs . Tensions arose between Sunnis and the Shi'a during the Iraq War. On February 22, 2006, the golden dome of the al-Askari Mosque was bombed by Al-Qaeda in Iraq , setting off a period of rioting and reprisal attacks across the country which claimed hundreds of lives. No organization claimed responsibility for the bombing. On June 13, 2007, Sunni insurgents attacked

1638-501: The winter. The average annual temperature in Samarra is 22.7 °C (72.9 °F). About 171 mm (6.73 in) of precipitation falls annually. The city is also home to al-Askari Shrine , containing the mausolea of the Imams Ali al-Hadi and Hasan al-Askari , the tenth and eleventh Shiʿi Imams , respectively, as well as the place from where Muhammad al-Mahdi , known as the "Hidden Imam", reportedly went into The Occultation in

1680-566: Was built at the southern inlet south of Samarra, and a palace with a "paradise" or walled hunting park was constructed at the northern inlet (modern Nahr ar-Rasasi) near ad-Dawr . A supplementary canal, the Qatul Abi al-Jund, excavated by the Abbasid Caliph Harun al-Rashid , was commemorated by a planned city laid out in the form of a regular octagon (modern Husn al-Qadisiyya), called al-Mubarak and abandoned unfinished in 796. In 836 CE ,

1722-459: Was closed after the 2006 bombing and a indefinite curfew was placed on the city by the Iraqi police at the time. In 2009, the mosque reopened while restoration was ongoing. Ever since the end of Iraqi civil war in 2007, the Shia population of the holy city has increased exponentially. However, violence has continued, with bombings taking place in 2011 and 2013 . In June 2014, the city was attacked by

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1764-486: Was quite elevated; some of their commanders bore Sogdian titles of nobility. The city was further developed under Caliph al-Mutawakkil , who sponsored the construction of lavish palace complexes, such as al-Mutawakkiliyya, and the Great Mosque of Samarra with its famous spiral minaret or Malwiya, built-in 847. For his son al-Mu'tazz he built the large palace Bulkuwara. The Nestorian patriarch Sargis (860–72) moved

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