Armash

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For the place in Armenia, see Armash, Armenia.

The first (close) village is Azakh, the second (far) is Armash

Armash (or Harmashi in Kurdish) is a village in Northern Iraq that falls on the main road that connects the cities of Dohuk and Arbil. Armash is a very old village with a "sister" village right next to it called Azakh. The habitants do not know when the village was founded. The habitants are Assyrians who are followers of the Chaldean Catholic Church, as is the same with other villages in the region such as Azakh, Tellan and Bebozy.

The village was subject to destruction and burn with its groves many times, but the habitants came back every time and rebuild their village because of the strong ties to their land and faith they have inherited. In 1961, about 45 families lived in the village, but due to the circumstances that stormed the northern part of Iraq, many of these families fled the village to Iraqi cities seeking peace and stability and escaping the economical difficulties. Prior to 1961 there was no school or any governmental project in the village. The Student walked every day to Atroush town (7 kilometers away) as did the student of Azakh. The village church was also destroyed in the last destruction of the village 1987.

After the Kurdish uprising of 1991, the majority of the families came back to the village where a humanitarian organization built some 20 shelters, but are not suitable for ordinary living conditions.

As of 2006, the population of the village stands at 180. [1]

On 2003 a Multi-function community hall in Armash was built to serve the Christian community in the region. The area still contains a lot of the ancient monasteries and churches.

The village is famous for its groves and fruits as well as its grains. Because it falls on the main road between Arbil and Dohuk most of its produce is sold to the passengers on the road.