Bashiqa

Bashiqa
Mosul
Bashiqa within Northern Iraq.

Bashiqa (Arabic: بعشيقة‎, Syriac: ܒܝܬ ܥܫܝܩܐ‎), is an historically Assyrian town located in the Mosul District of the Ninawa Governorate in Assyria, northern Iraq. Its name comes from the Assyrian Neo-Aramaic words "Bet" and "Ashiqa," meaning "House of lovers." Bashiqa's residents are mostly Kurds (Yazidis and Shabaks) as well as a minority of Assyrians, and Arabs Muslims.[1] Bashiqa is famous for its olive trees, olive oil, and soap. It is also famous with its onion, pickles and arak. It used to be a tourist destination to the locals in Mosul and Iraqis in general. Bashiqa is surrounded with a small mountain to the north and farms of olives all around the town.

In 2007, the town square was the location of the Murder of Du'a Khalil Aswad, a Yazidi woman who was stoned to death by a crowd.

In 2012, car bombs went off in the town.[2]

In June 2014, when ISIL militia took over the city, they changed the name to Du'a city.

Yazidi civilians fled the city in 2014.[3][4] The region has seen fighting between ISIL and Kurdish Peshmerga forces,[5] but was under ISIL control in August 2015.[6]

Turkish soldiers have been deployed in a training mission in the Mosul District, in 2015, without authorization of Baghdad, but with permission of Iraqi Kurdistan.[7][8][9][10]

References

  1. ↑ "Bashiqa - Iraq Business News". Iraq Business News.
  2. ↑ Christine van den Toorn. "look at ‘little iraq’ shows why iraq is so troubled". Niqash. Retrieved 8 December 2015.
  3. ↑ "Mass grave of Yazidis in Iraq tells horror story". USA TODAY. 12 November 2015.
  4. ↑ "Kurdish families escape ISIS-held Bashiqa". Rudaw.
  5. ↑ Nalia Corporation. "NRT English".
  6. ↑ "Peshmerga, US strikes fail to dislodge ′Islamic State′ - Middle East - DW.COM - 09.08.2015". DW.COM.
  7. ↑ Humeyra Pamuk and Orhan Coskun (5 December 2015). "Turkish soldiers training Iraqi troops near Mosul: sources". Reuters.
  8. ↑ "Iraq demands Turkish troops withdraw from near Mosul". BBC News.
  9. ↑ "Turkish troops go into Iraq to train forces fighting Isis". the Guardian.
  10. ↑ "Northern Iraq: Turkish army sets up base in Christian-Yezidi town – EzidiPress English".

Coordinates: 36°27′N 43°21′E / 36.450°N 43.350°E / 36.450; 43.350

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