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51-535: 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

102-729: 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

153-524: A headquarter for U.S. 4th Infantry Division , U.S. 1st Infantry Division , and 42nd Infantry Division . The palace complex now serves several purposes for the Iraqi police and army, including headquarters and jails. The U.S. military subsequently moved their operations to al Sahra Airfield, later known as Camp Speicher , northwest of Tikrit. Saddam Hussein's primary palace complex contained his own palace, one built for his mother and his sons and also included

204-499: 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

255-407: A joint raid by special operations forces and the 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment of 1st Brigade, 4th Infantry Division . After the fall of Baghdad , Saddam Hussein was in and around Tikrit. He was hidden by relatives and supporters for about six months. During his final period in hiding, he lived in a small hole just outside the town of ad-Dawr , 15 kilometres (9 mi) south of Tikrit on

306-454: 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

357-543: A leader of the Mukhabarat. Ali Hassan al Majid (1941 – 2010), an Iraqi politician and military commander who was saddam's defence minister, interior minister and chief of the Iraqi Intelligence Service. Ahmed Hassan al-Bakr (1914 – 1982), Iraqi politician who served as the president of Iraq, from 17 July 1968 to 16 July 1979. Tikrit is about 160 kilometers (99 mi) north of Baghdad on

408-415: A man-made lake, all enclosed with a wall and towers. Plans for the palace grounds when originally returned to the Iraqi people included turning it into an exclusive and lush resort. However, within weeks of turning over the palace, it was ravaged, and its contents, (furniture, columns, even light switches), were stolen and sold on the streets of Tikrit. The 402nd Civil Affairs Detachment of the U.S. Army, and

459-778: A refuge for the Babylonian king Nabopolassar during his attack on the city of Assur in 615 BC. Tikrit is usually identified as the Hellenistic settlement Birtha . Until the 6th century, Christianity within the Sasanian Empire was predominantly dyophysite under the Church of the East , however, as a result of Miaphysite missionary work, Tikrit became a major Miaphysite (Orthodox Christian) center under its first bishop, Ahudemmeh , in 559. Under Marutha of Tikrit ,

510-593: A setback when the governor ordered the destruction of the main cathedral known popularly as the " Green Church " in 1089. The maphrian and some of the Christians of Tikrit had to relocate to the Mor Mattai Monastery , where a village named Merki was established in the valley below the monastery. A later governor permitted the reconstruction of the cathedral. However, instability returned and the maphrian moved indefinitely to Mosul in 1156. Regardless,

561-717: A site of conflict with the Islamic State , culminating in the Second Battle of Tikrit from March to April 2015, which resulted in the displacement of 28,000 civilians. The Iraqi government regained control of the city from the Islamic State on March 31, 2015, with the city at peace since then. As a fort along the Tigris ( Akkadian : Idiqlat ), the city is first mentioned in the Fall of Assyria Chronicle as being

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612-582: 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

663-609: Is a city in Iraq, located 140 kilometers (87 mi) northwest of Baghdad and 220 kilometers (140 mi) southeast of Mosul on the Tigris River . It is the administrative center of the Saladin Governorate . As of 2012 , it had a population of approximately 160,000. Originally a fort during the Assyrian empire, Tikrit became the birthplace of Muslim military leader Saladin . Saddam Hussein 's birthplace

714-463: 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

765-653: Is named after him. The city was devastated in 1393 by Timur . During the Ottoman period Tikrit existed as a small settlement that belonged to the Rakka Eyalet ; its population never exceeded 4,000–5,000. In September 1917, British forces captured the city during a major advance against the Ottoman Empire during World War I . The Tikriti Jewish community was mostly gone by 1948. By the time Saddam Hussein rose to power there were only two Jewish families in

816-778: 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

867-611: 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

918-651: 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

969-632: 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

1020-570: The Jazira province. It was later regarded as belonging to Iraq by Arab geographers. Tikrit was briefly controlled by the Nizari Ismailis . After a failed Seljuk campaign against it, the Nizaris handed it over to the local Shia Arabs there. The Arab Uqaylid dynasty took hold of Tikrit in 1036. Saladin was born there around 1138. The modern province of which Tikrit is the capital

1071-700: 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

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1122-403: The Tigris River . The city is located within the semi-undulating area. It penetrates the branch and valleys and ends with very sloping slopes towards the Tigris River, with a height ranging between 45–50 meters. Köppen-Geiger climate classification system classifies its climate as hot desert (BWh). The Tikrit Museum was damaged during the 2003 Iraq War . The University of Tikrit

1173-556: The 2003 invasion of Iraq, AFN Iraq ("Freedom Radio") broadcast news and entertainment within Tikrit, among other locations. On November 22, 2005, HHC 42nd Infantry Division New York Army National Guard, handed over control of Saddam Hussein's primary palace complex in Tikrit to the governor of Saladin Province, who represented the Iraqi government, discontinuing the existence of what once was FOB Danger. The palace complex had served as

1224-607: 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

1275-472: 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

1326-638: 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

1377-554: 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

1428-574: The attack in its list of deadliest attacks in 2011. On June 11, 2014, during the Northern Iraq offensive , the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant took control of the city . Hours later, the Iraqi Army made an attempt to recapture the city, which resulted in heavy fighting. On June 12, ISIL executed at least 1,566 Iraqi Air Force cadets from Camp Speicher at Tikrit. At the time of

1479-533: The attack there were between 4,000 and 11,000 unarmed cadets in the camp. The Iraqi government blamed the massacre on both ISIL and members of the Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party – Iraq Region . By July 2014, government forces had withdrawn from Tikrit. On September 25, 2014, Islamist militants destroyed the Assyrian Church there that dated back to 700 AD. The historic Al-Arba'een Mosque

1530-569: 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

1581-413: The bishopric was elevated into a maphrianate and the city's ecclesiastical jurisdiction extended as far as Central Asia. The city remained predominantly Syriac Orthodox Christian in the early centuries of Islamic rule and gained fame as an important center of Syriac and Christian Arab literature. Some famous Christians from the city include its bishop Quriaqos of Tagrit who ascended to become

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1632-613: The city remained an important center of the Syriac Orthodox Church until its destruction by Timur in the late 14th century. A Christian presence has not existed in the city since the 17th century. The town was also home to the Arab Christian tribe of Iyad. The Arabs of the town secretly assisted the Muslims when they besieged the town. The Muslims entered Tikrit in 640; it was from then considered as part of

1683-520: The city. The city is the birthplace of Saddam Hussein . Many senior members of the Iraqi government during his rule were drawn from Saddam's own Tikriti tribe, the Al-Bu Nasir , as were members of his Iraqi Republican Guard , chiefly because Saddam apparently felt that he was most able to rely on relatives and allies of his family. The Tikriti domination of the Iraqi government became something of an embarrassment to Hussein and, in 1977, he abolished

1734-524: The eastern bank of the Tigris, a few kilometers southeast of his hometown of Al-Awja (although the story of having been found in a hole specifically has come into question as being a piece of war-time propaganda). The missions which resulted in the capture of Saddam Hussein were assigned to the 1st Brigade Combat Teams of the 4th Infantry Division, commanded by Colonel James Hickey of the 4th Infantry Division. The U.S. Army finally captured Saddam Hussein on December 13, 2003 during Operation Red Dawn . During

1785-590: 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

1836-419: 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

1887-461: 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. Tikrit Tikrit ( Arabic : تِكْرِيت , romanized :  Tikrīt [ˈtɪkriːt] )

1938-423: The government of Salah ad Din province, began plans to improve local economic conditions. One of the many projects they are working on is building an industrial vocational school in the Tikrit area. The school will teach local people skills in different fields of technology, which will help to build and improve Iraq's economic stability. The curriculum will educate men and women in multiple occupational fields such as

1989-500: 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

2040-814: 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

2091-518: The patriarch of the Syriac Orthodox Church , theologians Abu Zakariya Denha and Abu Raita , and translator Yahya ibn Adi . From the ninth century Christians of Tikrit began to migrate northwards due to restrictive measures taken by some Muslim governors. Many settled in Mosul and villages in the Nineveh Plains , especially Bakhdida , as well as Tur Abdin . The Christian community received

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2142-417: The production of high-tech products, plastic production technology, masonry, carpentry, petroleum equipment maintenance and repair, farm machinery and automotive repair. This self-supporting educational institution owns a textile mill where many of the graduates will work producing uniforms. The mill is scheduled to begin producing and selling products within the year, with the profits from the mill going to fund

2193-400: 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 )

2244-445: The school. The vocational school's operation, support and funding are modeled after a system South Korea used in another part of Iraq. On April 18, 2010, Abu Ayyub al-Masri and Abu Abdullah al-Rashid al-Baghdadi were killed in a raid 10 km (6 mi) southwest of Tikrit in a safe house. The Islamic State of Iraq launched an attack on March 29, 2011 that killed 65 people and wounded over 100. Reuters news agency included

2295-449: The subsequent occupation , Tikrit became the scene of a number of resistance attacks against Coalition forces . It is commonly regarded as being the northern angle of the " Sunni Triangle " within which the resistance was at its most intense. In June 2003, Abid Hamid Mahmud , Saddam Hussein's Presidential Secretary and the Ace of Diamonds on the most wanted 'Deck of Cards,' was captured in

2346-553: 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

2397-405: The use of surnames in Iraq to conceal the fact that so many of his key supporters bore the same surname, al-Tikriti (as did Saddam himself). Saddam Hussein was buried near Tikrit in his hometown of Al-Awja following his hanging on December 30, 2006. In the opening weeks of the 2003 US-led invasion , many observers speculated that Saddam would return to Tikrit as his "last stronghold". The city

2448-671: Was detonated as well, damaging the cemetery surrounding it. In March 2015, the Iraqi Army along with the Hashd Shaabi popular forces launched an operation to retake Tikrit . On March 31, the Iraqi government claimed the city had been recaptured. Saladin (1137 – 1193), was the founder of the Ayyubid dynasty. Saddam Hussein (1937 - 2006), Dictator of Iraq from 16 July 1979 – 9 April 2003 . Barzan al-Tikriti (1951 – 2007), one of three half-brothers of Saddam Hussein, and

2499-459: Was established in 1987 and is one of the largest universities in Iraq. Tikrit Stadium is a multi-use facility used mostly for football matches and serves as the home stadium of Salah ad Din FC . It holds 10,000 people. There is also a new world-class stadium that meets FIFA standards with a capacity of 30,000 seats being built in Tikrit. The Iraqi Air Force has had several air bases at Tikrit:

2550-517: Was in a modest village (13 km) south of Tikrit, which is called " Al-Awja "; for that, Saddam bore the surname al-Tikriti . The inhabitants of this village were farmers. A few significant people from Saladin Governorate , including some from Tikrit, were appointed to government roles during the time of Ba'athist Iraq until the US -led invasion of Iraq in 2003. After the invasion, the city has been

2601-436: Was subjected to intense aerial bombardment meant to throw Saddam's elite Republican Guard troops out of the city. On April 13, 2003, several thousand U.S. Marines and other coalition members aboard 300 armored vehicles converged on the town, meeting little or no resistance. With the fall of Tikrit, U.S. Army Major General Stanley McChrystal said, "I would anticipate that the major combat operations are over." However, during

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