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was opened there in 2005, and companies like ExxonMobil and
Chevron have operations in the region. Erbil is the center for gov-
ernment of the Kurdish region, and was defended by Kurdish sol-
diers, supported by U.S. airstrikes, in August 2014 when threat-
ed by the forces of the Islamic State.
The Islamic State capture of Mosul also threatens Kirkuk (pop-
ulation 850,000), an important oil-producing center in northwest-
ern Iraq. Kirkuk is connected via pipeline to the Mediterranean Sea.
The city’s origins date back about 5,000 years. Most of the inhabi-
tants of Kirkuk are Kurds. Kurkuk is 90 miles (145 km) southeast
of Mosul, and in late 2014 and early 2015 the city was subject to
terrorist attacks launched by Islamic State guerillas.
The two most important religious cities in Iraq are Karbala and
An Najaf. Both are located in central Iraq. Karbala is the place
where the Shiite leader Hussein was killed in battle in
CE
680. A
beautiful shrine in Karbala reminds Shiite pilgrims of Hussein’s
martyrdom. The tomb of Ali, the fourth Islamic caliph and the
father of Hussein, is located in a mosque in nearby An Najaf. Shiite
Muslims consider these two cities to be as important as Mecca and
Medina.
C
OMMUNITIES
105
Text-Dependent Questions
1. What city is the capital of Iraq? When was it built?
2. In what Iraqi city was the Medieval military leader Saladin born?
3. What are the most important religious cities in Iraq?
Research Project
The Battle of Karbala in 680 was a major event in the division of Muslim into Sunni and Shia sects. To understand why
the city is revered today by Shiites, read the online article “Karbala: History’s Long Shadow,” from the BBC. It can be
found at
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-22657029.