اربيل: معرض هه ولير 2011 للفوتوغراف

يقيم مصورون صحفيون معظمهم من الشباب معرضا لاعمالهم الفوتوغرافية في "ميديا غاليري" في اربيل.

ويحمل المعرض الذي تنظمه دائرة الفنون التشكيلة في وزارة الثقافة والرياضة والشباب بحكومة الاقليم، عنوان (فوتوغرافي هه ولير 2011) ويأخذ المعرض زواره الى اكثر من محور يخص الطبيعة والحياة اليومية والرياضة وباسلوب فني جميل.
المصور الفوتوغرافي الصحفي سفين حميد احد المشاركين في تنظيم هذا المعرض قال لاذاعة العراق الحر "يشارك في هذا المعرض 13 مصورا وبـ8 صور لكل منهم ونعتبر هذا المعرض مهرجانا للفوتوغراف. وهذه هي المرة الاولى التي يقام فيها معرض على هذا المستوى في الاقليم. نتمنى ان يشارك في الدورات المقبلة للمعرض مصورون من محافظات العراق ومن دول العالم".

عدد من المشاركين في المعرض

واشار سفين حميد الى ان معظم المشاركين في المعرض من الشباب الذين بدأوا التصوير الفوتوغرافي كهواة لأن اقليم كردستان يفتقر الى معاهد خاصة لدراسة فن التصوير الفوتوغرافي واضاف "انه معرض متنوع ويحمل العديد من الاساليب في فن التصوير الفوتوغرافي. والشيء المفرح ان اكثر المشاركين هم من الشباب، ولديهم رؤية خاصة وجديدة للفوتوغراف، وسعداء ان تكون لنا هذه الطاقات".

اما المصور سيروان عزيز الذي يشارك في المعرض بمجموعة من الصور الرياضية التقطها خلال مشاركته في بطولات عالمية كمصور فقال انه اراد من خلال هذه المشاركة اضافة شيء جديد للمعرض عبر هذه الصور واضاف "هذه هي المرة الاولى التي اختار فيها هذه صور الرياضية لاني كنت اشارك في المعارض بصور حربية او صحفية وهدفنا اضافة شيء جديد للمعرض من خلال ادخال الصور الرياضية اليه".

وفي جولة في اروقة المعرض رصد مايكروفون اذاعة العراق الحر اراء بعض الزوار منهم عبد السلام مدني الذي عبر عن تفاؤله بالمستوى والذوق الفني الذي وصل اليه المصور الفوتوغرافي في الاقليم، ملفتا الى ضرورة الاستفادة من هذه التجارب للتحاور عن طريق الفن واضاف.

اما المصور الفوتوغرافي عزيز محمد، الذي كان يتأمل كل صورة بدقة فعبر عن تفاؤله بمسقبل هذه الطاقات الشبابية في مجال الفوتوغراف واضاف "اعتقد ان لهذه الطاقات الشابة مستقبل زاهر وبديع بالنسبة للفوتوغراف في العراق وكردستان وبصراحة عمل هؤلاء الشباب ما يعمله المئات من المصورين العراقيين، وجسدوا بهذه اللقطات الجميلة الحياة العامة والطبيعة في كردستان والعراق عامة".

Source: http://www.iraqhurr.org/content/article/24281063.html

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HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH: Law Banning FGM a Positive Step in Iraqi Kurdistan

Bill Shows Commitment to End Violence Against Women 

(Beirut) - A Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) law that bans female genital mutilation (FGM) is a crucial step in eradicating the practice, Human Rights Watch said today. The Family Violence Bill, approved by the Kurdistan parliament on June 21, 2011, includes several provisions criminalizing the practice, recognized internationally as a form of violence against women. Several studies by the government and non-governmental organizations estimate that the prevalence of FGM among girls and women in Kurdistan is at least 40 percent.

"By passing this law, the Kurdistan regional government has shown its resolve to end female genital mutilation and to protect the rights of women and girls," said Nadya Khalife, Middle East women's rights researcher at Human Rights Watch. "But the government needs a long-term strategy to deal with this harmful practice because criminalizing it is not enough."

The Family Violence Bill also criminalizes forced and child marriages, verbal, physical, and psychological abuse of girls and women, child abuse, and child labor. The bill has to be ratified by the president of the Kurdistan Regional Government.

The new law provides for establishing special courts for family violence cases and makes it easier for alleged victims to press charges. It also establishes mechanisms for police and courts to issue and enforce restraining orders to protect victims of domestic abuse. The bill also outlines penalties, including prison sentences, for these crimes.

Article six of the law includes four provisions about female genital mutilation, criminalizing the practice and penalizing anyone, including medical professionals and midwives, who "instigate, assist, or carry out" the procedure. Criminal penalties include prison terms ranging from six months to three years, in addition to fines of up to 10 million dinars ($8,500).

In June 2010, Human Rights Watch issued a report, "They Took Me and Told Me Nothing: Female Genital Mutilation in Iraqi Kurdistan," which urged the Kurdistan Regional Government and the Kurdistan parliament to take a series of steps to end the practice, including enacting laws banning it.  

The report noted while it was important to pass legislation with appropriate penalties for people who perform the procedure, the government should also provide appropriate services for victims, including  health care and social and psychological support. The report urged the government to work with community midwives, who most often do the cutting, and to undertake public awareness campaigns against the practice. Human Rights Watch also called on the regional government to develop a comprehensive legal and policy framework with relevant ministries and civil society organizations aimed at eradicating the practice.

Human Rights Watch's report describes the experiences of young girls and women who undergo genital mutilation and the terrible toll it has on their physical and mental health. The report includes interviews with girls and women who referred to the practice as "sunnah," a non-obligatory act to strengthen one's religion. Human Rights Watch found that women are confused about whether the practice is a religious obligation.

On July 6, 2010, The High Committee for Issuing Fatwas at the Kurdistan Islamic Scholars Union, the highest Muslim religious authority in Iraqi Kurdistan on religious pronouncements and rulings, issued a fatwa, or religious edict, shortly after the release of Human Rights Watch's report. The fatwa stated that female genital mutilation predates Islam and is not required by it. The fatwa did not explicitly ban the practice but encouraged parents not to have the procedure performed on their daughters because of the negative health consequences.

In 2010, the Association for Crisis Assistance and Development Co-operation (WADI), a German-Iraqi human rights nongovernmental organization, published a statistical study on the prevalence of the practice in Arbil, Sulaimaniya, and the Germian/Kirkuk region. It found that out of the 1,408 girls and women age 14 and over it interviewed, 72.7 percent had undergone the practice. For the 12 to 24 age group, the prevalence was slightly over 40 percent.

Shortly after the Human Rights Watch report was issued, the Kurdistan Health Ministry surveyed 5,000 women and girls and found that 41 percent had undergone the procedure, and that the practice is prevalent in some regions than others in Kurdistan. The ministry found, for example, that the rate was higher in Sulaimaniya than in Arbil.

Female genital mutilation violates the rights of women to life, health and bodily integrity, non-discrimination and the right not to be subjected to cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment. In addition, since the practice predominantly affects girls under 18, it also violates children's rights to health, life, physical integrity, and non-discrimination.

"Once the ban is in effect, government agencies should widely disseminate information on the new law making sure it reaches women and girls at risk of FGM," Khalife said. "Everyone should now know that the mutilation of girls is prohibited."

Source: http://www.hrw.org/news/2011/07/25/iraqi-kurdistan-law-banning-fgm-positive-step

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A Visit to Salahaddin Ayoubi's Hometown

The famed Arab leader 'Salahaddin Ayoubi' had roots in Kurdistan

The minute you leave the Pirmam town in Erbil city, the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan, on the left side of the main street, there is a narrow side street that goes through Armawa and Zrgos villages.

Driving 10 minutes from Zrgos, you will see castle ruins on a top of a mountain on the left side of the street, and on the right side, an old graveyard. The castle and the area are called Dwin, the hometown of Saladin Ayoubi. Saladin was a Kurdish Muslim, who became the first sultan of Egypt and Syria, and founded the Ayoubi Dynasty. He led Muslim and Arab opposition to the Franks and other European Crusaders in the Levant. At the height of his power, his sultanate included Egypt, Syria, Mesopotamia, Hijaz and Yemen. Under his leadership, his forces defeated the Crusaders at the Battle of Hattin, leading the way to recapturing Palestine, which the Crusaders had seized from the Fatimid Egyptians 88 years earlier.

Internationally, there is not much information about Dwin village or city. The only mention is that Saladin's parents came from Dwin. Locally, there are some books about Saladin's family, how they lived and what they did and about Saladin's tribe, the Zarzary. The most notable is a book written by Kurdish historian Abdul Khaleq Sarsam, who died two years ago, which says the castle belonged to Saladin's grandfather, Jalaladdin.

The foundation of the castle and some parts of the walls are clearly visible, and the castle's guard posts are still partially standing. The castle is built of mountain stone, one of the reasons it hasn't disappeared completely. The castle is on high ground and controlled the road on both directions. Rene Turner -- a heritage expert who works for British Conservation and Development Company, a consultancy company that wrote the renovation master plan for Erbil's 7,000-years-old Citadel -- believes the castle and its guard posts were built to watch and protect the village, which is at the foot of the mountain, on the river. You can still see remnants of the village that was once the home of Saladin's grandfather. Out of personal interest, Turner has visited the site several times and believes it has potential as a tourist attraction, especially if a small archaeological team cleans the site and uncovers the ground floor of the castle. But Turner does not recommend rebuilding the castle. "There is no information so far on what the castle looked like. A castle should not be rebuilt there based on imagination, because then it will become Disney." He added, "Cleaning the site and adding some signs about its history and background is more attractive for tourists than to rebuild the castle based on imagination."

A historical graveyard sits on the opposite side of the road. Some of the graves have inscriptions, while others are blank. Turner says the graves date back to different eras. The graves at the beginning of the graveyard are from the era of the Zoroastrian, a religion and philosophy from the sixth century. The graves have suns, daggers and swords, three symbols of the Zoroastrian religion. The graves beside a rock wall date back to Saladin's era. According to local legend, one of the graves belongs to Saladin's grandfather. A third group of graves is around 200 years old, some with beautiful inscriptions, most notably inscriptions for knights.

Kurdistan was listed among the top 20 tourist destinations in 2010 by National Geographic and The Washington Post. Kurdistan has more than 3,000 heritage sites and 98 percent of them have not yet been cleaned, restored or excavated

The Kurdish Globe

Source: http://208.78.42.109/display-article.html?id=0F8DE8AF5BD26B096D0A94C41C343AF9

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BRITISH COMPANY TO CLEAN ARBIL

Kurdish Municipalities and Tourism Ministry sighed a contract with a British company to clean Arbil city and BeirMam area at a monthly cost of 996 million Iraqi dinars.

The contract was signed by the attendance of the Kurdish Minister Sameer Abdulla, Arbil Governor Nozad Hadi and and the British General Consul Rees Power.

The duration of the contract shall be for three years, with 70% of the workers should be Iraqis.

On the other hand, Hadi also announced that another agreement was made with a Canadian company to recycle the garbage and generate electric power.

It is expected that another contract shall be made to clean east Arbil areas in the future.


Source: http://marocgazette.com/story-z775041

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قوتابخانەی نێودەوڵەتی بەریتانی لەهەولێركرایەوە

لەكۆنگرەیەكی ڕۆژنامەوانیدا كردنەوەی قوتابخانەی بەریتانی نێودەوڵەتی ڕاگەیانرا، كەپێش چەند ڕۆژێك لەسلێمانیش ڕاگەیانرابوو. بەئامادەبوونی كریس باوەرز كۆنسوڵی گشتی بەریتانیا لەهەرێمی كوردستان و بەیان سامی عەبدولڕەحمان نوێنەری حكوومەتی هەرێم لەوڵاتی بەریتانیا وفریشتە ڕابەر بەڕێوەبەری سەرەكی و جێبەجێكاری پڕۆژەكە، وردەكاری قوتابخانەكە خرایەڕوو كەسیستەمێكی بەریتانییە ولەقۆناغی باخچەی ساوایان وبنەڕەتی وناوەندی و دواناوەندی پێكدێت، لەوتەیەكیدا كونسوڵی بەریتانیا ئاماژەی بەگرنكی پڕۆژەكەدا و گوتی: ئەم پڕۆژەیە دەتوانێت بۆشاییەك لەبواری پەروەردە لەهەرێمی كوردستان پڕبكاتەوە جیاوازی نابینرێ‌ لەنێوان قوتابیەكانی ئەم قوتابخانەیە و قوتابیەكانی قوتابخانەكانی بەریتانیا، باوەرز ئاماژەی بەوەشدا كەبەنیازی سەنتەرێك بۆفێركردنی زمانی ئینگلیزی بكەنەوە. هەروەها فریشتە ڕابەر جێبەجێكاری پڕۆژەكە ئاماژەی بەوەدا كەهیوادارە ژێرخانی نەوەیەكی نوێ‌ بونیاتبنێت و كۆمەكی قوتابخانەكانی سەر بەوەزارەتی پەروەدەی حكوومەتی هەرێمی كوردستان بكەین ئاماژەی بەوەدا كاتی دەوامی قوتابخانە 8:30 و 2:30 و لەتەمەنی 3 ساڵ تا 18 ساڵ وەدەگیرێت. سەرچاوە: ڕۆژنامەی خەبات

Source: http://hawlergov.org/kur/article.aspx?ID=12608

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Egyptian consulate hosts national day in Erbil

Erbil, Kurdistan - Iraq (KRG.org) – Egypt’s Consul in Erbil on Wednesday hosted the first ever Egyptian National Day reception in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. The consulate, which was opened late last year, has paved the way for closer ties in many areas and is working to start Egypt Air flights between Cairo and Erbil in the near future.

In his speech at the celebration, the Egyptian Consul Mr Sulaiman Othman spoke about the importance the national day holds for the people of Egypt. He said that the Egyptian government remains committed to sustaining and strengthening relations with Iraq as a whole and with the Kurdistan Region in particular, after Egypt’s recent revolution. Mr Othman thanked the President of the Kurdistan Region, Masoud Barzani, for his support which he said was crucial in opening the consulate in Erbil.

The celebration was held at the Khanzad Hotel, where the guests included Dr Fuad Hussein, who attended on behalf of President Masoud Barzani; the Speaker of the Kurdistan Parliament Dr Kamal Kirkuki; and the Minister of Culture and Youth Mr Kawa Mahmoud, who attended on behalf of Prime Minister Barham Salih.

Mr Othman spoke about the close cooperation between the Egyptian government and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) since the establishment of the consulate. He said, “We are deeply appreciative of the constant assistance and instrumental support provided to us by KRG Prime Minister Barham Salih and the Head of the Department of Foreign Relations, Falah Mustafa Bakir.”

Mr Othman said that the Egyptian Consulate in the Kurdistan Region has helped pave the way for closer political, economic and cultural ties. He re-affirmed Egypt’s commitment to strengthening relations with Kurdistan on many fronts, and anticipated a sharp increase in these relations once Egypt Air starts its flights from Cairo to Erbil. He also thanked other KRG ministers and other senior government officials for their assistance since the opening of the Consulate.

Speaking on behalf of President Barzani, Dr Hussein said, “The Kurdistan Region values and thanks the Egyptian people for the historic assistance provided to the Kurdish people. Egypt was the first country in the Arab world to allow a Kurdish newspaper to be published. In addition, when the late Mullah Mustafa Barzani returned from exile in the Soviet Union to Iraq, he stopped by Cairo first to meet with Egyptian political leaders, before making his way to Baghdad.”

The Minister of Culture and Youth Kawa Mahmoud, speaking on behalf of Prime Minister Salih, talked about the hope and will of the KRG to further develop political, economic and cultural relations with Egypt. He said, “The KRG is proud of its close friendship with the Egyptian government and the people of Egypt, and hopes that close coordination would continue and improve between both sides.”

The Arab Republic of Egypt was the first Arab country to open a consulate in the Kurdistan Region in November 2010, with the presence of the then Foreign Minister of Egypt, Mr Ahmed Aboul Gheit.

Other guests included KRG ministers, members of the Kurdistan Parliament, leaders from the different Kurdish political parties, members of the diplomatic corps based in Erbil, and representatives of the local and international business communities.


Source: http://www.krg.org/articles/detail.asp?lngnr=12&smap=02010100&rnr=223&anr=40849

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Production Of Electricity From Waste In ERBIL 'HAWLER'

The Ministry of Municipalities and Tourism in the province of Kurdistan, a contract with a company representative SPECT Roman British Biermam to clean the rod and part of the western section of the city of Erbil from the waste, while the other company to produce electricity from waste.

The contract was signed, by the Minister of Municipalities and Tourism in the Kurdistan Regional Government, representing the company SPECT Roman Britain yesterday, attended by British Consul General in Erbil, capital of the province.

Minister of Municipalities and Tourism in the regional government, Samir Abdullah told a news conference after the ceremony of signing the contract to the media "after verification of the biography of that company, we signed with the Convention for three years, you company in the first phase of the work of cleaning the western part of the city of Erbil, in exchange for the amount of 996 million Iraqi dinars and $ 79 million Iraqi dinars for work cleaning rod Biermam.

And on signing the contract with this company and cancel the contract company gardens Samir Abdullah said that "the company gardens have created many problems while oncleaning the center of Erbil, which has forced us to cancel the contract and sign with another company SPECT Rum."

Is due to the company collected 1,200 tons per day of waste and disposal, and with the other company to produce electrical energy from those wastes.

The Minister added that the municipalities "has signed another contract with Canadian company Biotknyk waste containers will develop and produce electricity from a section of the waste by 15 MW of electricity supplied to the free city of Arbil."

Under the new contracts the company Rohm SPECT create 1270 job opportunities within the geographical area to work in the western part of Erbil, while not identifying the workers who will work in the shin and Biermam contracts required the companies to be 70% of users in completing the work of the Kurds.

For his part, said British Consul General in Erbil classroom during the conference that "the British company Rohm SPECT with a good reputation in its field, and revealed to the citizens, that the clean-up work in those areas are in good hands."




Source: http://www.dinarrumor.com/showthread.php?27690-Production-of-electricity-from-waste-in-Erbil

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Evaluation of the Water Network Management Program in Erbil, Iraqi Kurdistan

Sida has initiated the evaluation of the Water Network Management Program in Erbil, Iraqi Kurdistan. The purpose of the assignment is to evaluate the two-year program to improve the Erbil City water network. The evaluation shall be a systematic and objective assessment of the program, its design, implementation and results. The focus of the end-of-program evaluation shall be on the process during the program as well as on the impact and sustainability.

The Erbil City Water Network Management Project in Kurdistan, Iraq, was implemented from mid-2008 to mid-2010 through grant financing by Sida of 25.5 MSEK to the Swedish NGO Qandil. The Implementing Agency was the Directorate of Water (DOW) in Erbil.

The Project was aimed at developing sustainable and safe supply of drinking water to the population of Erbil City through the following main components:

1. Develop a business plan for the water supply and network;
2. Develop an operation and maintenance strategy;
3. Improve the water network in one confined area; and
4. Improved public awareness and communication.

The evaluation will be undertaken by Indevelop and Channel Research between August - October 2011.

Source: http://www.indevelop.se/resultsframework/evaluation-of-the-water-network-management-program-in-erbil-iraqi-kurdistan/

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Two British schools are to be opened in Erbil and Sulaimaniyah

Erbil, July 19 (AKnews) - Two British schools are to be opened inIraqi Kurdistan on Wednesday.

The two private schools will be based in Erbil, Kurdistan's capital city, and Sulaimaniyah, the second city and will teach solely in English. They will start enrolling students for the 2011-2012 academic year.

"The schools will include kindergarten stage and until the third grade of elementary school. Most of the books and other materials will be imported from Britain," said Frishta Raber, the project manager. 

The project will be implemented in coordination with the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG).

However, Raber said it has not yet been decided how much the tuition fees will be: "The ministry of education has informed us that a committee from the ministry will set the prices. But it is expected that tuition fees for a students should be under US$3000 per year."

Each of the schools is expected to admit 100 students for the first academic year, with increasing numbers in the following years.

By Rebin Hasadn
RY/PS


Source: http://www.aknews.com/en/aknews/3/252684/

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Kurdistan children’s hospital in ERBIL project receives prestigious design award

Kurdistan Children's Hospital in ERBIL!

Boston, US (KRG.org) – A new children’s hospital in Kurdistan won a prestigious international design award at a ceremony in Boston on July 9th. The hospital, which was commissioned by the Kurdistan Regional Government, will be the first in Kurdistan dedicated to the treatment of children.

The vision for the children’s hospital in Erbil, capital of the Kurdistan Region, was conceived by Dr Rang Shawis, a Kurdish paediatric surgeon in the UK. The project was initiated with the support of former Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani and is now breaking ground.

Dr Shawis, who attended the award ceremony, said, “This award given by a body of architectural peers is a special recognition of the innovation and the design standard of the facilities. The hospital is a much-needed facility in Kurdistan. I wanted to use my experience and contacts in medicine to be able to give back to my people. In order to do this and provide a high quality care for children a base with international standard is needed from which to begin – the hospital is a practical way to actualise this.”

The award was given to Make Architects and is the first to be presented to a design for a hospital in Iraq. Mr Gary Rawlings, representing the project’s architects team at Make, said that he became interested in the plan because “Iraq has a high infant and childhood mortality rate and they don’t have a children’s hospital. This will be the first tertiary referral paediatric facility.”

The hospital will improve the standard of care for children in the Kurdistan Region. Construction has started and the hospital is expected to be completed by December 2013, and fully operational during 2014. Referrals to the hospital will be made by the Ministry of Health and children’s charities.

The complex includes a 120-bed main building and support buildings including a hotel, staff accommodation and a supermarket. The three-storey main hospital provides 56 single rooms, four 6-bed bays and 20 VIP rooms. The clinical facilities will accommodate three operating rooms, an emergency department, an imaging department, specialist outpatient clinics, a paediatric and neo-natal intensive care unit and a women’s hospital.

Make Architects received the award from the International Academy for Design and Health at the 7th World Design and Health Congress in Boston, US. The award was in the Future Health Project category, for hospitals that are yet to be built. 


The criteria for the award are that the design should recognise the changing role of hospitals within the wider healthcare system, and must have a 'salutogenic' vision for healthy environments (environments that support health and well-being), and a vision that addresses anticipated socio-economic challenges.

The International Academy for Design and Health is a non-profit organisation dedicated to researching the interaction between design, health, science and culture. It was founded in Sweden in 1997.

See also Make Architects' hospital design and the Future Health Project category award winners.


Source: krg.org


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7,000-year-old village discovered in Erbil

Remains of extinct birds found at excavation site

Erbil city has more than 1,000 potential archeological sites. The hills were once villages that were abandoned, destroyed or the inhabitants wiped out by disease. According to Erbil Directorate of Archeology, of the 1,000 archeological sites in Erbil, only one percent has been excavated.

How the site was discovered 

At the end of 2010, archaeologist Nadir Babakir carefully looked at a hill in the Hasarok quarter, a new area on the eastern outskirts of Erbil. After some initial research, Babakir was convinced the hill was a historical site. "Immediately, I informed the Directorate of Archeology and the Ministry of Tourism and municipality about it," he said. "I was very worried because the government had already given the land to the people to build houses on it."
Later, the Directorate of Archeology sent a team to the site and, after some research, the team confirmed it as an archeological site. After that, the Ministry of Municipality told the landowners to stop building houses on and around the land. The ministry compensated the 60 landlords.
The government names the site Nadir, after Babakir. Under Kurdistan law, the government names archaeological sites after the person who discovers them, as a way to honor those who inform the authorities.

The age of the site

The Directorate of Archeology signed an agreement with the University of Athens to excavate the site. A team of archeologists from Athens University has excavated for a month. In a press conference, the head of the Greek team, Dr. Kosta disclosed that the initial research has put the age of the site at around 7,000 years old and it is from the Mesopotamian era.
Dr. Kosta said more than 1,000 archeological artifacts have been found at the site, including sacks, vases and animal paintings, as well as the remains of people, animals and birds. The excavation site is around 10,000 square meters. "The remains of some of the birds discovered are species that no longer exist," he said. The team will return in October to continue the excavation. Work on the site will continue for five years.

Kurdistan eyes archeological tourism 

Kurdistan has at least 1,307 known archaeological sites. Among the most famous is the Erbil Citadel, the oldest continuously inhabited settlement in the world, which has been settled since 6,000 B.C.
Another is the Shanidar Cave, where nine Neanderthal skeletons were found, dating back 60,000 to 80,000 years. The cave is in Bradost Mountain, in Erbil province. It was excavated between 1957 and 1961 by Ralph Solecki and his team from America 's Columbia University and yielded the first adult Neanderthal skeletons in Iraq. One skeleton and casts of the others are at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.
Erbil and Suleimaniya both have museums with collections of antiquities, statues and remains from the Region, while Duhok Traditional Museum displays Kurdistan's folklore and heritage. 

The Kurdish Globe
By Qassim Khidhir--Erbil

Source: http://www.kurdishglobe.net/display-article.html?id=E79A5E6FD33C9907058FEE18CF709AEC

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Hotels Head for ERBIL , THE CAPITAL OF KURDISTAN REGION

Marriott International today signed agreements with Empire Iraq to manage two new properties  in Iraq’s Erbil.

The agreements, signed at the newly inaugurated US Consulate in Erbil, cover a 200-room, upscale Marriott Hotels & Resorts-branded hotel and a 75-unit deluxe Marriott Executive Apartments property. Both are planned to open simultaneously in 2014.

The addition of these two hotels, Marriott's first in Iraq, extends the company's hotel portfolio to 74 countries around the world, said a statement.

The hotels will be part of a large mixed-use project called “Empire World,” now under construction that includes residential towers, private villas, office towers and retail and leisure space. 

Located in Kurdistan in the northern part of Iraq, Erbil is the gateway to the region and is served non-stop from Europe and the Middle East by a number of international air carriers.

“Erbil is an encouraging destination with a lot of economic and commercial opportunity. Believed to be one of the oldest, continuously inhabited communities in the world, Erbil dates back to around 6000BC,” said Ed Fuller, president and managing director of international lodging for Marriott International. 

“The city serves as a gateway to a region with vast deposits of oil and gas, fertile soil for agriculture and antiquities. We are pleased to be working with Empire Iraq on this prestigious project and look forward to doing what we can to help instill a sense of market confidence in terms of the area’s security. We are confident that this significant development will help the people of Erbil and Kurdistan achieve their positive visions of the future.”

“We are very excited to welcome Marriott to Empire World,” said Peshraw Agha, chairman of the board of Empire. “Marriott is the first truly global hotel brand to recognise the potential of Iraq and establish not one but two properties in Kurdistan.

“Empire World is an upscale, unique live, relax and work destination and we think that the Erbil Marriott and the Marriott Executive Apartments Erbil are true jewels in the development.  Erbil is the centre of growth in the area and Marriott’s commitment to these projects clearly indicates that Erbil has arrived as an international city befitting such prestigious and quality brands,” he said.

The 200-room Erbil Marriott will provide a range of amenities, connectivity and services to help business travelers achieve their objectives. Its stylish interior will blend the latest in residential design, color and real comfort.  Recreational amenities will include an extensive fitness facility, an on-site spa and an outdoor swimming pool, the statement said. 

The hotel’s four restaurants and lounges will focus on modern classics made with quality ingredients, featuring foundational cooking and updated presentations.  Guests will be able to choose among a casual all-day dining experience and two specialty restaurants, one of which will offer seasonal outdoor terrace seating.

A lobby lounge, also offering seasonal terrace seating, will be part of a versatile, multi-purpose space that will serve as a social center for guests and local residents to meet with friends and colleagues, relax, or plug in their electronic devices any time, day or evening.  Other amenities will include an executive level, a business center, a lobby gift shop, 24-hour room service, in-room mini-bar and safes, flat screen TV, and internet connectivity.

For social events and conferences, the hotel will have 11,400 sq ft of meeting space comprising an 8,000 sq ft ballroom which will be divisible into three sections; three 800 sq ft interconnecting meeting rooms and two 500 sq ft board rooms.

Designed for extended stay travelers, the 75-unit Marriott Executive Apartments Erbil will offer the convenience of a five-star, full-service hotel with the space, ambience and privacy of residential living.  It will be located in a separate building adjacent to the hotel and, although its residents will be able to avail themselves of all the services and amenities offered by the Erbil Marriott, they will have their own leisure facilities, lobby and a residents’ lounge.  The property will offer a mix of studios, and one- and two-bedroom units—each with a fully equipped kitchen, contemporary furnishings, state of the art connectivity, flat screen television, a washer-dryer, maid service, on-site storage and other services. – TradeArabia News Service

http://www.tradearabia.com/news/TTN_201762.html

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Washington plans to open a second consulate in Erbil

Baghdad (CNN) -- The United States opened a consulate Tuesday in Basra, the first such diplomatic presence in the southern Iraqi city in more than four decades.

The new consulate comes days after the United States handed over three joint security stations in southern Iraq to Iraqi authorities as part of the American troop withdrawal from Iraq.

The last U.S. consulate in Basra closed in 1967.

Basra was the scene of intense fighting at the start of the Iraq war in 2003 and served as a hub for thousands of British troops, the last of whom withdrew in May.

The opening of the U.S. consulate is part of a transition from a military-led, security-dominated relationship with Iraq to a civilian-led, broader, more traditional bilateral relationship. Washington plans to open a second consulate in Erbil, the capital of the Kurdish region in northern Iraq.

The consulates replace provincial reconstruction teams that have worked in tandem with the U.S. military in Iraq and are touted as a commitment to freedom and democracy shared by Americans and Iraqis.

"We pledge our continued support to the Iraqi people in establishing a sovereign, stable, self-reliant country," said Jeffrey Feltman, the assistant secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, who attended the opening ceremony.

Roughly 47,000 American troops remain in Iraq but are due to withdraw by January 1, 2012, under a U.S.-Iraqi security pact, though Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki is consulting with lawmakers over whether to request troops stay beyond the deadline.

Source:http://edition.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/meast/07/05/iraq.us.consulate/