Dahuk (also Dohuk or Duhok) is one of the governorates of Iraq. It is in the north of the country. Its capital is Dahuk city. It also includes the city of Zakho, which has at various times served as a checkpoint for the border with Turkey. Prior to 1976 it was part of Ninawa Governorate, which was called Mosul Province.

During the 1991 Persian Gulf War, the capital was liberated from Saddam Hussein's forces by the Kurdish Peshmerga. Dohuk is currently thriving under the Kurdistan Regional Government. On May 30, 2007, Dahuk was handed over to local Kurdish authorities by Coalition forces as part of a three province handover.

®     Governor: Tamar Fattah Ramadhan Kuchar

®     Deputy Governor: Gurgis Shlaymun

®     Provincial Council Chairman (PCC): Fadhil Omer

41 total seats

33  seats for the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP)

4  seats for the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK)

4  seats for the Kurdistan Islamic Union (KIU)

®    Amedi District

®     Dahuk District

®     Sumel District

®  Zakho District

          ®  Araden

          ®  Badarash

® Bebadeyy

®     Dehi

®     Dawodiya

®     Harmash

®     Hezany

®     Sarsink

®     Sumail

®    Gir-e Kumar

'Dahuk (also spelled Duhok, Dohuk, Dehok or Dahok, Kurdish: دهۆك, Arabic: دهوك, Syriac: ܢܘܗܕܪܐ, Nohadra) is a city in northern Iraq and is the capital of Dahuk Governorate in Iraqi Kurdistan. It has about 500,000 inhabitants, mostly consisting of Kurds and Assyrians. According to some sources, the name "Dohuk" comes from Kurmanji Kurdish meaning "small village".

Circled by mountains along the Tigris river, Dahuk has a growing tourist industry. Dahuk's population grew extremely since the 1990s as the rural population moved to the cities, mostly consisting of Kurds though. The University of Dohuk, founded in 1992, is a renowned center for teaching and research in Dohuk.

Since the 2003 invasion of Iraq by the United States during the Iraq War, Dohuk and Iraqi Kurdistan in general have remained the only safe places for foreigners. No reconstruction was necessary as no fighting occurred there while there has been considerable foreign investment, especially from Turkish businesses. Today, many new buildings, shops and minimalls can be seen unlike in areas outside Kurdish control.

It's the major city of the Badinan population of the Kurds.

Zakho (Arabic: زاخو; Kurdish: Zaxo,زاخو, or Zaco) is a district and a town in Iraqi Kurdistan located a few kilometers from the Iraqi-Turkish border. Zakho has served as a checkpoint for many decades. It has become a major market place with its goods and

 merchandise serving not only the Kurdish controlled area, but most of north and middle Iraq.

Due to its strategic location and the abundance of job opportunities, Zakho has attracted many workers and job seekers from different parts of Iraq and even from Syria and Turkey.

Zakho has a diocese of Chaldea. It corresponds to the ancient Diocese of Maalta, formerly a suffragan of Adiabene or Arbela. Some Nestorian bishops are mentioned from the fifth to the seventh century (Chabot, "Synodicon orientale", 676). It was reunited with the dioceses of Akra and Amadia until the middle of the nineteenth century, when the province was divided into three dioceses: Amadia, Zakho, and Akra-Zehbar. The diocese comprises 3500 Catholics, ten resident priests, five religious of the Congregation of St. Hormisdas, fifteen parishes or stations, twenty churches and chapels, and one primary school.

Zakho dates from 1859. Today Zakho is a province of the province of Dohuk. The city has 600,000 inhabitants. It may have originally begun on a small island in the Habur River Little Khabur which currently flows through the city. The Habor River flows west of Zakho to form the border between Iraq and Turkey and also the border between Iraq and Syria. The Tigris (Dicle) flows into the Habor after serving as the border between Syria and Turkey. The Habor River is one of the locales to which the Israelites were exiled. (1 Chronicles, 5:26, 2 Kings 17:6, 2 Kings 18:11(

Zaxo means from itself

Zaxo means Bloody(Xwîn) River.

Zaxo's landmark

One of Zakho's famous landmarks is the Delal Bridge. The bridge is made with large stones which not only adds to the aesthetic value of the bridge, but also makes it a source of many theories as to how it was built. (the stones are very large and there was no machinery available at that time)

Araden (Syriac: ܐܪܕܢ ). is a village in the northern Iraqi governorate of Dohuk. It is located 20-30 kilometers (12-19 miles) east of the city of Zakho and lies in a valley. The village of Inishkee lies within viewing distance from it. The name Araden means "Land of Eden" in Aramaic. It is also referred to as the lost paradise of Eden. The inhabitants are Assyrian both dialects of Chaldean Neo-Aramaic and Assyrian Neo-Aramaic.

Chaldean Catholicism is the dominant religion of the village. One of the oldest churches in Christianity, the church of Sultana Mahdokh, established in 325 AD, is located in Araden. Originally; prior to the 18th century the inhabitants belonged to the Church of the East.

Today, there are more than 150 homes in the village, but the number is decreasing. Also, there are three main families Rayes family, the chieftains of the village, Qasha and Sana. Qasha means a priest, Sana is close to an Arabic word (someone with a craft, craftsman or a laboror worker) and Rayes is another Arabic word than other languages.

There is a large community of people from Araden in Metro Detroit (Warren, Sterling Heights, and Troy), Michigan. Every year Araden's community or Aradnayeh gather on January 12th, when there is a celebration for the Saint Sultana Mahdokht, called Shera. This is a big event in the Chaldean/Assyrian community of Michigan, as the attendance is overwhelming. Also every year on 15th of June, Aradnayeh get together in Shelby Township, for a large celebration at Stony Creek Metropark.

Avzrog (أفزروك in Arabic,Avzarok in Kurdish) is a village in the Iraqi province of Dohuk. The village is split into two areas: one populated by Armenians and the other by Assyrians. The name of the village comes from the Kurdish language; av - water and zrog - yellow.

The village of Avzrog is located in the Sulaivany area in the western part of Dohuk. The Sulaivany area is situated between Sumail and the mountains south of Zakho. Avzrog is 30 km from Zakho.

It was built for the first time in 1932 when the Armenians of Zakho and its suburbs decided to establish the village and settle in it.

The village was destroyed in 1975 and the people were forced to flee. They were replaced by Arab tribes as a part of the arabization policy of Saddam Hussein’s regime. The arabisation policy was concentrated in the region of Sulaivany

Following 1991, with northern Iraq out of control of the central regime protected by the UN and administered by a local government, the Arab tribes fled the region and went back to their original homes, mainly south of Mosul.

The Armenian inhabitants of Avzrog don't speak Armenian. They use the Kurdish language. Despite this, Armenians in Avzrog maintain their Armenian social identity like folklore and names.

Avzrog has a total population of about 300 people.

Badarash is a village in the Iraqi providence of Dohuk.
The village of Badarash is located at a distance of 1.5 kilometres from the centre of Sarsink. Its name is of Kurdish origin which means “The Black Air”. This is because of the heavy cold winds and snow that come during the winter.

Most of the village’s houses are built from stone and mud and few from stone and cement and concrete ceilings. This village was never evacuated. Some residents have left their village for Duhok and Baghdad, but majority stayed in Badarash. Many houses and fields were burned and destroyed, but owners, nevertheless rebuilt them.

Bebadi is an Assyrian Christian village located at the side of the Mateena Mountains overlooking Sapna Valley, in the Iraqi providence of Dohuk. The village is very close to the ancient rocky fortress of Amadia, which was built during the era of Assyrian Empire. The residents of Bebadey followers of the Assyrian Church of the East.

The residents of Bebadi think their village was built some 900 years ago at which time the village’s church of “Saint Shmony and her children” was first founded.

Prior to 1961 civil war between Kurds and Iraqi government, there was nearly 80 families (500 people) living in Bebadeyy. The village had lots of plants and its residents were self sufficient on their domestic animals and farming such as crops, vegetables and fruits. The village was regarded as a summer resort for vacationers

 from other parts of Iraq.

The main source of income for the residents of Bebadeyy is from farming. Tourism is still far from generating any income due to fact of absence of facilities that attract tourism. Also the security and stability are other factors in attracting tourists.

Dawodiya is a Kurdish and Assyrian village in the Iraqi province of Dohuk, close to the Sapna valley. Gara Mount bounds this valley from south and Matean Mount from north. It stretches 25 km. in length and from 5 to 10 km in width.

Dawodiya is often mentioned in history books about the  region. Some references indicate of its existence in pre-Christianity while others refer that it was built in the Middle Ages. The residents of Dawodiya, however, do not exactly know their ancestor’s first arrival in the village, but they assume it was several centuries ago, when some Assyrian Christian families escaped the persecution of Ottoman authorities in their original inhabitance of Botan in southern parts of Turkey.

British scholar Austen Henry Layard mentions in his book “Road to Nineveh” that he spent a night in the village of Dawodiya in the middle of 1840’s. He mentions that there were 200 families living in the village, a police station and a church. Mr. Layard adds in his book that Catholicism replaced the original faith of those people who were the followers of the Eastern Church (Nestorians)

There is an old site in the village of what used to be a police station of old Ottoman authorities. The residents believe the site was a fortified castle of a commanding officer of the Ottoman army in the region.

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.

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.

Hezany is an Assyrian village in the Iraqi providence of Dohuk. Hezany is one of the seven remaining Assyrian villages in the Nahla Valley, which is located on the border between Duhok and Nineveh. The small Khabour river crosses through Nahla and waters the lands of these Assyrian villages.

Assyrians inhabited Hezany in 1924 after their retreat from Turkey. The land was infertile, but the new inhabitants made considerable efforts to convert it into fertile and fruitful fields. The last time Hezany was destroyed was in 1987, at which time the destruction was so devastating that even the church and water spring were stamped. Even surrounding trees and fields being burned to ashes. After the first Gulf War in 1991, many residents returned to the village and dwelled in temporary shelters built by Christian Aid from the United Kingdom. Currently, there are 27 families living in the village. A Syriac school was recently opened in the village, which attracted Assyrian students from other nearby villages. The villagers live primarily on farming and they water their lands through a primitive irrigation system. There are no paved roads, and hence mules are their main transportation to and from the village.

Sarsing (or Sarsink) is an Assyrian village in the Iraqi providence of Dohuk. The name "Sarsing" derives from the Kurdish for "above (or) or upon chest". The name came from the location of the village, which is the highest altitude of a northern cliff of Gara Mountains.  

The climate of Sarsing is moderately hot in summer and cold in winter. Spring and fall are very short seasons but very pleasant especially the fall, which is the season of ripe fruits. The winter is snowy and in some years snow accumulations could exceed one meter. Rain precipitation is nearly 800 mm annually. Temperature in summer averages 17-22 C at night and 34-38 C at day, while in winter it drops to 5 to -7 C at night and 5-12 degrees at day time.

Situated in Iraq’s far north, the province of Dahuk is famous for its snowy winters. The border crossing near the town of Zakho is Iraq’s primary border crossing with Turkey.

Dahuk Facts:

» Population: 472,000

» Labor Force: 272,000

» Area: 6120 sq. km.

» International borders: Turkey, Syria

» Capital: Dahuk

» Other large towns: Al Ahmadiya, Zakho, Semel, Akra, Shekhan.

» Major Industries: Fruit, beekeeping (honey production), and cross boarder trade

» Potential areas for investment: Trade and logistics, tourism, agriculture.

» Education: One university (University of Dahuk est. 1992), 67 intermediate schools. 4 teacher training institutes, 4 vocational schools (2 industrial, 2 commerce) and one hotel & tourism institute. There are six libraries in Dahuk.

» Health: There are 176 primary health care centers in the three provinces making up the Kurdistan region (Dahuk, Erbil and Sulaymaniyah).

» Infrastructure: The primary road route into Dahuk is the main road from Mosul. It bypasses Dahuk city but leads to the Habur border crossing near Zakho. A dam north of Dahuk city provides potable water.

» Tourist attractions: Spectacular rugged terrain. Beautiful Lake Dahuk lies at the southwest corner of the province. Elements of traditional Kurdish culture are visible in Dahuk.

Economic Profile:

Agriculture shows great promise in Dahuk.

Agriculture and forestry have substantial potential in the valleys and terraces of the mountains of Dahuk.

» The Ministry of Agriculture implemented several reforestation projects in Dahuk in 2005 in an attempt to preserve and promote the province's biodiversity. The Ministry's analysis demonstrates that Dahuk could produce a large quantity of tree seedlings.

» The Ministry of Agriculture has also implemented projects to raise productivity at many olive orchards in Dahuk.

» Peach and apple orchards have also received technical assistance from the Ministry.

» Beekeepers in Dahuk have received specialized training to help them more effectively cultivate, harvest and market honey. They have also received training in designing and constructing new hives. Hundreds of new hives were built in 2005.

The main trading route from Iraq to Turkey runs through Dahuk; this could bring economic gain as cross-border trade increases.