District Of Koya

(District of Koye (Koysinjeq

The town of Koye occupies an important geographic site, neighboring three important Districts: Suleimaniyah, Kirkuk, and Erbil, and of course follows the last. It is neighbored from East and South by the little Zab River, which separates it from the Governorates of Kirkuk and Suleimaniyah, and is bordered to the north-east of Mount Haibat Sultan and embraced by the West of Mount Bawage. It is one of the mother cities of Kurdistan in terms of culture and arts. It gave to the world great classical and modern Kurdish poets and a group of elite reciters of the Kurdish Maqam [Classic Songs or Modes] for many successive ages. Despite the rare academic studies on the history of Koye, it is obvious that it goes back several centuries B.C. In the past, the city was situated in a place called Aski Koye. After the conquests, the people built back their city at an elevated place at the versant of Bawaji Mountain, as water is abundant there; this second place was called Kawla Ku. Finally, the citizens settled at the current place in the last few centuries. It is one of the oldest Ottoman Districts.

The geography of the District embraces more than 80 discovered archeological sites, and probably more that are still undiscovered. A team of Dutch and German archeologists have signed a contract with the Kurdistan Regional Government, in cooperation with the University of Salahaddin, to carry out excavations for five years in the archeological site of Satu Qala, which goes back to the sixth millennium B.C., according to the estimations of archeologists from Kurdistan.

In the middle of the city, there is an old castle ageing back to B.C. years, called the Qishla of Koye Castle. Due to the role that the people of Koye had played in the struggle, the city was administratively punished by the Dictatorial regime, and brought down from the degree of District to that of Sub-District, at the time of execution of the infamous Anfal campaigns.

After the victory of the Uprising by the people of Kurdistam, the Kurdistan Regional Government gave the city back the degree of District dependent on the Governorate of Erbil. Moreover, a university was opened there under the name of University of Koye, in addition to the Technical Institute and Fine Arts Institute.

The city of Koye gained more importance with the exploitation of the oil resources in its lands.