Kalar, Iraq
| Kalar Kurdish: کهلار Kelar | |
|---|---|
|
The view of Kalar from Sherwana Castle | |
  Kalar Kalar in Iraq | |
| Coordinates: 34°37′45″N 45°19′20″E / 34.62917°N 45.32222°ECoordinates: 34°37′45″N 45°19′20″E / 34.62917°N 45.32222°E | |
| Country |
 Iraq |
| Autonomous region |
 Kurdistan |
| Governorate | Sulaymaniyah |
| District | Kalar |
| Elevation | 200 m (656 ft) |
| Population | |
| • Total | 189,000 (230,000 including Rizgari)[1] |
| Time zone | UTC+3 |
Kalar (Kurdish: کهلار, Kelar ) is a city in Iraq located on the west bank of the Sirwan (Diyala) river in Sulaymaniyah Governorate. It is located east of Kifri and west of the Kermanshah, Iran towns of Qasri Shirin and Sarpol Zahab. The city is one of the twin towns of Rizgari-Kalar. It is an expanding urban area with growing infrastructure and a booming economy, with properties often more expensive than those in advanced countries. It is divided into the neighborhoods of Salaxa, Grdegozina, Bardasoor, Hamay Karem, Shaheedan, and Gazino.
History
The Garmian area experienced the 3rd stage of the genocidal Al-Anfal campaign. The neighboring town Smud was built as a relocation camp for Kurds. It was later renamed Rizgari (Liberation) for the 1991 Iraqi uprising.
Culture
Kalar hosts the University of Garmian, a satellite campus of University of Sulaymaniyah which specialises in agriculture. The University of Garmian is also the area's first scientific center to provide a Geographic Information Systems laboratory for post-graduate students.
The Sherwana Castle, built by king Mohamed Pasha Jaff, is located in Kalar.
The town also contains the Folkloric Museum of Garmian, with 400 artifacts from the region.
Climate
Summer in Kalar is very hot. The winter season follows with aggressive rains and sometimes floods, and sandstorms occur annually in winter as the wind increases.