Qarachatan

Qarachatan (Kurdish: قەرەچەتان) is a Kurdish village^[1] at the foot of Mt. Piramagrun^[2] in Sulaymaniyah Governorate in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.^[3] Qarachatan is renowned for its archaeological significance, particularly the Rabana-Merquly site, a major regional center of the Parthian Empire. Located on the western flank of Mount Piramagrun, the Parthian-era complex at Rabana-Merquly consists of two settlements connected by an extensive network of perimeter fortifications.^[4]

Qarachatan قەرەچەتان
Village
Qarachatan Show map of Iraqi Kurdistan Qarachatan Show map of Iraq
Coordinates: 35°44′40.74″N 45°11′41.92″E
Country	Iraq
Autonomous region	Kurdistan Region
Governorate	Sulaymaniyah Governorate
District	Dokan District
Elevation	882 m (2,895 ft)
Population
• Estimate  (2020)	115
Time zone	UTC+3 (AST)

One of the most significant archaeological discoveries in Qarachatan is the Stela of Iddi-Sin, King of Simurrum. Dating back to the Old-Babylonian Period, the Stela is currently on display at the Sulaymaniyah Museum.^[5]

Notable individuals from Qarachatan include Karim Sharif Qarachatani, a psychologist, television personality, and author renowned for hosting talk shows. Karzan Kardozi, a filmmaker best known for the film Where Is Gilgamesh?, is another prominent figure from the region.^[6][7]

As of 2020, the population of Qarachatan is estmated to be around 155 resident.^[8]

Gallery

• 
  Stela of Iddi-Sin, King of Simurrum, Old-Babylonian Period
• 
  The rock-relief at Rabana-Merquly
• 
  The sites of Rabana-Merquly near Qarachatan village
• 
  Position of he rock-relief at Rabana-Merquly
• 
  The rock-relief at Rabana-Merquly
• 
  Detail of the rock-relief at Rabana-Merquly
• 
  Piramagrun Mountain overlooking Qarachatan Village

References

1. "A Handbook of Mesopotamia: Central Mesopotamia with southern Kurdistan and the Syrian desert", Google Books., 1917, retrieved 12 September 2024
2. "Piramagrun Mountain", Spectacular Mountains., 7 November 2018, retrieved 12 September 2024
3. "Qarachatan", Columbia University, 7 March 2017, retrieved 18 December 2019
4. Brown, Michael; Raheem, Kamal Rasheed; Abdullah, Hashim Hama (20 July 2022), "Rabana-Merquly", Cambridge., vol. 96, no. 388, pp. 920–936, doi:10.15184/aqy.2022.74, retrieved 12 September 2024
5. "The Secret History of Iddi-Sin's Stela", World History., 27 April 2015, retrieved 12 September 2024
6. Gündoğdu, Mustafa (2023). Kurdistan + 100. Comma Press. ISBN 9781912697922.
7. "کەریم شەریف قەرەچەتانی", Kurdistan24. (in Kurdish), 24 November 2023, retrieved 12 September 2024
8. "قەرەچەتان", Kurdistan24. (in Kurdish), 28 April 2020, retrieved 12 September 2024