Shaqlawa district is one of the districts of Erbil province, located 51 km northeast of the center of Erbil and is one of the most famous resorts in the South part of Kurdistan, located at the foot of Mount Safin in the north. The city is 966m above sea level. It has a cool climate with summer temperatures reaching 33 to 35 degrees Celsius and cold and rainy winters with snowfall.
Mount Sork is located in the eastern and northern parts of the Shaqlawa district. Shaqlawa district includes several towns and villages, including Hiran, Basrma, Harir, Balisan, Salaheddin, Kore, etc., as well as 218 villages.
In terms of astronomical location, Shaqlawa is located between the two circles of latitude (17/36) and (40/36) north and between longitude (75/43) and (39/44) east, thus Shaqlawa district is in the center of the region Kurdistan is located.
Shaqlawa is known as a bridge to connect the mountainous areas, which consist of complex and simple mountains on the one hand, and the plain areas, which include wavy plains and flat plains on the other.
However, Shaqlawa is located on Hamilton Road, which has an important position in the region and has become a center to connect the Suleimani and Duhok provinces.
The population of the city is about 160000 according to the 2018 census. In 1952, it became a district and its first governor was Shakir Fatah.
History of Shaqlawa:
When it comes to the history of Shaqlawa, it is unclear. However, artifacts and evidence of ancient civilization and continued human life have been found in this area. There are dozens of living examples in the hills and valleys of Mount Safin, which date back to centuries BC. In addition, Shaqlawa has been a major center of the coexistence of different religions.
Name of Shaqlawa:
Historians and linguists have different opinions on the meaning of the name Shaqlawa. After the 12th century AD, the name Shaqlawa has been mentioned in several different ways in various books and sources. In the book "Dictionary of Countries" by Yaqut Hamawi, the name appears as "Shaqlabad" and describes it as a pleasant, green, and spacious village, and he talks about it as a place close to Erbil and has many gardens and fruit trees.
Some sources indicate that the name Shaqlawa is derived from the split (Shaq in Kurdish means split which creates a valley) between Mount Sork and Mount Safin.
There is another source that shows that the word consists of two parts (Shaqla) or (Shaqra) which means tree in the ancient language of the region and (Awa) which means prosperity.
Shaqlawa nature and tourism sector
Due to the geographical location of Shaqlawa district, the attractiveness of the area, and the suitable climate, many tourists visit the district every year. Especially, in summer, due to the moderate temperature and favorable climate, the place is visited by many tourists, especially Arab tourists from southern and central Iraq.
Shaqlawa has a large number of shops, markets, accommodations, parks, and restaurants and is famous for several kinds of sweets. Due to the large number of tourists, the residents of the district are economically dependent on tourists.
