Kirkuk is one of the four northern provinces of Iraq today. It is a historic city surrounded by hills. According to Georges Roux in his book Ancient Iraq, the city of “Arrapha” is mentioned around the year 770 BCE, during the reign of Ashur-dan III.
After the emergence of Christianity, missionaries were sent from the Church of Edessa (Urfa) to spread the Christian faith with zeal. According to Vartan Melkonian, in his book Calendar of Armenian Communities, on August 26, 409, between 12,000 to 16,000 Christians were martyred “for the faith” in Arrapha.
In 470 AD, a monastery was built in their memory, named Mar Tahmizkirt. Over the centuries, the church on the hill was buried underground, possibly due to an earthquake. Later, a new church was built on the same site.
During the campaigns of Tamerlane (1336–1405), the area was completely burned, including the church. Another church was later rebuilt on the site and has undergone several renovations over time. It still stands today, located about 5 kilometers north of Kirkuk, and is known as the “Red Church” (Garmiza Kilise)—in remembrance of the massacre that took place there.
The Chaldean cemetery is also located within the grounds of this church. During the waves of refugee arrivals during World War I, some Armenians who died in Kirkuk were buried in this cemetery.
City Layout and Demographics
The city of Kirkuk is divided into two parts:
The Citadel (Kala’a)
The Plains Area (Qurya)
According to tradition, the tomb of the Prophet Daniel is located inside one of the mosques within the citadel and is a place highly revered by locals and visitors alike.
According to Armenian researcher Hrayer Asharanian, in his book The Armenian Migration in the Mid-19th Century:
“Kirkuk is a beautiful and fertile city with a population of around 15,000, consisting of Kurds, Turkmen, Armenians, Assyrians, Chaldeans, Jews, and Arabs. There are 10 mosques, and each Christian denomination has its own church. The number of Armenians does not exceed 100.”
Armenians in Kirkuk
According to our research, beginning in the mid-19th century during Ottoman rule, young Armenian men were sent to Kirkuk from cities like Kayseri, Ankara, and else where to fill key government posts, such as postal and finance officers.
These young men were separate from the main Armenian communities, and many settled permanently in Kirkuk after marrying local Christian women and integrating into the local society. Some well-known families today, such as the Sarafian, Minas, and Youssef al-Bostaji families, are still recognized for their Armenian heritage, even though they are considered part of the local Christian population.
