Tikrit
تِكْرِيت | |
---|---|
City | |
Coordinates: 34°36′36″N 43°40′48″E / 34.61000°N 43.68000°E | |
Country | Iraq |
Governorate | Saladin |
Government | |
• Mayor | Omar Tariq Ismail |
Elevation | 137 m (449 ft) |
Population (2012) | |
• Total | 160,000 |
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Tikrit (Arabic: تِكْرِيت, romanized: Tikrīt [ˈtɪkriːt]) is a city in Iraq, located 140 kilometers (87 mi) northwest of Baghdad and 220 kilometers (140 mi) southeast of Mosul on the Tigris River. It is the administrative center of the Saladin Governorate. As of 2012[update], it had a population of approximately 160,000.[2]
Originally a fort during the Assyrian empire, Tikrit became the birthplace of Muslim military leader Saladin. Saddam Hussein's birthplace was in a modest village (13 km) south of Tikrit, which is called "Al-Awja"; for that, Saddam bore the surname al-Tikriti.[3] The inhabitants of this village were farmers. A few significant people from Saladin Governorate, including some from Tikrit, were appointed to government roles during the time of Ba'athist Iraq until the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003.[4] After the invasion, the city has been a site of conflict with the Islamic State, culminating in the Second Battle of Tikrit from March to April 2015, which resulted in the displacement of 28,000 civilians.[5] The Iraqi government regained control of the city from the Islamic State on March 31, 2015, with the city at peace since then.[6]