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Iraq The People PDF

35 Pages·2010·7.352 MB·English
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A Bobbie Kalman Book IR A Q the people April Fast A Bobbie Kalman Book The Lands, Peoples, and Cultures Series Crabtree Publishing Company www.crabtreebooks.com The Lands, Peoples, and Cultures Series Photographs AFP: Ahmad Al- Rubaye p. 5 (top); Sabah Arar: p. 26 (bottom) Created by Bobbie Kalman AP Photo: CP/ Laurent Rebours: p. 17; Ali Haider: p. 18 (top), p. 29; Jassim Mohammed: p. 31 (left); Alexander Zemlianichenko: p. 21 (right) Author: April Fast Art Archive: Musée du Louvre Paris/Dagli Orti: p. 7 (right), p.30 (bottom) Third edition: Q2AMedia Art Directors: Ask Images: p. 25 (bottom); Jane Sweeney: p. 10 Editor:Adrianna Morganelli (left), p. 27 (right), p. 31 (right); Associated Media Group: Peter Langer: title page, p. 25 (top) Content and Photo editor: Kokila Manchanda Atlas Geographic: Fatih Pinar: p. 20 (left) British Museum, London, UK: Bridgeman Art Library: p. 6, Editorial director:Kathy Middleton p. 10 (right); Ancient Art and Architecture Collection Ltd./ Production coordinator: Margaret Salter Bridgeman Art Library: p. 8 (top) Corbis: Maher Attar/Magma: p. 23; Bettmann/ Magma: Prepress technician: Margaret Salter p.11 (left), p. 13 (right); Magma: p.12 (left), p. 16 (left); Project manager:Kumar Kanul Gianni Dagli Orti/Magma: p. 7 (left); Araldo de Luca/Magma: p. 9; Liz Hafalia/San Francisco First and second editions Chronicle/Magma: p. 21 (left); Thomas Hartwell/ Magma: p. Coordinating editor: Ellen Rodger 4 (right); Hulton-Deutsch Collection/ Magma: p. 12 (right), p. Project editor: Rachel Eagen 13 (left); Charles & Josette Lenars/Magma: p. 3, p. 8 Production coordinator:Rosie Gowsell (bottom); Michael Macor/San Francisco Chronicle/Magma: Project development:First Folio Resource Group, Inc. p. 24 (bottom); Jehad Nga/Magma: p. 30 (top); Jacques Photo research: Maria DeCambra Pavlovsky/Magma: p. 15; Patrick Robert/Magma: p. 16 Consultants: Thabit Abdullah, Department of History, (right); David Turnley/Magma: p. 26 (top right); Michael S. York University; Majid Aziza Yamashita/ Magma: p. 28 (right); Dean Conger: p. 19 (left); Cover: A woman prepares wool for knitting a carpet in Michel Setboun: p. 19 (right); Michael S. Yamashita: p. 22 CP/Ron Cortes/KRT/ABACA: p. 24 (top) Baghdad’s Sadr city. Getty Images: Joseph Barrak/ AFP : p. 20 (right); Central Press: Title page:A young man carefully balances a platter of breads p. 14; General Photographic Agency: p. 11 (right); Mario covered with sesame seeds on his head. Tama: p. 4 (left) Ivy Images: Nik Wheeler: p. 5 (bottom), p. 27 (left) Icon:The Ma’dan, or Marsh Arabs, live in Iraq’s southern Photolibrary: Richard Ashworth: p. 18 (bottom) marshlands. They traditionally use the marshes’ reeds to build Reuters: Kareem Raheem: cover; Nuhad Hussin: p. 28 (top) homes with columns, arches, and vaulted roofs. Illustrations Back cover:Carp swim in almost every stream, river, and lake Dianne Eastman: icon in Iraq, and they are raised on fish farms. Most carp caught in David Wysotski, Allure Illustrations: back cover Iraq are eaten locally. Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Fast, April, 1968- Fast, April, 1968- Iraq : the people / April Fast. -- Rev. ed. Iraq, the people / April Fast. -- Rev. ed. p. cm. -- (The lands, peoples, and cultures series) (Lands, peoples, and cultures series) "A Bobbie Kalman Book." Includes index. Includes index. ISBN 978-0-7787-9280-2 (bound).--ISBN 978-0-7787-9650-3 (pbk.) ISBN 978-0-7787-9650-3 (pbk. : alk. paper) -- ISBN 978-0-7787-9280-2 (reinforced library binding : alk. paper) 1. Iraq--Juvenile literature. I. Title. II. Series. 1. Iraq--Social conditions--Juvenile literature. I. Title. II. Series: Lands, peoples, and cultures series DS70.62.F37 2010 956.7--dc22 HN670.A8F38 2010 j956.7 C2009-905131-1 2009034654 Crabtree Publishing Company Printed in China/122009/CT20090915 www.crabtreebooks.com 1-800-387-7650 Copyright © 2010 CRABTREE PUBLISHING COMPANY. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or be transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of Crabtree Publishing Company. In Canada: We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Book Publishing Industry Development Program (BPIDP) for our publishing activities. Published in Canada Published in the United States Published in the United Kingdom Published in Australia Crabtree Publishing Crabtree Publishing Crabtree Publishing Crabtree Publishing 616 Welland Ave. 350 Fifth Ave., Maritime House 386 Mt. Alexander Rd. St. Catharines, ON 59thFloor Basin Road North, Hove Ascot Vale (Melbourne) L2M 5V6 New York, NY 10118 BN41 1WR VIC 3032 Contents 4 Living in an ancient land 6 The first settlements 9 Ruled by invaders 11 A country is born 15 Iraq under Saddam Hussein 18 The people of Iraq 22 Country life, city life 25 A bite of history 28 Off to school 30 Nasreen’s day 32 Glossary and Index 3 Living in an ancient land A Kurdish girl wears brightly colored clothing and a headdress to a traditional wedding celebration. An ethnic mix Many peoples from different ethnic and religious backgrounds came together when the country of Iraq was formed. Most people were Arabs who followed the religion of Islam. There was also a large group of Kurds who lived in the mountains of the north. They followed Islam, too. Communities of Christians, Mandaeans, and others were also part of the new country. Over time, these peoples came together to create a united country, despite periods of tension between groups. The country of Iraq was created in 1921, but people have lived on this ancient land for tens of thousands of years. Iraq lies in the area known as the Middle East, which borders the southern and eastern shores of the Mediterranean Sea. The country’s two main rivers, the Tigris and Euphrates, have long provided the people living there with water for transportation, fishing, farming, and everyday living. Many civilizations built cities on the banks of the Tigris and Euphrates. Some cities were destroyed by invading armies, while others were abandoned and buried by floods and sandstorms. New cities were built around and even on top of the cities that came before them. Crowds of people shop at a busy street market These newer cities are where the people of Iraq in Baghdad, where goods such as spices, rugs, live today. jewelry, copperware, and antiques are sold. 4 Life in Iraq Iraq’s people have suffered harsh treatment In the midst of a turbulent past and an from governments they opposed, and they have unknown future, the people of Iraq strive to endured wars with their neighbors and other maintain stability in their cities and countryside. countries. These wars have devastated the Community and family define Iraqis’ lives country with economic hardships and loss and help bring together the people of this of lives. historic land. (above) The Ma’dan, or Marsh Arabs, travel through their villages in boats made of tall grasses called reeds. (top) This man heads to the mosque, a Muslim house of worship, to pray. Muslims pray five times a day: before sunrise, in the early afternoon, in the late afternoon, after sunset, and at night. 5 The first settlements Sumerians This wooden panel, made with shells and a stone called lapis lazuli, depicts life in the ancient Sumerians settled in southern Mesopotamia Sumerian kingdom, including a royal banquet around 3500 B.C., in a region that became and servants carrying gifts of livestock and fish known as Sumer. They established the first cities to the king. along the Tigris and Euphrates. Soon, the cities grew into larger areas called city-states, which The area now known as Iraq was once called included neighboring towns, farmlands, and Mesopotamia, which means “land between the palm groves. Kings ruled each city-state and rivers” in Greek. People in this region, which often tried to take over other kings’ territory. lay between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, built ships, used wheeled wagons and carts, Most Sumerians farmed, fished, raised livestock, invented writing, and made discoveries in and harvested date palms. Skilled craftspeople medicine, science, and mathematics that are made sculptures and pottery, wove textiles, still important today. madebaskets out of tall grasses called reeds, andbuilt ships. To help them with their work, Toward settlement Sumerians invented the wheeled cart, the potter’s About 10,000 years ago, nomadic peoples wheel, and other tools. They also developed a traveled with their animals through counting system, a calendar, and the first form Mesopotamia, searching for food and water. ofwriting, called cuneiform. Symbols and They began setting up permanent villages in patterns were made by pressing a reed with the northern foothills. Several families lived a wedge-shaped tip into clay. Sumerians also together in the villages, growing crops and developed cylinder seals to sign documents raising livestock. In clay ovens, they baked and mark personal property. Cylinder seals were bread, fired pottery, and made tools, which long,narrow stones with patterns carved into they traded with traveling merchants for them. They left a distinctive pattern when rolled metals and precious stones. over clay. 6 Akkadians The Akkadians lived north of the Sumerians. Their capital was the city of Akkad, or Agade. Around 2300 B.C., the Akkadian ruler King Sargon I conquered most of Sumer and brought many city-states under his rule. His dynasty lasted until about 2200 B.C., when it was weakened because of war. The Akkadian Empire fell and, for the next hundred years, various peoples struggled for control of the land. The return of Sumerian rule In 2100 B.C., Ur-Nammu, king of the Sumerian city Ur, gained power over southern Mesopotamia. The rules he established for his kingdom became one of the world’s earliest collections of laws, known today as the Code of Ur-Nammu. After Ur-Nammu died, his King Hammurabi’s laws, which became known as descendants expanded his empire. Their rule the Code of Hammurabi, were carved on stones became known as the Third Dynasty of Ur. and placed in temples throughout Babylonia. Over time, the dynasty began to lose power, Babylonians and the land was split into four kingdoms. The rulers of those kingdoms fought with The four kingdoms of southern Mesopotamia one another for control of the land. were unified once again in 1792 B.C. by the Babylonian king Hammurabi. He made the city of Babylon the capital of his empire, Babylonia, which extended north to the region of Assyria. Hammurabi organized great construction projects, including temples, city walls, public buildings, and canals, which are manmade waterways. He also created his own set of laws based on those of Ur-Nammu. The Babylonian Empire remained strong until Hammurabi died in 1750 B.C. Hittites and Kassites In 1595 B.C., Babylonia was raided by the Hittites, a people from Anatolia, the land that is now eastern Turkey. Around 1500 B.C., the Kassites gained control. The Kassites, who are thought to have come from the mountains east of Babylonia, ruled for about 400 years. During their reign, much of Babylonia was divided into large estates that the king gave to his most loyal supporters. Stone reliefs from the Hittite period depicted The boundaries of the estates were recorded on scenes from everyday life. In this relief, two large stones called kudurrus, along with images people play with a spinning top. of the gods who watched over the land. 7 The Assyrian Empire Assyria was an empire in northern Mesopotamia that reached the height of its power in 883 B.C. During that time, kings such as Sargon II and Ashurbanipal sent out armies to conquer new lands. Eventually, the Assyrian Empire stretched from the Persian Gulf in the east to Egypt and Palestine in the west. The great Assyrian Empire came to an end in 612 B.C. when the Medes, who lived in present-day Iran, and the Chaldeans, a Babylonian people, fought each other for control of the land. The main cities of the Assyrian Empire were destroyed in these battles. The Chaldean Empire King Nebuchadnezzar II, who ruled from 605 to 562 B.C., was the most famous Chaldean king. In his capital of Babylon, he built an enormous palace that was protected by the Ishtar Gate, named for the Babylonian goddess of fertility, love, and war. He also built the Hanging Gardens of Babylon on the ledges of a ziggurat. Plants andtrees from all parts of his empire were planted on the outer ledges of the terraced The Assyrians were known as vicious warriors. ziggurat, creating multileveled rooftop gardens. Their battles were carved in stone reliefs that The gardens were planted for the king’s wife, decorated palaces in their main cities, such as who was homesick forthe mountains and Nimrud and Nineveh. greenery of her homeland,Media. Under the rule of King Nebuchadnezzar II, Babylon became the site of new temples and palaces, such as the Palace of Nebuchadnezzar. 8

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