Jerusalem street named after Kurdish leader, Isa ibn Mohammed Al-Hakkari

Jerusalem street named after Kurdish leader, Isa ibn Mohammed Al-Hakkari

Nov 30, 2022

Following Saladin Ayyubi's capture of Jerusalem eight centuries ago, the Kurdish footprint is still visible in the city. Every street in the city carries a story about the Kurds, one of which is Al-Hakkari Street.

The road lies in the Old City of Jerusalem, decorated with ancient stones and narrow alleys. It is the only known street named after a Kurd outside Kurdistan.

When Saladin went to war with the Crusaders, a significant number of Hakkari region tribes in Kurdistan joined his army. Prominent among them was 'Isa ibn Mohammed Hakkari, who played a significant role in the capture of Jerusalem, according to Ibn Aseer's Whole History, Ibn Kaseer's Beginning and End, and several other sources.

Isa bin Mohammed Hakkari was one of the most prominent scholars and jurists of his time and a senior advisor to Saladin Ayyubi, a Kurdish leader that rose to unite Muslims of the Middle East after years of division and domestic conflict.

Saladin's uncle Assasadeen Sherko recommended Hakkari to serve alongside Saladin. When Saladin captured Jerusalem in 1187, Hakkari was one of the prominent figures in the war. Hakkari was killed in Acre, modern-day Israel, in 1189 and was buried in Jerusalem.

Kurds are one of the largest Middle East native nations who have fought alongside their brethren nations for justice but are still denied their own geography.

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