The Role of Erbil Magazine in Writing the History of Erbil City (1998-2006) A Historical-Analytical Study

Abstract

This research is a comprehensive analytical study of the history of Erbil city and its environs, utilizing the archival texts of Erbil Magazine as a primary and national source. The study is divided into three main sections. The first section highlights the position and identity of the magazine as a documentary project. The second section analyzes the social structure, customs, and cultural diversity of the inhabitants of both the urban center and the surrounding villages. In the third section, political movements and milestones are examined, alongside an in-depth analysis of the region's economic pillars, which heavily relied on the agricultural sector in the fertile plains of Erbil Governorate, as well as the development of handicrafts. The findings demonstrate that Erbil's society, through the continuous interaction between urban and rural lifestyles, established a self-sufficient and organically integrated economic system. This system, coupled with the region's political awareness, served as a line of defense and ensured its resilience and survival during crises.

The scientific significance of this research is that it does not only regard the texts of Erbil Magazine as a journalistic tool, but also as an archival and documentary source to prove the multidimensional history of Erbil province. The importance of this study lies in bringing together and analyzing the interaction between political changes, economic structure and social and cultural dimensions in a single academic context. This fills a scientific gap by documenting the decisive stages of history that have played a role in maintaining the survival and development of Erbil society in the face of crises. Consequently, this paper serves as a historical foundation for a broader understanding of how the contemporary identity of the city and its components are shaped.