ʻAna

Iraq

The city of Anah is situated on the southern bank of the Euphrates River in the district of Anbar, close to the Syrian border. It lies in fertile lands on the bottom of hills surrounded by gardens and palm plantations. Its geographical location squeezed between the river and nearby hills, favored its linear expansion. It is composed of ten islands and many temporary agricultural lands called Tinah that emerge in the river when the water is low. A small bridge links the northern bank of the Euphrates to the city of Rawah. The city was first cited in Biblical writings as Khani. Its current name appeared under the reign of Hammurabi when he conquered all the cities of the Euphrates. Some attribute the origin of its name Anah to a Sumerian Goddess. In 363, the Roman Emperor Julian, conquered the city and burnt its castle. In later years, from the Arab conquests to the Abbasid period, Anah was cited in poems of the most famous Arab poets. Its architectural patrimony consists of an Uqaylid minaret, a castle of the late Islamic dynasties built on older remains, ruins of the Abu-Risha mosque, and traces of old habitations that haven't been explored yet. The city flourished for the textile knitting craft industry and gained prominence lying on the trade caravan route linking Baghdad to Damascus. Its decline happened in 1932 when the route was moved. Sources: Al-Ani, Abd al-Aziz. 1985. Al-Madinah Al-Mughriqah, Dirasah Maydaniyah Fulkluriyah li-Madinat Anah. al-Jumhuriyah al-Iraqiyah, Wizarat al-Thaqafah wa-al-Ilam, Baghdad. Bosworth, Clifford Edmond. 1996. The New Islamic Dynasties, New York, Columbia University Press, 91-92.