Sharanish

Sharanish () is an Assyrian village located in the Zakho district of Dohuk Governorate, Kurdistan Region in Iraq, close to the borders of southeastern Turkey.

The village is inhabited by Assyrians who belong to the Chaldean Church and the Assyrian Church of the East. The region is known for its cool weather during the summer, making it one of the most important tourist destinations in Iraq. The village has two churches, one of which was originally a synagogue built before the advent of Christianity in the fourth century, and another built around 400 years ago.

History
Sharanish was converted from Ashurism to Judaism in antiquity, therefore making it an Iraqi Jewish village. Many of the villagers in Sharanish continued practising Judaism as late as 1951, when the Jews of the village moved to Israel. However, The rest of the people of this region were Christianized in the first centuries, and so they remained. During the Assyrian Genocide the local population largely survived by marching with Agha Petros to Urmia during the First World War.

However, The continuous Kurdish revolts during the 60s,70s, and the Al-Anfal Campaign of forced most of its inhabitants to flee to Baghdad, and in 1980s, the village was destroyed by the Iraqi Army. After the Iraq War, many of its inhabitants returned from Baghdad and Mosul due to a waves of violence against Assyrians, in addition to reconstruction and aid programs initiated by Sarkis Aghajan, an Assyrian millionaire of high ranking in the Kurdish government.

See also

Assyrian homeland
Proposals for Assyrian autonomy in Iraq
Assyrian settlements

References 
Sharanish: A Jewel of Our Nation, Ishtar TV

Category:Populated places in Dohuk Province
Category:Assyrian communities in Iraq