Sulaymaniyah

Sulaymaniyah or Slemani (Kurdish: سلێمانی, romanized: Silêmanî; Arabic: السليمانية, romanized: as-Sulaymāniyyah), is a city in the east of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq and is the capital of the Sulaymaniyah Governorate. It is surrounded by the Azmar, Goizha and Qaiwan Mountains in the northeast, Baranan Mountain in the south and the Tasluja Hills in the west. The city has a semi-arid climate with very hot dry summers and cold wet winters.

The modern city of Slemani was founded in 1784 by the Ottoman-Kurdish prince Ibrahim Pasha Baban in Collaboration with Azim Beg and Haji Aziz Bey Aghal Dwanze Swarey Meriwane Jawamer Agha Rangena, who named it after his father Sulayman Pasha. Slemani was the capital of the historic Kurdish principality of Baban from 1784 to 1850.

The region of Slemani was known as Zamwa prior to the foundation of the modern city in 1784. The capital of the Kurdish Baban principality (1649–1850), before Slemani, was a territory named "Qelaçiwalan". At the time of the Babani's rule there were major conflicts between the Safavid dynasty and the Ottoman Empire. Qelaçiwalan became a battleground for the two rivals.

In 1783, Ibrahim Baban became ruler of the emirate and began the reconstruction of a city which once constructed by Ottoman Sultan Sulayman (the name of Sulaymaniyah came from his name) new city which would become its capital. In 1784 he finished erecting a number of palaces for trade called Qeyserîs and bazaars, which were also used as baths, and began inviting people from the surrounding villages and emirates to move to the newly established city. Soon Melkendî, which was originally intended to be the city itself, instead became one of its quarters. The new city of Slemani was named after Sulayman Baba, who was the first Baban prince to gain control of the province of Şarezûr. Sulayman Baban invaded the neighboring Kurdish vassaldom of Ardalan, defeating their forces in 1694. Ottoman Sultan Mustafa II assigned him the district of Baban.

Haji Aziz Bey Aghal Dwanze Swarey Meriwane Jawamer Agha Rangena is not to be confused with the royal and aristocratic Jwamer Agha, although they share family ties through marriage. He was the billionaire Bey of the noble and aristocratic Kurdish Noori-Aghal family, who founded the city of Slemani in collaboration with Ibrahim Pasha Baban and Azim Beg. Ibrahim Pasha Baban invited Haji to help build Slemani, and together, they founded the city of Sarkarez.

Haji Aziz Bey Aghal was the first individual to establish a cemetery in Slemani, using his land, which had originally been designated for sumac cultivation. Aghal asserted that he had no intention of generating profit, stating that his personal wealth was sufficient to support the impoverished. He further demonstrated his altruistic nature by opening the doors of his palace, allowing the poor to take whatever they needed. He provided them with nuts, chicken, rice, and other food items that were typically consumed by the aristocracy of his era.

Additionally, he constructed the first bridge in Slemani, testing its stability by riding his horse across it. He expressed indifference to his own safety, stating that if he were to perish due to the bridge's collapse, it would serve as a testament to its inadequacy and raise awareness among the citizens. He also built the first mosque in Slemani, which is currently in poor condition, but has "Aghal" written on its walls.

The house was later sold and converted into a car park by the buyer, a decision that drew criticism from many older Kurds who had known him and disapproved of the change. Despite his death, Haji Aziz Bey Aghal is still highly respected as a nobleman. Many peasants offered to convert to his religion for his actions, but he refused, stating that he did not need any recognition and was content with everything he had. He was also offered royal titles, but he turned them down.