Diyar Bakr

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Jazira (Upper Mesopotamia
), with its provinces, in medieval times

Diyar Bakr (

Arabic: دِيَارُ بَكرٍ, romanizedDiyār Bakr, lit.'abode of Bakr') is the medieval Arabic name of the northernmost of the three provinces of the Jazira (Upper Mesopotamia), the other two being Diyar Mudar and Diyar Rabi'a. According to the medieval geographer al-Baladhuri, all three provinces were named after the main Arab tribes that were settled there by Mu'awiya in the course of the Muslim conquests of the 7th century. The Diyar Bakr was settled by the Rabi'a subgroup of the Banu Bakr, and hence the two provinces are sometimes referred to collectively as "Diyar Rabi'a". In later Turkish usage, "Diyar Bakr" referred to the western portion of the former province, around Amid (which hence became known as Diyarbakır in Turkish).[1]

Diyar Bakr encompasses the region on both banks of the upper course of the river

Buyids (978–983) and after that the Marwanids.[1]

The Marwanid emirate ruled the region for almost a century before being annexed by the

Seljuks of Rum, who controlled the western portion around Amida. Around 1260, the region was conquered by the Mongols, who allowed the local rulers to continue to exercise power as their vassals. In the 14th century, the region was conquered by the Aq Qoyunlu, who disputed control with the Qara Qoyunlu and the last Ayyubid princes. In the early 16th century, it was for a time occupied by the Safavids before coming under Ottoman control in 1516.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b c Canard & Cahen 1965, pp. 343–345.

Sources

  • Canard, Marius & Cahen, Claude (1965). "Diyār Bakr". In
    OCLC 495469475
    .

Further reading