Iraqi
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Think of Iraqis and the first name that strikes the mind is that of the notorious dictator Saddam Hussein. And why not, for he remained the face of Iraq for almost two decades, presiding over the Iran-Iraq War and the Gulf War. The brutality of this condemned man was finally over in 2003 when US invaded Iraq and dethroned him from power. Saddam was hanged to death in 2006 following charges of killing 148 Iraqi Shi’ites. However, Saddam Hussein is not the only famous Iraqi of the country. Nouri al-Maliki, a world leader and politician, served as the prime minister of Iraq. He was responsible for drafting Iraq’s constitution. He also played a key role in drafting the Status of Forces agreement with the United States that mandated American forces be out of Iraqi cities by June 2009. Ignatius Zakka is yet another prominent Iraqi figure. A religious leader, he dedicated his entire life for bridging the gap between the different Christian churches. In 1980, he served as the head of the Universal Syriac Orthodox Church. And who can forget the contribution made by Iraqi architect, Hisham N. Ashkouri, an urban planner who was the key to the reconstruction of Kabul. With this segment, find out more about famous Iraqis, their life and their works.
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1
Gilgamesh(5th king of the Sumerian city-state of Uruk)
Birthplace: Iraq
Mesopotamian hero Gilgamesh is the leading character in the 2nd millennium B.C. Akkadian Epic of Gilgamesh. Experts believe he was a Sumerian ruler from 2900-2500 B.C., who became a legendary figure in the Third Dynasty of Ur. Gilgamesh’s tale is said to have inspired the Iliad and the Odyssey.
Birthplace: Akkadian Empire
Died: 2279 AD
Sargon of Akkad reigned as the king of the Akkadian Empire from 2334 to 2284 BC. The first person to rule the Akkadian Empire, Sargon is sometimes recognized as the first person to rule over an empire in recorded history. He is credited with founding the Old Akkadian or Sargonic dynasty, which ruled for several years after his death.
Birthdate: 1810 BC
Birthplace: Babylon, Iraqi
Died: 1750 BC
Hammurabi reigned as the first Babylonian dynasty's sixth king from 1792 BC to 1750 BC. During his reign, Hammurabi conquered the city-states of Eshnunna, Larsa, and Mari and brought nearly all of Mesopotamia under Babylonian rule. He is also known for issuing the Code of Hammurabi, which is one of the first law codes to establish the presumption of innocence.
Birthplace: Ur of the Chaldees
Birthdate: 0634 BC
Died: 0562 BC
6
Ibn-al-Haytham(Arab Mathematician, Astronomer, and Physicist of the Islamic Golden Age)
Birthdate: 0965 AD
Birthplace: Basrah, Iraq
Died: 1040 AD
Ibn al-Haytham was an Arab mathematician, physicist, and astronomer of the Islamic Golden Age. He is best remembered for his contributions to the principles of optics for which he is called the father of modern optics. He was the first person to explain visual perception. A polymath, Ibn al-Haytham also wrote influential books on philosophy, medicine, and theology.
7
Nadia Murad
(Human rights activist)
Birthdate: 1993 AD
Birthplace: Kocho, Iraq
Birthdate: 0740 BC
Birthplace: Nimrud
Died: December 31, 0681
Sennacherib reigned as the king of the Neo-Assyrian Empire between 705 BC and 681 BC. One of the most famous Assyrian kings, Sennacherib is mentioned as an important figure in the Hebrew Bible. He is credited with destructing the city of Babylon and expanding Nineveh, the last great Assyrian capital.
Birthdate: April 28, 1937
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Al Awja, Iraq
Died: December 30, 2006
Saddam Hussein ruled Iraq as its president from 1979 to 2003. Described as one of the last of the great dictators of the 20th century, his regime caused the deaths of at least 250,000 Iraqis. Saddam was deposed in 2003 when a U.S led coalition invaded Iraq. Accused of crimes against humanity, Saddam Hussein was sentenced to death in 2006.
Birthdate: 0685 BC
Birthplace: Assyria, Iraq
Died: 0631 BC
Ashurbanipal reigned as the king of the Neo-Assyrian Empire from 669 BC until his death in 631 BC. Widely regarded as the last great king of Assyria, Ashurbanipal is best remembered for the establishment of the famous Library of Ashurbanipal. The library has great historical significance as it holds texts like the Epic of Gilgamesh, the earliest surviving notable literature.
11
Ahmad ibn Fadlan
(Traveler)
Birthdate: 0879 AD
Birthplace: Baghdad, Iraq
Died: 0960 AD
12
Al-Kindī
(Father of Arab philosophy)
Birthdate: 0801 AD
Birthplace: Kufa, Iraq
Died: 0873 AD
13
Jim Al-Khalili
(Physicist)
Birthdate: September 20, 1962
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Baghdad, Iraq
Birthdate: 0618 BC
Died: April 3, 0561
Birthdate: 1125 AD
Birthplace: Iraq
Died: 1104 AD
16
Al-Maʾmūn
(Caliph of Baghdad)
Birthdate: September 14, 0786
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Baghdad, Iraq
Died: August 9, 0833
17
Nouri al-Maliki(Vice President of Iraq (2014-2015 and 2016-2018), Prime Minister of Iraq (2006-2014))
Birthdate: June 20, 1950
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Hindiyah, Iraq
Former prime minister and vice president of Iraq Nouri al-Maliki was the grandson of reputed poet Muhammad Hasan Abi al-Mahasin. He later joined the outlawed Daʿwah party and escaped to Syria under the pseudonym Jawad after his link with the party was discovered. He later became the party leader.
Birthdate: December 5, 1932
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Baghdad, Iraq
Died: February 9, 2006
19
Khosrau II
(considered to be the last great Sasanian king (shah) of Iran, ruling from 590 to 628, with an interruption of one year)
Birthdate: 0570 AD
Birthplace: Ctesiphon, Iraq
Died: February 28, 0628
20
Abd al-Karim Qasim
(Prime Minister of Iraq from 1958 to 1963)
Birthdate: November 21, 1914
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Baghdad, Iraq
Died: February 9, 1963
Abd al-Karim Qasim was an Iraqi nationalist and Army brigadier. He came to power after the 14 July Revolution, during which the Iraqi monarchy was overthrown. Abd al-Karim Qasim went on to serve as the Prime Minister of Iraq from 14 July 1958 to 8 February 1963. During his premiership, Qasim laid importance on education and greater equality for women.
21
Khosrow I
(Sasanian King of Kings of Iran from 531 to 579)
Birthdate: 0501 AD
Birthplace: Ardestan, Iran
Died: January 31, 0579
Khosrow I was a 6th-century Persian king of the Sasanian Empire. Though most of the information on him is known through legends, he is believed to have been a patron of the arts. He introduced major tax reforms and also brought changes to the Sasanian bureaucracy.
Birthdate: April 18, 1989
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Riverside, California, USA
Birthdate: 0658 BC
Died: 0605 BC
Birthdate: June 18, 1964
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Tikrit
Died: July 22, 2003
Uday Hussein was an the eldest child of Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein. Uday was reportedly intimidating and erratically ruthless. Many claim that his relatives and acquaintances were victims of his rage. He was killed in 2003 by an American task force following the invasion of Iraq.
25
Adnan Al-Kaissie
(Iraqi former professional wrestler and manager)
Birthdate: March 1, 1939
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Baghdad, Iraq
Birthdate: June 9, 1943
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Baghdad
Charles Saatchi is an Iraqi-British businessman. He is credited with co-founding the popular advertising agency, Saatchi & Saatchi. He then went on to co-found another international advertising agency called M&C Saatchi after Charles and his brother Maurice were forced out of Saatchi & Saatchi in 1995. He also owns Saatchi Gallery and is known for sponsoring the Young British Artists.
27
Esarhaddon
(King of the Neo-Assyrian Empire)
Birthplace: Harran
Died: 0669 BC
Esarhaddon reigned as the King of the Neo-Assyrian Empire from 681 BC until his death in 669 BC. He is best remembered for his invasion of Egypt in 671 BC. The conquest made his empire the world's largest at that time. Esarhaddon is also remembered for his reconstruction of Babylon.
Birthdate: 0915 AD
Birthplace: Kufa, Iraq
Died: September 3, 0965
29
Ur-Nammu
(King of the Neo-Sumerian Empire)
Ur-Nammu reigned as the King of the Neo-Sumerian Empire from 2112 BC to 2094 BC. He is credited with founding the Third Dynasty of Ur, which is also referred to as the Neo-Sumerian Empire, in southern Mesopotamia. Ur-Nammu is best remembered for creating the Code of Ur-Nammu, the oldest known extant legal code in the world.
Birthdate: 0896 AD
Birthplace: Baghdad, Iraq
Died: August 31, 0956
31
Qusay Hussein(Iraqi Politician, Military Leader and Son of Saddam Hussein)
Birthdate: May 17, 1966
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Baghdad, Iraq
Died: July 22, 2003
Qusay Hussein was the younger son of Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein. As in charge of the Iraqi Republican Guard, a branch of the Iraqi military during the presidency of Saddam Hussein, Qusay Hussein was an influential man in Iraq. It is also believed that he had authority over other military units in Iraq. He was killed by U.S special forces in 2003.
32
Younis Mahmoud
(Football player)
Birthdate: February 3, 1983
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Dibis, Kirkuk, Iraq
Birthplace: Neo-Assyrian Empire
Died: 0859 BC
34
Al-Jāḥiẓ
(Theologian and scholar)
Birthdate: 0776 AD
Birthplace: Basra, Iraq
Died: 0868 AD
Birthdate: 0480 BC
Birthplace: Babylon
Died: 0440 BC
36
Aḥmad Ḥasan al-Bakr
(Former President and the Prime Minister of Iraq)
Birthdate: July 1, 1914
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Tikrīt, Iraq
Died: October 4, 1982
Aḥmad Ḥasan al-Bakr was an Iraqi politician best remembered for his service as the President and the Prime Minister of Iraq from 1968 to 1979. He also served as the Prime Minister of Iraq from February to November 1963. An important political leader, Aḥmad Ḥasan al-Bakr also served as the Minister of Defence from 1974 to 1977.
Birthdate: June 24, 1937
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Tikrit, Iraq
Married to former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein, Sajida Talfah was also his first cousin. Theirs was an arranged marriage fixed before the two were even 10. Fond of her luxurious lifestyle, Sajida also often mistreated her servants. She disappeared during the Gulf War, like many other fugitives.
Birthdate: 0756 AD
Birthplace: Ahvaz, Iran
Died: 0814 AD
Birthdate: September 5, 0698
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Kūfah, Iraq
Died: June 14, 0767
40
Tariq Aziz
(Former Deputy Prime Minister of Iraq)
Birthdate: April 28, 1936
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Tel Keppe
Died: June 5, 2015
Tariq Aziz was an Iraqi politician best remembered for his service as the Minister of Foreign Affairs from 11 November 1983 to 19 December 1991. An influential political leader, Tariq Aziz also served as the Deputy Prime Minister of Iraq from 16 July 1979 to 9 April 2003.
41
Mustafa Barzani
(Kurdish General and Leader Who Led Military Campaigns Against Iran and Iraq)
Birthdate: March 14, 1903
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Barzan, Iraq
Died: March 1, 1979
Mustafa al-Barzani was a Kurdish general and leader. He is widely regarded as one of the most important political leaders in modern Kurdish politics. Mustafa Barzani was the primary military and political leader of the Kurdish revolution; he led military campaigns against both the Iranian and Iraqi governments until his death on 1 March 1979.
Birthdate: August 4, 1974
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Najaf, Iraq
Son of Iraqi Shi'a cleric Grand Ayatollah Muḥammad Ṣādiq al-Ṣadr, known for his opposition to Saddam Hussein, Muqtada al-Sadr started the Sadrist Movement. His initial militant stint transformed into a nationalist phase later. Shi'a people consider him a hero who stood against Sunni insurgents.
Birthdate: May 2, 1935
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Baghdad, Iraq
Died: July 14, 1958
44
ʿAbd al-Rahman ʿArif
(President of Iraq from 1966 to 1968)
Birthdate: April 14, 1916
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Baghdad, Iraq
Died: August 24, 2007
ʿAbd al-Rahman ʿArif was an Iraqi political leader best remembered for his service as the President of Iraq from 1966 to 1968. A prominent politician, ʿAbd al-Rahman ʿArif also served as the Prime Minister of Iraq in 1967. Arif was also a career soldier who played an important role in the 14 July Revolution that overthrew the monarchy.
45
Raghad Hussein
(Oldest Daughter of Saddam Hussein)
Birthdate: September 2, 1968
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Baghdad, Iraq
Raghad Hussein is an Iraqi politician best known as the oldest daughter of Saddam Hussein. She left Iraq in 2003 and currently lives in exile in Jordan. Raghad Hussein is in Iraq's most wanted list for her supposed role in assisting the insurgency in Iraq.
46
Muhammad Saeed al-Sahhaf
(Iraqi Former Diplomat and Politician)
Birthdate: July 30, 1937
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Hillah, Iraq
Muhammad Saeed al-Sahhaf is an Iraqi former politician and diplomat. He is best known for his service as the Minister of Information from 2001 to 2003. Muhammad Saeed al-Sahhaf also served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs from 6 June 1992 to 23 April 2001.
Birthplace: Sangara
Died: 1638 BC
Nimrod appears in the Bible as a ruler of Shinar, or Mesopotamia. Genesis and the Books of Chronicles state he was the son of Cush. Some sources link him to the Towel of Babel. He has been identified with countless real and mythical figures, such as the Mesopotamian god Ninurta.
48
Ayad Allawi
(Former Prime Minister of Iraq)
Birthdate: May 31, 1944
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Adamiyah, Baghdad, Iraq
Ayad Allawi is an Iraqi politician best known for his service as the Prime Minister of Iraq from 1 June 2004 to 3 May 2005. A prominent politician, Allawi also served as the Vice President of Iraq from 10 October 2016 to 2 October 2018. A former Ba'athist, Ayad Allawi helped establish a political party called the Iraqi National Accord.
49
Jalal Talabani
(President of Iraq from 2006 to 2014)
Birthdate: 1933 AD
Birthplace: Kalkan, Iraq
Died: October 3, 2017
Jalal Talabani was an Iraqi Kurdish politician best remembered for his service as the President of Iraq from 2006 to 2014. Previously, he served as the Acting President from 2005 to 2006. Jalal Talabani is also remembered as the first non-Arab politician to serve as the president of Iraq. He is also credited with founding the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan.
50
Methuselah(Biblical Patriarch and a figure in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam)
Birthdate: 3317 BC
Birthplace: Ancient Near East
Methuselah was a biblical patriarch and a prominent figure in Islam, Christianity, and Judaism. He was the son of Enoch and the grandfather of Noah. It is believed that he lived for 969 years, due to which Methuselah has become synonymous with longevity. Over the years, he has been referenced and portrayed in several films, television series, and music videos.