Avzrog


Avzruk is a village in the Kurdistan Region province of Dohuk and is 30 km from Zakho. Avzrog has a total population of about 350 people and is located in the Sulaivany area in the western part of Dohuk. The Sulaivany area is situated between Simele and the mountains south of Zakho.
The village is composed of two parts, the largest being that of the Armenians known as Avzruk Miri, and the other of the Assyrians, known as Avzruk Sheno, which is located 10 km away from the Armenian part. The Armenian inhabitants speak Kurdish rather than Armenian; despite this, Armenians in Avzrog maintain their Armenian social identity like folklore, religion and names. The village's Assyrians speak Aramaic. The entire village is Armenian Orthodox.

History

The village was founded in 1932 when Armenians from Zakho and its suburbs decided to establish the village and settle in it. In 1975 the village was destroyed as a part of the Arabization policy of Saddam Hussein and the Armenians were forced to flee. The land was then resettled by Arab tribes.
After the 1991 Gulf War, the town was repopulated with Armenians and the Arab tribes who resettled the village were driven out. In 2001 village's St. Vartan's Church was rebuilt.