Fırat

Fırat, in sources from antiquity and the Islamic period, is one of the two great rivers most frequently referenced to define the geography of Kurdish history (the other being Dicle). The area inhabited by Kurds is often described by the framework formed by these two rivers.

In Ancient Sources

In ancient sources, information is found about the geography between Fırat and Dicle and regions associated with this framework, such as Zabdicene and Korduene (Volume 1, p. 37). The work of the Late Antiquity historian Procopius contains valuable information about many geographical areas east of Fırat; the same work details the situation of the people who, located along the borders during the Pers-Roma wars, suffered the wrath of both empires (Volume 1, p. 39).

The river stands out in antiquity as a line where two great powers clashed. Pers-Roma wars mostly took place in the geography corresponding to the area between the Fırat and Dicle rivers, and detailed information about this region has been provided in sources (Volume 1, p. 56).

Islamic Period Geography

In Islamic period geographical literature, Fırat continues to be a fundamental landmark defining the regions inhabited by Kurds. It is stated that the Cibal region extends from Kevar in Musul beyond Dicle to Fırat (Volume 2, p. 55). Ebü'l-Fidâ follows the Dicle and Fırat rivers when defining the el-Cezîre region; this region extends north to where Dicle and Fırat originate, while in the south it descends to the point north of Bağdat where Fırat approaches Dicle (Volume 2, p. 62). In the western part of Cezîre, the center of Diyar-ı Mudar, located within the middle Fırat basin, is Rakka; its main cities are Harran, er-Ruha, Rakka, and Sumaysat (Volume 2, p. 63). İbn Şeddad, when giving the borders of Şam, shows the river as the eastern border of the region: to the north Rum diyarı, to the east Fırat, to the west Rum denizi (Akdeniz), and to the south Mısır (Volume 2, p. 71).

Tributaries

Fırat is also mentioned in sources with its tributaries. Habur Nehri is defined as one of its tributaries flowing into Fırat; Habur, fed by many sources originating in Rasulayn in Cezîre, merges with Hermas Nehri in Karkisya and flows into Fırat (Volume 2, p. 86). Kazvinî also considers Habur one of the tributaries feeding Fırat (Volume 2, p. 106). El-Umerî states that the Kurdish presence in Nusaybin and its surroundings formed part of the large geographical area that spread into the plains of Mardin between the Dicle and Fırat rivers during the Moğol and Memlûk periods (Volume 2, p. 103).