Diyala

The Tigris River has a tributary, the Diyala River. Near the Sulaymaniyah Governorate of Northern Iraq, it is formed by the confluence of the Sirwan and Tanjaro rivers in Darbandikhan Dam. It has a total length of 445 kilometers.

It rises in Iran's Zagros Mountains near Hamadan. It then falls into the highlands, forming the border between the two countries for 32 kilometers. It eventually empties into the Tigris River beneath Baghdad. Because of its shallow defiles, navigation of the upper sections of the Diyala is impossible, but the river's valley serves as an important commercial route between Iran and Iraq.

Its Aramaic name is "Diyalas," and its Kurdish name is "Sirwan," which means "roaring sea" or "shouting river." The Nahrawan Canal ran along the lower channel of the river during the early Islamic period. The river Diyala is the name of the governorate in Iraq.

The Diyala River produced a form of pottery known as 'Scarlet Ware,' a brilliantly colored ceramic with graphical motifs. It was created approximately 2800 BC, and it is related to the Jemdet Nasr ware from central Mesopotamia at the time. Haematite paint was mostly used to obtain the red color. The Early Dynastic I and II periods are represented by scarlet ware. One of the most major trade routes connecting south Mesopotamia and the Iranian plateau runs through the Diyala. Scarlet porcelain was also popular in Luristan's Pusht-i Kuh, and it was traded to Susa under the reign of Susa II.

Length: 277 miles (shared with Iran)