(Arbil, Erbil)
Irbil was already an ancient city in 331 BCE when Alexander the Great defeated the Persian king Darius some 120 kilometers northwest of there.
Currently, Irbil is the largest city in and the capital of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) in northern Iraq. More than one million people live there. It was a bone of contention between the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) during their civil war from 1994 to 1998. Following the overthrow of Saddam Hussein, Irbil began to prosper economically and experienced a construction boom. A wealthy noveau riche class emerged, but also poverty remained. Irbil now contains several universities, including the Salah al-Din University, and is also the name of one of the three governorates constituting northern Iraq. The Kurds refer to Irbil as Hawlar. The city contains an ancient citadel and a modern international airport.
Historical Dictionary of the Kurds. Michael M. Gunter.