Tal Afar

Tal Afar stands between Mosul and Sinjar, on the routes crossing the northern Mesopotamian plain. Its castle, raised on a mound, gave the town a defensible centre in a country of open approaches. Under the Ottomans Tal Afar belonged to the district of Sinjar, and its position made it a significant stopping place between the Tigris city of Mosul and the lands to the west. The town was also home to a Turkmen community.