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{{For|the town in Lebanon|Tikrit (Akkar)}}{{Infobox settlement
| official_name = Tikrit
| other_name =
| native_name = {{lang|ar|تِكْرِيت}}
| nickname =
| settlement_type = City
| image_skyline = {{Photomontage
| photo1a = 13052653 1036893699710410 179259890 o b6f94.jpg
| photo2a = جامع تكريت الكبير.jpeg
| photo2b = Gates of Tikrit Saddam Hussein's hometown.jpg
| photo3a = نهر دجلة.jpeg
| photo3b =
| photo4a =
| photo4b =
| photo5a =
| spacing = 2
| size = 280
| foot_montage = Top-bottom, R-L:{{br}} [[University of Tikrit]] {{br}} Mosque • Gates of Tikrit
{{br}} [[Tigris River]]
}}
| imagesize =
| image_caption =
| coordinates = {{coord|34|36|36|N|43|40|48|E|region:IQ|display=title,inline}}
| image_map =
| mapsize =
| map_caption =
| pushpin_map = Iraq
| pushpin_label_position = left
| pushpin_relief = yes
| pushpin_mapsize = 280
| pushpin_map_caption = Location of Tikrit within Iraq
| subdivision_type = Country
| subdivision_name = {{IRQ}}
| subdivision_type1 = [[Governorates of Iraq|Governorate]]
| subdivision_name1 = [[Saladin Governorate|Saladin]]
|subdivision_type2 = District
|subdivision_name2= [[Tikrit District|Tikrit]]
| leader_title = Mayor
| leader_name = Omar Tariq Ismail
| established_title = 
| established_date =
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| established_date2 =
| established_title3 = 
| established_date3 =
| unit_pref = metric
| area_total_km2 =
| population_as_of = 2012
| population_note =
| population_total = 160,000
| population_density_km2 =
| timezone =
| elevation_footnotes = <ref>{{cite web|author1=Philip Gladstone|title=METAR Information for ORSH in Tikrit Al Sahra (Tikrit West), SD, Iraq|url=http://weather.gladstonefamily.net/site/ORSH|publisher=Gladstonefamily.net|access-date=16 June 2014|date=10 February 2014}}</ref>
| elevation_m = 137
| elevation_ft = 449
| postal_code_type = 
| postal_code =
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| footnotes =
}}
[[File:Tikrit City (c 2004).jpg|thumb|right|City plan c. 2004]]
'''Tikrit''' ({{langx|ar|تِكْرِيت|translit=Tikrīt}} {{IPA|ar|ˈtɪkriːt|}}) is a city in [[Iraq]], located {{convert|140|km|mi|sp=us}} northwest of [[Baghdad]] and {{convert|220|km|mi|sp=us}} southeast of [[Mosul]] on the [[Tigris River]]. It is the administrative center of the [[Saladin Governorate]]. In 2012, it had a population of approximately 160,000.<ref>{{cite news |title= Iraqis – with American help – topple statue of Saddam in Baghdad |date= 9 April 2003 |work= Fox News |url= https://www.foxnews.com/story/iraqis-with-american-help-topple-statue-of-saddam-in-baghdad}}</ref> Tikrit is widely regarded as the cultural capital of [[Iraqi Sunni Arabs]], with control of the city carrying symbolic weight due to its former prestige.

Originally created as a [[Fortification|fort]] during the [[Neo-Assyrian Empire|Assyrian]] empire, Tikrit became the birthplace of [[Muslims|Muslim]] military leader [[Saladin]]. [[Saddam Hussein]]'s birthplace was in a modest village (13 km) south of Tikrit, which is called "[[Al-Awja]]"; for that, Saddam bore the surname ''al-Tikriti''.<ref name="auto">{{Cite news|last=MacFarquhar|first=Neil|date=2003-01-05|title=THREATS AND RESPONSES: ALLEGIANCES; In Iraq's Tribes, U.S. Faces a Formidable Wild Card (Published 2003)|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2003/01/05/world/threats-responses-allegiances-iraq-s-tribes-us-faces-formidable-wild-card.html|access-date=2020-11-03|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> The inhabitants of this village were farmers. Many individuals from [[Saladin Governorate]], especially from Tikrit, were government officials during the [[Ba'athist Iraq|Ba'athist]] period until the [[2003 invasion of Iraq|US-led invasion of Iraq]] in 2003.<ref>Batatu, Hanna. "Class Analysis and Iraqi Society." ''Arab Studies Quarterly'' Volume 1, No.3 (1979). 241.</ref> Following the invasion, the city has been a site of insurgency by Sunni militants, including the [[Islamic State]] who [[Northern Iraq offensive (June 2014)|captured the city in June 2014]]. During the [[Second Battle of Tikrit]] from March to April 2015, which resulted in the displacement of 28,000 civilians,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-31753727|title=Islamic State crisis: Thousands flee Iraqi advance on Tikrit|work=BBC News|date=5 March 2015|access-date=10 April 2015}}</ref> Iraqi government forces regained control of the city, with the city at peace since then.<ref name=union>{{cite web |url=http://www.timesunion.com/news/world/article/Iraqi-minister-says-Tikrit-to-be-recaptured-6172150.php |title=Iraq hails victory over Islamic State extremists in Tikrit - Times Union |website=www.timesunion.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402144035/http://www.timesunion.com/news/world/article/Iraqi-minister-says-Tikrit-to-be-recaptured-6172150.php |archive-date=2015-04-02}}</ref>

==History==
===Bronze Age to Hellenistic period===
As a fort along the [[Tigris]] ([[Akkadian language|Akkadian]]: ''Idiqlat''), the city is first mentioned in the ''Fall of Assyria Chronicle'' as being a refuge for the [[Babylonia]]n king [[Nabopolassar]] after his failed assault on the city of [[Assur]] in 615 BC.<ref>Bradford, Alfred S. & Pamela M. ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=dY86rHCI1I8C&pg=PA48 With Arrow, Sword, and Spear: A History of Warfare in the Ancient World].'' Greenwood Publishing Group, 2001. Accessed 18 December 2010.</ref>

Tikrit is usually identified as the [[Hellenistic]] settlement [[Birtha (Mesopotamia)|Birtha]].<ref>[[William Smith (lexicographer)|Smith]], ''[[Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography]]'', ''s.v.'' Birtha</ref>

===Christian presence===
Until the [[6th century]], Christianity within the [[Sasanian Empire]] was predominantly [[dyophysite]] under the [[Church of the East]], however, as a result of [[Miaphysitism|Miaphysite]] missionary work, Tikrit became a major Miaphysite (Orthodox Christian) center under its first bishop, [[Ahudemmeh]], in 559.<ref name=Maas2005>{{cite book|last=Maas|first=Michael |title=The Cambridge Companion to the Age of Justinian|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9AvjaThtrKYC&pg=PA260|access-date=4 July 2013|date=18 April 2005|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-1-139-82687-7|pages=260–}}</ref> Under [[Marutha of Tikrit]], the bishopric was elevated into a [[maphrian]]ate and the city's ecclesiastical jurisdiction extended as far as Central Asia.<ref name=syriacstudies>{{cite web |title= 88- Marutha of Takrit (d. 649) |publisher= SyriacStudies.com |url= http://www.syriacstudies.com/AFSS/Syriac_Scholars_and_Writers/Entries/2008/3/22_88-_Marutha_of_Takrit_%28d._649%29.html |access-date= August 20, 2012 |archive-date= July 16, 2014 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140716004648/http://www.syriacstudies.com/AFSS/Syriac_Scholars_and_Writers/Entries/2008/3/22_88-_Marutha_of_Takrit_%28d._649%29.html |url-status= dead }}</ref>

The city remained predominantly [[Syriac Orthodox Christians (Middle East)|Syriac Orthodox Christian]] in the early centuries of [[Islam]]ic rule and gained fame as an important center of [[Assyrian people|Syriac]] and [[Arab Christians|Christian Arab]] literature. Some famous Christians from the city include its [[bishop]] [[Quriaqos of Tagrit]] who ascended to become the patriarch of the [[Syriac Orthodox Church]], theologians Abu Zakariya Denha and [[Abu Raita al-Takriti|Abu Raita]], and translator [[Yahya ibn Adi]].<ref name=EOI/>

From the ninth century Christians of Tikrit began to migrate northwards due to restrictive measures taken by some Muslim governors. Many settled in [[Mosul]] and villages in the [[Nineveh Plains]], especially [[Bakhdida]], as well as [[Tur Abdin]].<ref name=Rassam2005>{{cite book|last=Rassam|first=Suha|title=Christianity in Iraq: Its Origins and Development to the Present Day|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GYC93sfHXAEC&pg=PA67|access-date=4 July 2013|year=2005|publisher=Gracewing Publishing|isbn=978-0-85244-633-1|pages=67–68}}</ref> The Christian community received a setback when the governor ordered the destruction of the main cathedral known popularly as the "[[Saint Ahoadamah Church, Tikrit|Green Church]]" in 1089. The maphrian and some of the Christians of Tikrit had to relocate to the [[Mor Mattai Monastery]], where a village named [[Merki, Iraq|Merki]] was established in the valley below the monastery. A later governor permitted the reconstruction of the cathedral. However, instability returned and the maphrian moved indefinitely to Mosul in 1156.<ref name=Rassam2005/>

Regardless, the city remained an important center of the [[Syriac Orthodox Church]] until its destruction by [[Timur]] in the late 14th century. A Christian presence has not existed in the city since the 17th century.<ref name=EOI/>
[[File:The.green.church.of.tikrit 01.jpg|thumb|Ruins of the "Green Church"]]

===Byzantine to Ottoman periods===
The town was also home to the [[Arab Christian]] tribe of [[Iyad (tribe)|Iyad]]. The Arabs of the town secretly assisted the Muslims when they besieged the town. The Muslims entered Tikrit in 640; it was from then considered as part of the [[Upper Mesopotamia|Jazira]] province. It was later regarded as belonging to Iraq by [[Arabs|Arab]] geographers.<ref name=EOI>{{cite encyclopedia |last= Gibb |first = H. A. R. |author-link= H. A. R. Gibb |title= Takrīt |pages= 140–141 |editor= Kramers, J. H. |encyclopedia= Encyclopaedia of Islam |isbn= 9789004112117 |year= 2000 |publisher= BRILL |edition= Second |volume= 10 |url= http://referenceworks.brillonline.com/entries/encyclopaedia-of-islam-2/takrit-SIM_7346 |access-date= 4 July 2013}}</ref>

Tikrit was briefly controlled by the [[Nizari Ismaili state|Nizari Ismailis]]. After a failed [[Ismaili–Seljuk wars|Seljuk campaign]] against it, the Nizaris handed it over to the local Shia Arabs there.<ref name=Lewis2011>{{cite book |last1=Lewis |first1=Bernard |title=The Assassins: A Radical Sect in Islam |date=2011 |publisher=Orion |isbn=978-0-297-86333-5 |language=en}}</ref>

The Arab [[Uqaylid dynasty]] took hold of Tikrit in 1036.

[[Saladin]] was born there around 1138.<ref>Malcolm Lyons and D.E.P. Jackson, "Saladin: The Politics of the Holy War", pg. 2.</ref> The modern province of which Tikrit is the capital is named after him.

The city was devastated in 1393 by [[Timur]]. During the [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman]] period Tikrit existed as a small settlement that belonged to the [[Rakka Eyalet]]; its population never exceeded 4,000–5,000.<ref name=EOI/>

===World War I and after===
[[File:Tikrit.jpg|thumb|View of Tikrit ca. 1914]]

In September 1917, [[British Empire|British]] forces captured the city during a major advance against the [[Ottoman Empire]] during [[World War I]].

The Tikriti Jewish community was mostly gone by 1948. By the time Saddam Hussein rose to power there were only two Jewish families in the city.

The city is the birthplace of [[Saddam Hussein]]. Many senior members of the Iraqi government during his rule were drawn from Saddam's own Tikriti tribe, the [[Al-Bu Nasir (Iraqi tribe)|Al-Bu Nasir]], as were members of his [[Iraqi Republican Guard]], chiefly because Saddam apparently felt that he was most able to rely on relatives and allies of his family. The Tikriti domination of the Iraqi government became something of an embarrassment to Hussein and, in 1977, he abolished the use of surnames in Iraq to conceal the fact that so many of his key supporters bore the same surname, ''al-Tikriti'' (as did Saddam himself).<ref name="auto"/> Saddam Hussein was buried near Tikrit in his hometown of [[Al-Awja]] following his hanging on December 30, 2006.

====Iraq War of 2003 and aftermath====
[[File:Tikrit Palace.jpg|thumb|Palace of Saddam Hussein, in Tikrit after abandonment]]
In the opening weeks of the [[2003 invasion of Iraq|2003 US-led invasion]], many observers speculated that Saddam would return to Tikrit as his "last stronghold". The city was subjected to intense aerial bombardment meant to throw Saddam's elite Republican Guard troops out of the city. On April 13, 2003, several thousand [[U.S. Marines]] and other coalition members aboard 300 armored vehicles converged on the town, meeting little or no resistance. With the fall of Tikrit, U.S. Army Major General [[Stanley McChrystal]] said, "I would anticipate that the major combat operations are over."<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/04/15/1050172572799.html|title=Major combat over|date=15 April 2003|publisher=[[The Age]]|access-date=15 August 2014}}</ref>

However, during the subsequent [[History of Iraq (2003–2011)|occupation]], Tikrit became the scene of a number of [[Iraqi resistance (Iraq War)|resistance]] attacks against [[Multi-National Force – Iraq|Coalition forces]]. It is commonly regarded as being the northern angle of the "[[Sunni Triangle]]" within which the resistance was at its most intense. In June 2003, [[Abid Hamid Mahmud]], Saddam Hussein's Presidential Secretary and the Ace of Diamonds on the [[Most-wanted Iraqi playing cards|most wanted 'Deck of Cards,']] was captured in a joint raid by U.S. Special Operations Forces and the 1st Battalion, [[22nd Infantry Regiment (United States)|22nd Infantry Regiment]] of 1st Brigade, [[4th Infantry Division (United States)|4th Infantry Division]].

After the fall of [[Baghdad]], Saddam Hussein was in and around Tikrit. He was hidden by relatives and supporters for about six months. During his final period in hiding, he lived in a small hole just outside the town of [[ad-Dawr]], 15 kilometres (9 mi) south of Tikrit on the eastern bank of the Tigris, a few kilometers southeast of his hometown of [[Al-Awja]] (although the story of having been found in a hole specifically has come into question as being a piece of war-time propaganda). The missions which resulted in the capture of Saddam Hussein were assigned to the 1st Brigade Combat Teams of the 4th Infantry Division, commanded by Colonel [[James Hickey (soldier)|James Hickey]] of the 4th Infantry Division. The U.S. Army finally captured Saddam Hussein on December 13, 2003 during [[Operation Red Dawn]].

During the 2003 invasion of Iraq, [[AFN Iraq]] ("Freedom Radio") broadcast news and entertainment within Tikrit, among other locations.
[[File:DA-SD-06-13569.jpg|thumb|257x257px|The Tigris River flows in front of a residence north of Tikrit]]
On November 22, 2005, HHC [[42nd Infantry Division (United States)|42nd Infantry Division]] New York Army National Guard, handed over control of Saddam Hussein's primary palace complex in Tikrit to the governor of Saladin Province, who represented the Iraqi government, discontinuing the existence of what once was FOB Danger. The palace complex had served as a headquarter for [[4th Infantry Division (United States)|U.S. 4th Infantry Division]], [[1st Infantry Division (United States)|U.S. 1st Infantry Division]], and [[42nd Infantry Division (United States)|42nd Infantry Division]]. The palace complex now serves several purposes for the Iraqi police and army, including headquarters and jails. The U.S. military subsequently moved their operations to al Sahra Airfield, later known as [[Camp Speicher]], northwest of Tikrit.

Saddam Hussein's primary palace complex contained his own palace, one built for his mother and his sons and also included a man-made lake, all enclosed with a wall and towers. Plans for the palace grounds when originally returned to the Iraqi people included turning it into an exclusive and lush resort. However, within weeks of turning over the palace, it was ravaged, and its contents, (furniture, columns, even light switches), were stolen and sold on the streets of Tikrit.

The 402nd Civil Affairs Detachment of the U.S. Army, and the government of Salah ad Din province, began plans to improve local economic conditions. One of the many projects they are working on is building an industrial vocational school in the Tikrit area. The school will teach local people skills in different fields of technology, which will help to build and improve Iraq's economic stability.<ref name=defend>{{cite web|url=http://www.defendamerica.mil/articles/jul2006/a071806wm1.html|title=New Vocational School and Textile Mill Boost Economy - DefendAmerica News Article|website=defendamerica.mil|access-date=1 April 2018|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070613014831/http://defendamerica.mil/articles/jul2006/a071806wm1.html|archive-date=13 June 2007}}</ref> The curriculum will educate men and women in multiple occupational fields such as the production of high-tech products, plastic production technology, masonry, carpentry, petroleum equipment maintenance and repair, farm machinery and automotive repair. This self-supporting educational institution owns a textile mill where many of the graduates will work producing uniforms. The mill is scheduled to begin producing and selling products within the year, with the profits from the mill going to fund the school. The vocational school's operation, support and funding are modeled after a system South Korea used in another part of Iraq.<ref name=defend/>

On April 18, 2010, [[Abu Hamza al-Muhajir]] and [[Abu Omar al-Baghdadi]] were killed in a raid {{convert|10|km|abbr=on|0}} southwest of Tikrit in a safe house.<ref>{{Cite web|date=April 19, 2010|title=Al Qaeda's two top Iraq leaders killed in raid|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-iraq-violence-alqaeda-idUSTRE63I3CL20100419|website=Reuters}}</ref>

====ISIL insurgence (2011-15)====
{{see also|Second Battle of Tikrit}}
[[File:Fobspeicheriraq2.png|thumb|Tikrit Air Academy (formerly [[COB Speicher]]), site of the [[Camp Speicher massacre]] by ISIL, was recaptured and used as an offensive launching platform for the second battle of Tikrit where Gen. [[Qasem Soleimani]] coordinated the Badr brigade & Kata’ib Imam Ali efforts.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2015/03/iranian-backed-shiite-militias-lead-iraqs-fight-to-retake-tikrit.php |title=Iranian-backed Shiite militias lead Iraq's fight to retake Tikrit - The Long War Journal|date=4 March 2015|access-date=22 March 2015}}</ref>]]

The [[Islamic State of Iraq]] launched [[2011 Tikrit assault|an attack on March 29, 2011]] that killed 65 people and wounded over 100.<ref name=IFEX1>{{cite web |title=Two journalists among scores killed in insurgent operation in Tikrit |date= 30 March 2011 |url= http://www.ifex.org/iraq/2011/03/30/tikrit_operation/ |publisher=IFEX |access-date=25 April 2012}}</ref> Reuters news agency included the attack in its list of deadliest attacks in 2011.<ref name=Reuters>{{cite news |title=Timeline: Deadliest attacks in Iraq in last year |url= https://www.reuters.com/article/us-iraq-violence-blasts-idUSTRE81M0NE20120223 |publisher=Reuters |access-date=24 April 2012 |first=David |last=Cutler |date=23 February 2012}}</ref>

On June 11, 2014, during the [[Northern Iraq offensive (June 2014)|Northern Iraq offensive]], the [[Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant]] [[First Battle of Tikrit|took control of the city]]. Hours later, the Iraqi Army made an attempt to recapture the city, which resulted in heavy fighting.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://online.wsj.com/articles/iran-deploys-forces-to-fight-al-qaeda-inspired-militants-in-iraq-iranian-security-sources-1402592470|title=Iran Deploys Forces to Fight al Qaeda-Inspired Militants in Iraq |newspaper=Wall Street Journal |date=13 June 2014 |publisher=Online.wsj.com |access-date=7 October 2014|last1=Fassihi |first1=Farnaz }}</ref> On June 12, [[Camp Speicher massacre|ISIL executed]] at least 1,566<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://rudaw.net/notfound.html|title=ERROR|website=rudaw.net}}</ref> [[Iraqi Air Force]] cadets from [[Camp Speicher]] at Tikrit. At the time of the attack there were between 4,000 and 11,000 unarmed cadets in the camp.<ref name=Buratha>{{cite web |title=Survivors from the Speicher massacre: We were 4000 unarmed soldiers fell into the hands of ISIS |url= http://burathanews.com/news/247028.html |website=Buratha News Agency|date= 7 September 2014 |access-date=13 September 2014|language=ar}}</ref> The [[Government of Iraq|Iraqi government]] blamed the massacre on both ISIL and members of the [[Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party – Iraq Region]].<ref name=CNNArabic>{{cite web|title=ISIS, Saddam's men or a third party who killed 1700 soldiers in camp Speicher in Iraq? |url= http://arabic.cnn.com/middleeast/2014/09/10/iraq-speicher-massacre |website=CNN Arabic|date= 10 September 2014 |access-date=13 September 2014 |language=ar}}</ref> By July 2014, government forces had withdrawn from Tikrit.<ref>{{cite news|title=Iraqi forces withdrawn from militant-held Tikrit after new push|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-iraq-security-tikrit-idUSKBN0FL0D920140716 |date=July 16, 2014|work=Reuters}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2014/07/rebels-repel-iraqi-attempt-retake-tikrit-201471693439233679.html |work=Al Jazeera |title= Rebels repel Iraqi attempt to retake Tikrit |date=16 July 2014}}</ref>

On September 25, 2014, [[Destruction of cultural heritage by ISIL|Islamist militants destroyed]] the [[Saint Ahoadamah Church, Tikrit|Assyrian Church]] there that dated back to 700 AD.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.aina.org/news/20140925012701.htm|title=Islamists Destroy 7th Century Church, Mosque in Tikrit, Iraq|date=25 September 2014|access-date=7 October 2014}}</ref> The historic [[Al-Arba'een Mosque]] was detonated as well, damaging the cemetery surrounding it.

In March 2015, the [[Iraqi Army]] along with the [[Popular Mobilization Forces (Iraq)|''Hashd Shaabi'' popular forces]] launched [[Second Battle of Tikrit|an operation to retake Tikrit]] from the [[Islamic State]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/03/world/middleeast/iraq-tikrit-isis.html |title=Iraqi Offensive to Retake Tikrit From ISIS Begins |first1=Omar |last1=Al-Jawoshy |first2=Tim |last2=Arango |author2-link=Tim Arango |date=2 March 2015 |access-date=28 July 2019 |newspaper=[[NY Times]] |editor-first=Falih |editor-last=Hassan |editor2-first=Ahmed |editor2-last=Saleh |publisher=[[The New York Times Company]]}}</ref> On March 31, the Iraqi government claimed the city had been recaptured by the Iraqi Army with the help of [[Shia]] militias.<ref name=union/>

==Notable people==
[[File:Saladin the Victorious.jpg|thumb|19th-century depiction of a victorious Saladin, by [[Gustave Doré]]]]
[[File:Saddam Hussein 1956.jpg|thumb|[[Saddam Hussein]]]]
* [[Saladin]] (1137 – 1193), was the founder of the Ayyubid dynasty who recaptured [[Jerusalem]]
* [[Saddam Hussein]] (1937 - 2006), President of Iraq from 1979 until [[2003 invasion of Iraq|9 April 2003]]
* [[Barzan al-Tikriti]] (1951 – 2007), one of three half-brothers of Saddam Hussein, and a leader of the Mukhabarat
* [[Ali Hassan al Majid]] (1941 – 2010), an Iraqi politician and military commander who was Saddam's defence minister, interior minister and chief of the Iraqi Intelligence Service
* [[Ahmed Hassan al-Bakr]] (1914 – 1982), Iraqi politician who served as the president of Iraq, from 17 July 1968 to 16 July 1979

==Geography==
Tikrit is about {{convert|160|km|mi|sp=us}} north of [[Baghdad]] on the [[Tigris River]].<ref>Shewchuk, Blair. "[http://www.cbc.ca/news2/indepth/words/saddam_hussein.html SADDAM OR MR. HUSSEIN?]" ([https://web.archive.org/web/20140331054013/http://www.cbc.ca/news2/indepth/words/saddam_hussein.html Archive]). [[CBC News]]. February 2003. Retrieved on June 24, 2014.</ref>

The city is located within the semi-undulating area. It penetrates the branch and valleys and ends with very sloping slopes towards the Tigris River, with a height ranging between 45–50 meters.

===Climate===
[[Köppen-Geiger climate classification system]] classifies its climate as [[hot desert climate|hot desert]] (BWh).<ref name=Climate>{{Cite web |url=http://en.climate-data.org/location/4556/ |title=Climate: Tikrit - Climate graph, Temperature graph, Climate table |publisher=Climate-Data.org |access-date=2014-02-22 }}</ref>

{{Weather box
|width = auto
|metric first=yes
|single line=yes
|location=Tikrit, Iraq
|Jan high C=14.5
|Feb high C=17.4
|Mar high C=23.1
|Apr high C=29.0
|May high C=35.5
|Jun high C=40.9
|Jul high C=43.7
|Aug high C=43.7
|Sep high C=39.1
|Oct high C=32.3
|Nov high C=22.0
|Dec high C=16.1

|Jan mean C=9.1
|Feb mean C=11.6
|Mar mean C=16.8
|Apr mean C=22.7
|May mean C=29.2
|Jun mean C=34.4
|Jul mean C=37.2
|Aug mean C=37.1
|Sep mean C=32.3
|Oct mean C=25.9
|Nov mean C=16.1
|Dec mean C=10.7

|Jan low C=4.2
|Feb low C=5.8
|Mar low C=9.9
|Apr low C=15.2
|May low C=21.5
|Jun low C=26.9
|Jul low C=29.8
|Aug low C=29.6
|Sep low C=24.9
|Oct low C=19.2
|Nov low C=10.6
|Dec low C=6.0

|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation mm=35
|Feb precipitation mm=31
|Mar precipitation mm=30
|Apr precipitation mm=19
|May precipitation mm=5
|Jun precipitation mm=0
|Jul precipitation mm=0
|Aug precipitation mm=0
|Sep precipitation mm=0
|Oct precipitation mm=11
|Nov precipitation mm=25
|Dec precipitation mm=33
| Jan humidity =68
| Feb humidity =57
| Mar humidity =38
| Apr humidity =29
| May humidity =20
| Jun humidity =14
| Jul humidity =15
| Aug humidity =16
| Sep humidity =19
| Oct humidity =27
| Nov humidity =47
| Dec humidity =63

|source 1= ''Climate-Data.org'' (altitude: 109m)<ref name=Climate/>
|source 2 = ''SunMap''<ref name= SunMap >{{cite web |title= Weather in Asia, Iraq, Muḩāfaz̧at Şalāḩ ad Dīn, Tikrit Weather and Climate |url= http://www.sunmap.eu/weather/asia/iraq/muhafazat-salah-ad-din/tikrit |access-date= 2014-02-22 }}</ref>}}

==Culture and community==
The [[Tikrit Museum]] was damaged during the 2003 [[Iraq War]].<ref>[http://www2.h-net.msu.edu/~museum/iraq_two.html Iraq - The cradle of civilization at risk] ( {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402114230/http://www2.h-net.msu.edu/~museum/iraq_two.html |date=April 2, 2015 }})</ref><ref>[http://www.upi.com/Business_News/Security-Industry/2003/03/27/Another-war-casualty-archeology/UPI-52541048788125/ Another war casualty: archeology] ( {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402090102/http://www.upi.com/Business_News/Security-Industry/2003/03/27/Another-war-casualty-archeology/UPI-52541048788125/ |date=April 2, 2015 }})</ref>

The [[University of Tikrit]] was established in 1987 and is one of the largest universities in Iraq.

[[Tikrit Stadium]] is a multi-use facility used mostly for [[football (soccer)|football]] matches and serves as the home stadium of [[Salahaddin FC|Salah ad Din FC]]. It holds 10,000 people.
There is also a [[Salah Al Din Stadium|new world-class stadium]] that meets FIFA standards with a capacity of 30,000 seats being built in Tikrit.<ref>[https://www.alnahar.news/26914 ملعب صلاح الدين الأولمبي سعة 30 ألف متفرج يدخلُ مرحلةً جديدةً من العمل مع الفندق], alnahar.news</ref>

==Military facilities==
The [[Iraqi Air Force]] has had several air bases at Tikrit: the [[Tikrit South Air Base]], the [[Tikrit East Air Base]] and Al Sahra Airfield (Tikrit Air Academy, formerly [[COB Speicher|Camp Speicher]]).

[[File:Tikrit Map.jpg|thumb|Air Bases Map]]

==Transportation==
The city of Tikrit has two small airports; Tikrit East Airport and Tikrit South Airport.{{cn|date=January 2023}}

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:بقايا الكنيسة السريانية ( الكنيسة الخضراء ) مدينة تكريت العراقية.jpg|Tikrit Old Town
File:مدخل مقبرة تكريت القديمة.jpg|Tikrit Old Town
File:Monastery.JPG|Modern-day view of the Monastery at Tikrit
</gallery>

==References==
{{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}

==External links ==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20150402173535/http://midwestdiplomacy.com/2015/03/23/how-tikrit-has-changed-the-war/ How Tikrit has Changed the War - Counteroffensive in Tikrit March 2015]
*[http://www.iraqimage.com/pages/browse/Tikrit.html Iraq Image - Tikrit Satellite Observation] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303184229/http://www.iraqimage.com/pages/browse/Tikrit.html |date=2016-03-03 }}
*[https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/2941383.stm BBC NEWS: Tikrit: Iraq's last stronghold]

{{Tigris}}
{{Districts of Iraq}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Tikrit| ]]
[[Category:Populated places in Saladin Governorate]]
[[Category:Populated places on the Tigris River]]
[[Category:Assyrian communities in Iraq]]
[[Category:District capitals of Iraq]]
[[Category:Cities in Iraq]]

Tikrit - Revision history

imported>Clemens Schmillen at 21:50, 10 November 2025