The
Khabur or
Little Khabur (,
Ava Xabûr or
Xabîr, ,
Khabir or
Habur Suyu (
Habur Water)) is river that rises in
Turkey and joins the
Tigris in
Iraq. The river originates in the
Uludere District in Turkey and emerges from a number of small rivers flowing off the
Bolkar ountain range south-east of
Hakkâri. From there, it generally flows south, crossing the Turkish-Iraqi border into
Iraqi Kurdistan before turning west toward the Tigris.
Zakho is an important town along the river, where the ancient
Delal Bridge crosses the river. A few kilometres west of Zakho, the Little Khabur is joined by its main tributary the
Hezil Suyu (or Nizil river or Hezil Çayi). From there onwards the Little Khabur river is also called (and often mistaken with) the Hezil Suyu. The Little Khabur joins the Tigris at the
tripoint of Turkey, Iraq and
Syria. Downstream from Zakho the Little Khabur river is the natural international border between Turkey and Iraq for around 20 km.