Great Iraqi Historian, Dr. Abdul-Aziz al-Douri, commemorated
BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: Baghdad’s Al-Mada Culture & Arts House held a wake on Friday for the late outstanding Iraqi Historian, Abdul-Aziz al-Douri, who passed away in Jordan at the age of 91. The procession, led by the Iraqi Critic Ali Hassan al-Fawaz, witnessed speeches commemorating the late Iraqi Historian by a number of well known Iraqi intellectuals. Among the names were Archaeological Researcher, Salem al-Alousi, the former Baghdad University Rector, Dr. Usama al-Souri, the politician Muadh Abdul-Rahim, Dr. Tareq al-Hamdani, Dr. Imad Abdul-Raouf, Dr. Hikmat Rahmani and Dr. Muhab Darwish. Writer Ali Hussein told Iraqi News news agency that the “wake for the Leading Arab Historian, Abdul-Aziz al-Douri, has taken place at the Al-Mada House to pay tribute to the symbols of the Iraqi culture, with Douri having been one of their leading elements in Iraq over the past 40 years.” “Al-Mada House shall try to print the cultural works of Abdul-Aziz al-Douri, being one of the most outstanding symbols of the Iraqi culture and one of the greatest Arab historians,” he said. Abdul-Aziz al-Douri, a leading Iraqi historian and man of thought, was born in 1919. He earned his PhD in London in 1942, after which he was appointed as an Islamic History Professor in Baghdad’s High Teachers House. He was later promoted to Baghdad University’s History Department’s Chairman, the dean of Literature & Sciences from 1949 till 1958, after which he was appointed as Baghdad University Rector from 1962-1966. Dr. Douri also worked as visiting professor in London University – 1955-1956, visiting professor in the American University in Beirut – 1959-1960. Dr. Douri finally moved to Jordan to work as history professor in the Jordanian University. He authored several books, among them “The First Abbasid Era,” – 1943, “Studies about the Late Abbasid Era,” – 1945, “Interval in the Early History of Islam,” 1950, “Studies in the History Science of Arabs,” 1960, “The Historic Roots of Cosmopolitan,” 1962, “The Historic Origin of the Arab Nation – a study in identity and vigilance,” 1984, “Nassir al-Din al-Assad – Archaeology & Modernization,” 2002. Dr. Douri passed away in Amman, the capital of Jordan, on Nov. 19, 2010, at 91 years of age. SKH/SR 1