Franso Hariri Stadium, Sports stadium in Erbil, Iraq
Franso Hariri Stadium is a football stadium in Erbil, the capital of the Kurdistan Region in northern Iraq. It has a grass pitch and covered stands arranged on multiple sides of the field.
The stadium was built in 1956 on the site of a former airfield and was later extensively renovated. It was renamed in 2001 in honor of Franso Hariri, an Assyrian Christian politician who was assassinated that year.
The name comes from a sports leader who was important to the Erbil region. Residents gather here for matches that matter to the local football community and beyond.
The stadium is centrally located in Erbil and easy to reach from most parts of the city. On match days, arriving early is a good idea since the area around it can get very busy.
In 2021, Pope Francis held an interfaith gathering here during his visit to Iraq, drawing thousands of people from across the country. It was the first time a pope had ever visited Iraq.
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