Batas Village in Rawanduz, Northern Iraq

Abdul Qadir Rassam was fond of realistic painting; sometimes, he paints from a picture, and sometimes, he paints from a reality that he seeks to live and meditate on to transform his colors and creatures into images on the surfaces of his works. He drew this view from Batas village, one of Rawanduz villages. The picturesque city is famous for its valleys, fresh springs, and pure streams, located 10 km east of the Bekhal Waterfall, and 123 km from Erbil. A connected series of Zagros mountains surround the region. Cork Mount is to the south, Hendern Mount to the north, Zuzek Mount is to the west, and Bradasot Mount is to the east.