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KURDS
LOCATION
The Kurds formerly settled in the
Mediterranean Plain along the Tigris
and Euphrates Rivers. The Kurdish
kingdom (AKA “Corduene”) spread
across regions encompassing modern
Turkey, Syria, Iran, Iraq, and Armenia.
Today most Kurds live in the mountains
of Eastern Turkey (Taurus Mountains)
and Northwestern Iran (Zagros
Mountains). Many reside in Iraq, Syria,
and Armenia as well.
POPULATION
As of the late 1990’s, it was estimated that about 20
million Kurds remained.
More recent numbers indicate the following:
Turkey=15 million
Iran=6 million
Iraq=6 million
Syria=2 million
Armenia=50,000
Half of the Kurds alive today reside in Turkey. Others
make up 10% of Iran’s population and 23% of Iraq’s
population.
GEOGRAPHY/TOPOGRAPHY
The Kurdish land is typically
mountainous and referred to
by many as “uninhabitable.”
The Kurds have become
settled agrarian peoples by
forced assimilation into
modern countries—they were
previously nomadic farmers.
Adaptations to farming techniques and lifestyles have
been made to accommodate expectations to remain
isolated. The Kurds have successfully adapted to
mountain life and this isolation has in turn provided a
cultural preservation.
CLIMATE OF KURDISTAN • Characterized by extreme conditions, with large temperature
differences between day and night and between winter and summer.
• Two patterns; semiarid and summer-dry; in winter drops below -35 ºC; in summer rises to 45 ºC.
Variations in elevation create vast differences in climate
ETHNICITY
Ethnic roots and physical characteristics are similar to those of the Persians.
TRADITIONS/CULTURE *Cultural traditions have been preserved due to geographic isolation in the
mountain regions of the Middle East.Social organization remains traditional—
the Kurds have a patriarchal society.
Only males can lawfully inherit property under Kurdish law, though Kurdish
women do enjoy more freedoms than their traditional Muslim neighbors.
*Oral tradition remains vital to cultural preservation within Kurdish
communities. It also explains how religious beliefs continue to be passed
from generation to generation in modern times. Islam has been the widely
accepted religion of the Kurds, but Christianity has recently had a notable
influence on many Kurdish villages.
Weddings
Agriculture
Funerary Customs
Re-enactments/Remembrance Days to honor
those who died
Worship
Music
CUISINE Kurdish Cuisine is comparable with Persian, Turkish, and Arab foods.
Kurds are
actually
known for
their cheeses
and yogurts
which are
famous
in the region.
CLOTHING/TRADITIONAL DRESS
Women:
Wearing of a veil is optional
Bright floral skirt
Embroidered jacket
Turban or scarf on head
Men:
Loose fitting pants
Short-waisted jacket
Sash around waist
Turban similar to women’s
*RELIGION
The vast majority of Kurds are Sunni Muslims.
Some are Yazidi.
A growing number of Kurds are converting to Christianity.
There is a small but notable Kurdish-Jewish population.
LANGUAGE
The language of the Kurds is Kurdish, but was originally Aramaic. Most
Modern Kurds learn Arabic as a second language in order to easily
interact with neighboring groups. Depending upon the country in which they
reside, Turkish and Farsi are also frequently spoken among Kurds.
Education Whether or not a Kurdish child goes to school, and for how long, is
very much up to the family. Even if education is compulsory, the law
cannot always be enforced in rural areas, and families frequently decide
that a child's time—especially a girl's—is more usefully spent at home.
HISTORY *Notable Kurdish dynasties date back to 66 BCE, however the Kurds have
rarely experienced self-rule.
*One famous Kurd was the Crusader Saladin.
*The Kurds were conquered by the Arabs in the 7th century, the Turks in the
11th century, Mongols in the 13th, and the Ottoman Empire in the 15th.
*There is no modern “Kurdistan,” though the Kurds themselves refer to their
land by this name (meaning literally “Land of the Kurds”) and even have a
flag for their people.
GOVERNMENT/POLITICS *Today the Kurds have remained reasonably autonomous within the Zagros and
Taurus Mountain ranges throughout the countries of Turkey, Iran, Iraq, Syria, and
Armenia.
*The Kurds, though experiencing rare self-governance, have undoubtedly had
a lasting impact on SW Asia.
*Throughout the past century, the Kurds have faced much persecution and
oppression within their respective countries.
*Following WWI, U.S. President Woodrow Wilson encouraged the Kurds to seek self-
rule, but this did not happen.
*Kurd revolts in Turkey in the 1920’s and 1930’s resulted in a mass genocide.
*Kurds were persecuted by Saddam Hussein’s regime in Iraq and are just beginning
to establish their voice in the new government.
*Persecution in Iran in the 1980’s and 1990’s was actually aided by the Iranian
Constitution’s clause allowing different treatment of ethnic minorities.
*Protection for the Kurds from the U.N. came following the Persian Gulf War.
*In 1988 alone, 200,000 known murders of Kurds occurred throughout the Middle East.
*A Kurdish proverb states, “The only friends of the Kurds are the mountains.”
MODERN POLITICS The People’s Democratic Party has now been established as the legal and
official voice of the Kurds. It is also known as the Kurdish Nationalist Party
(PKK). One of the party’s major platforms is the advancement of Kurdish
involvement and representation in local governments along with the eventual
creation of a Kurdish homeland.
ECONOMY
Life for the Kurds has been semi-nomadic and agrarian even in recent years,
so the economy has been at the subsistence level for many.
In modern times, many Kurdish boys and men are beginning to travel and move
into nearby cities to find higher-paying work.
In the newly established democracy of Iraq, Kurds are finding new freedoms and
opportunities to build businesses and trade in previously “off-limits” areas.
New Hope in Iraq
with the removal of
Saddam Hussein’s
Regime?
Will the new Iraq help or hurt the Kurds’ ability to “take the wheel?”
You decide…
SIGHTS TO SEE
Mountains—a nature
lover’s paradise
Preserved culture
Currently constructing a
new infrastructure to
bring in tourism from
the South
in both Turkey and Iraq
Bexal Waterfall
Salahaddin Resort
HOLIDAYS/FESTIVALS
Religious holidays and festivals are the most important. Since most
Kurds are Muslim, Ramadan is the most important Islamic holiday. Some
Kurdish Christians also observe Christmas and Easter.
A celebration that is uniquely Kurdish is that of the Nowruz or New Year’s
Festival. Similar to the Persian New Year, life and new beginnings are
celebrated, but the Kurds also ritually mourn their dead during this time.
CURRENT EVENTS/ISSUES
• Threat of losing cultural traditions via forced assimilation into other countries
• Role of Kurds in the reconstruction of Iraq
• Nationalist movement similar to that of the Palestinians
• Recent Christian missionary movements may change culture
• Restructuring of Kurdish Educational Systems in Iraq and Turkey