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