kurdish culture is
world's most richest culture
The Kurds have a rich
folkloric tradition which is increasingly endangered as a result of
modernization, urbanization, and cultural repression. Kurds celebrate the new
year on Newroz, and its celebration was often banned by authorities in Turkey
and Syria.
Kurdish women
kurdish halparke dance
The Kurdish people are
a heterogeneous ethnic group whose ethnic background comes from many regions
including Iraqi Kurdistan, and parts of Iran, Turkey, and Syria. The Kurdish
ethnic group includes many ancient ethnicities that have been absorbed into modern
cultures including Iranian, Azerbaijani, Turkic and Arabic cultures. In this
sense, the Kurdish culture shares commonalities with many other regional
cultures, and celebrates a unique level of cultural equality and tolerance.
The Struggle for
Kurdish Cultural Survival
In addition to
political repression, the Kurds have also experienced cultural repression. In Turkey, Iran, Iraq and Syria, there were
extensive campaigns at forced assimilation.
Kurds were forbidden to speak Kurdish in public, they had to change
their names to local ethnic names if they wanted a job or to enroll their
children in school. Their books, music and clothing were considered contraband
and they had to hide them in their homes. If authorities searched their homes
and found anything Kurdish, they could be imprisoned, and many were. In recent
years, both Iran and Turkey have relaxed their systemic cultural repression,
while Iraqi Kurds have achieved autonomy.
Kurdish Poetry and
Song
Kurdish culture has a
rich oral tradition. Most popular are epic poems called lawj, and they often
tell of adventure in love or battle.
Kurdish literature
first appeared in the seventh century AD.
In 1596, Sharaf Khan, Emir of Bitlis, composed a history of the Kurds in
Persian called the Sharafnama. Almost one hundred years later, in 1695, a great
national epic called the Memozin was written in Kurdish by Ahmed Khani.
Dengbej refers to a
musician who performs traditional Kurdish folk songs. The word ‘deng’ means
voice and ‘bej’ means ‘to sing.’ Dengbej are best known for their “stran,” or
song of mourning.
Traditional Kurdish
instruments include the flute, drums, and the ut-ut (similar to a guitar). The
music of Sivan Perwar, a Kurdish pop music performer, was banned in Turkey and
Iraq in the 1980s, so he left the region to live and work in Sweden.
Kurdish Craft
Carpet-weaving is by
far the most significant Kurdish folk art. Kurdish rugs and carpets use
medallion patterns; however, far more popular are the all-over floral, Mina
Khani motifs and the “jaff” geometric patterns. The beauty of Kurdish designs
are enriched by high-chroma blues, greens, saffrons as well as terracotta and
burnt orange hues made richer still by the lustrous wool used.
The traditional
Kurdish rug uses Kurdish symbols. It is possible to read the dreams, wishes and
hopes of the rug maker from the sequence of symbols used. It is this
signification and communication both individually and grouped into Kurdish rug
making Kurdish people study how meaning is constructed and understood by
talking with the rug maker.
Other crafts are
embroidery, leather-working, and metal ornamentation. Kurds are especially
known for copper-working.
Kurdish Sports
Popular sports include
soccer, wrestling, hunting and shooting, and cirit, a traditional sport that
involves throwing a javelin while mounted on horseback. Camel-and horse-racing
are popular in rural areas.
What makes Kurdish
culture unique?
Whether it be overt
religious tolerance, strides towards equality in the status of women, or
democratic government, Kurdish culture values individual life and has fiercely
defended its ability to live free from external rule.
The Kurds: The world’s
largest stateless nation
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