How are the arts thriving in the Kurdish region of Iraq?

Artist Tara Abdullah paints in her studio, located inside an old tobacco factory
Artist Tara Abdullah paints in her studio, located inside an old tobacco factory Copyright euronews
By Euronews
Share this articleComments
Share this articleClose Button
Copy/paste the article video embed link below:Copy to clipboardCopied

Located in the Kuridsh region of Iraq, the city of Sulayaniyah is transforming a 60,000 square metre abandoned tobacco factory into a cultural hub where young artists can gather, to create.

ADVERTISEMENT

Located in the Kuridsh region of Iraq, the city of Sulayaniyah is transforming a 60,000 square metre abandoned tobacco factory into a cultural hub where young artists can gather, to create.

A group of musicians, who gather weekly in the old factory, attracts performers from across the city and welcomes any instrument into the mix.

“It starts as some form of insanity, everybody is just hitting their instrument, and then at some point, they find a rhythm (…) and what you have after an hour and a half is a masterpiece,” says Ravin Bagg, one of the musicians at the hub.

Musicians gather in the abandoned tobacco factory

It’s not only musicians who have found a home at the factory. Fine artists are also part of the collective.

Tara Abdullah has transformed a corner of the plant into her gallery and studio.

The old factory has been transformed into an art gallery and creative hub

The city of Sulayaniyah has a long history dedicated to the arts. Since the modern city’s founding more than 200 years ago, it has been a creative hotbed for singers, artists, polymaths and poets, like Mahwi, Piramerd and Nali.

The project of converting the factory into a creative hub is supported by non-profit organisations and the Kurdish regional government.

So far, the transformation is still in its early stages, and only one of the facility’s buildings has been converted into an art studio and an exhibition gallery.

In the upcoming years, the aim of the centre is to provide more creative spaces including a theatre, teaching labs, and a dance studio.

Urbilium game allows players to relive Erbil’s history

Another Kurdish city fostering creativity is Erbil. Lanah Haddad, a Kurdish-Iraqi archaeologist-turned-artist, invented a strategy board game called “Urbilum”.

The two-player game is based on the history of Erbil and its citadel, which is one of the oldest continuously inhabited places in the world.

Urbilium, a game created by Lanah Haddad

Based on accurate historical information, the plot allows players to battle for power and influence as did the ancient Assyrian kings Ashurbanipal and Sennacherib.

Haddad believes that following decades of conflict, art has become incredibly important to the Kurdish people, allowing them to reconnect with their heritage.

Lanah Haddad speaks to Euronews

“We just don’t want to talk about what happened in the past, we don’t forget it, but we take it as resilience and try to build something new,” she says.

Like many young artists, Haddad hopes that her art will help bring communities together and inspire interest in the history of the region.

SEEN ON SOCIAL MEDIA: KURDISH ARTISTS SHARE THEIR WORK

Kurdish flutist Shene shared this video of her celebrating a traditional festival in her homeland.

View this post on Instagram

نه‌ورۆز-Happy Newroz 💚☀️❤✌🏻🔥 . ئەم رۆژی ساڵی تازەیه نەورۆزە هاتەوه جەژنێکی کۆنی کوردە بەخۆشی و بەهاتەوه ئەم رۆژی ساڵی تازەیه نەورۆزە هاتەوه جەژنێکی کۆنی کوردە بەخۆشی و بەهاتەوه ...... چەند ساڵ گوڵی هیوای ئێمه پێ پەست بوو تاکو پار چەند ساڵ گوڵی هیوای ئێمه پێ پەست بوو تاکو پار هەر خوێنى لاوەكان بوو گوڵى ئاڵى نەو بەهار هەر خوێنى لاوەكان بوو گوڵى ئاڵى نەو بەهار ئەم رۆژی ساڵی تازەیه نەورۆزە هاتەوه جەژنێکی کۆنی کوردە بەخۆشی و بەهاتەوه ...... ئەو ڕەنگه سووره بوو كه له ئاسۆى بڵندى كورد ئەو ڕەنگه سووره بوو كه له ئاسۆى بڵندى كورد مژدەی ى بەيانى بۆ گەلى دوور و نزيك ئەبرد مژدەی ى بەيانى بۆ گەلى دوور و نزيك ئەبرد ئەم رۆژی ساڵی تازەیه نەورۆزە هاتەوه جەژنێکی کۆنی کوردە بەخۆشی و بەهاتەوه ...... نەورۆز بوو ئاگرێكى وەهاى خسته جەرگەوه نەورۆز بوو ئاگرێكى وەهاى خسته جەرگەوه لاوان به عەشق ئەچوون بەرەو پيرى مەرگەوه لاوان به عەشق ئەچوون بەرەو پيرى مەرگەوه ئەم رۆژی ساڵی تازەیه نەورۆزە هاتەوه جەژنێکی کۆنی کوردە بەخۆشی و بەهاتەوه ...... وا ڕۆژهەڵات لە بەندەرى بەرزی وڵاتەوه وا ڕۆژهەڵات لە بەندەرى بەرزی وڵاتەوه خوێنی شەهیدە ڕەنگی شەفەق شەوق ئەداتەوه خوێنی شەهیدە ڕەنگی شەفەق شەوق ئەداتەوه ئەم رۆژی ساڵی تازەیه نەورۆزە هاتەوه جەژنێکی کۆنی کوردە بەخۆشی و بەهاتەوه ...... تا ئێستا ڕوى نەداوه له تاريخى ميلەتا تا ئێستا ڕوى نەداوه له تاريخى ميلەتا قەڵغانى گوله سنگى كچان بێ له هەڵمەتا قەڵغانى گوله سنگى كچان بێ له هەڵمەتا ئەم رۆژی ساڵی تازەیه نەورۆزە هاتەوه جەژنێکی کۆنی کوردە بەخۆشی و بەهاتەوه ...... پێی ناوێ بۆ شەهیدى وەتەن شيوەن گرين پێی ناوێ بۆ شەهیدى وەتەن شيوەن گرين نامرن ئەوانه وا له دڵى ميلەتا ئەژين نامرن ئەوانه وا له دڵى ميلەتا ئەژين ئەم رۆژی ساڵی تازەیه نەورۆزە هاتەوه جەژنێکی کۆنی کوردە بەخۆشی و بەهاتەوه ....... . . . . . #نه‌ورۆزتانپیرۆز #کوردستان #کچه‌کورد #کورد #به‌هار #موزیکیکوردی #ئه‌مڕۆژی #جلیکوردی #پرته‌قاڵی #شێنێ #نه‌ورۆز #flute #flutistshene #music #musician #musicplayer #kurdishsong #kurdishmusic #kurdishflutist #kurdishplayers #kurdishmusician #kurdmusic #music #flauta #hassanzirak #2132019 #213 #21march #newroz #happynewroz

A post shared by ♬شێنۆکه‌♬ (@flutist_shene) on

Share this articleComments

You might also like

Turkey bans Kurdish-language play from Istanbul theatre, organisers say

US missile barrage on targets in Iraq and Syria after US soldiers killed

Iraq and US begin formal talks to end coalition formed to fight Islamic State