Nvar Kawan - Humans of Kurdistan

Jun 18 2025

18/06/2025

Story of a Kurd from the East (Eastern Kurdistan) In my shop, I create all kinds of designs and patterns. My work isn't easy - every piece goes through several stages before completion, the most important being: molding and cutting, preparation, and crafting the materials. I am Aram Shajei, 35 years old, and I've been working in this art for nearly 20 years. I hold certificates in graphics and handicrafts in the field of goldsmithing. In the past, I worked under several skilled and renowned masters - especially in the city of Sanandaj - learning the craft step by step. Later, I participated in specialized courses in other cities like Karaj, Tehran, and Isfahan. Finally, I was able to participate in Iran's international artisans competition. Since 2019, I've opened this shop specializing in silver, goldsmithing, and crystal work. In just a few months, I've been able to use five kilograms of silver and three kilograms of gold in my work. ...

Jun 11 2025

06/11/2025

by Nvar Kawan

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in Humans of North

Story of a Kurd from Northern Kurdistan When I was young, I expressed myself through my body and skin—my deq told my story. Each one symbolized something meaningful. I especially loved the image of the sun, so I chose to have a sun-shaped tattoo on my cheek, even though I didn’t fully understand its meaning at the time. Later, I realized the sun symbolizes light and the source of life. In the past, tattooing was very common in Qerezdakh. Men, women, and children all had tattoos. Over time, I learned the art of tattooing, and I now pass it on to young people and children. But the style of tattooing from the past is no longer widespread today—it’s mostly preserved by the older generations. To make the black ink, they used burnt wool (pêteso) mixed with breast milk from women who had daughters. We then chose symbols that reflected our personal desires and tattooed them onto our cheeks, chins, hands, fingers, ankles, arms, and other parts of the body. Within two or three days, the tattoo would leave a deep wound, and as it healed, the image would gradually appear. ...

Jun 04 2025

04/06/2025

by Nvar Kawan

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in Humans of West

Story of a Kurd from Western Kurdistan When ISIS attacked Kobani in 2014, all the shops, including ours, were destroyed and reduced to rubble. We had no choice but to flee and seek refuge in neighboring cities and countries. That's how I ended up settling in Sulaimani. My name is Adel Hanifi, and I'm 43 years old. I own a confectionery shop called "Dindar." I established this shop in Kobani in 2003, and since then, I have been continuously operating and serving the most delicious sweets. After Kobani was liberated, I returned from Sulaimani, which is located in southern Kurdistan, to my homeland. Initially, working wasn't easy because all the borders were closed, so we had to obtain the necessary ingredients for making any kind of sweets through difficult routes. Despite all the suffering and hardship we endured in the following years due to the war, I still didn't give up and reopened my shop. Although it was a great challenge, our desire to restore life was far greater than that. Today, after tremendous effort and perseverance, I'm proud to say that my shop has returned to its former state, and I'm selling sweets again. That's why I say: this is a story of resilience, or rather, a sweet story that has triumphed over the bitterness of war. ...

May 28 2025

28/05/2025

by Nvar Kawan

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in Humans of South

Story of a Kurd from the South (Southern Kurdistan) Horseshoeing is one of the traditional crafts with an ancient history in the regions of Kurdistan, particularly in mountainous areas. Since many pack animals still exist in these areas, some people benefit from horseshoeing as their work and profession. Horseshoeing is a process that protects the hooves of pack animals, which involves several different stages. Sometimes changing the horseshoes of animals depends on how much or little the animals travel, which requires re-shoeing. The shod animals include horses, mules, donkeys, and others. My name is Fattah Hassan Nader. I am 65 years old and from the village of Griyana in Halabja. I now live in Halabjai Shahid (old Halabja), and I have been practicing horseshoeing for 40 years. I inherited this profession from my father. I often work in mountainous areas and border regions between Iraq and Iran. ...

May 21 2025

05/21/2025

by Nvar Kawan

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in Humans of East

Story of a Kurd from the East (Eastern Kurdistan) In the past, making a quilt was a difficult and labor-intensive task that would take about two days to complete. The quilt would be filled with a lot of cotton and would become so heavy that it could keep out severe cold and wouldn't easily slip off a person while sleeping. But nowadays, because cotton is used less, the craft has changed significantly and is no longer the same as when I learned it. Although my grandfather was a quilt seller, I learned the craft from Haji Habib and spent the happiest days of my life with him. He was also the first person in the city of Sanandaj to obtain a special license for this craft from the syndicate. My name is Nadir. I was born in 1975 in the city of Sanandaj. My friend Teymour and I have been doing this work together for about 47 years. When I was six years old, my family apprenticed me to Mr. Habib, and I learned the craft under his guidance. It was his kindness and skilled hands that made me become more passionate about the craft day by day, and even after his passing, I continued to practice it. ...

May 14 2025

05/14/2025

by Nvar Kawan

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in Humans of North

چیرۆکی کوردێکی باکوور All my dreams were to someday complete my education, but this hope never became a reality. This is because my family's livelihood depends on raising livestock and dairy products such as yogurt, milk, and cheese. From the very beginning, I've been brought to the shepherding profession on Mount Qarazdagh, and I continue with it to this day...

May 07 2025

07/05/2025

by Nvar Kawan

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in Humans of West

Story of a Kurd from Rojava (West Kurdistan) My passion for this craft began when I was young. I still remember clearly how my mother used to design traditional Kurdish women’s dresses, and I would watch her with deep admiration and fascination. My name is Hassan Muhammad Saleh. I was born in 1992 in the city of Kobanê. I learned this craft from my mother, and my journey in the field of fashion design began in 2008, when I was just 16 years old. This profession has taken me to different places. After the ISIS attack on our city, we were forced to leave Kobanê, and I later found myself in Turkey. That experience deepened my understanding of the value of culture and the importance of preserving it through my work. In the world of Kurdish women’s fashion, I discover countless details. Every garment holds a story and a history. I especially enjoy designing women’s dresses, as they reflect a world of creation and diversity—unlike men’s clothing, which often follows a single, limited style. Kurdish women’s dresses stand out through their vibrant designs, rich colors, and delicate embroidery. They represent an artistic expression of Kurdish women's resilience and creativity. I consider Kurdish women’s clothing to be an integral part of our folklore and cultural identity, and this fuels my love for the craft even more. These garments hold a special place in our hearts and are a source of pride, especially during our social and cultural celebrations. In the end, they symbolize our joy and honor in having such a rich and vibrant culture. ...

Apr 30 2025

30/04/2025

by Nvar Kawan

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in Humans of South

Story of a Kurd from Southern Kurdistan Story of a Kurd from Southern Kurdistan When we were in Dubz prison, pregnant women were with us. Whenever a woman gave birth, I would act as the midwife. When I was 20 years old, in our village, I had learned how to cut umbilical cords and be a midwife for women. My name is Nergiz Aziz Baba Aziz, known as "Nergiz the Midwife." I was born in 1955 and am from the village of Jabari in the Chamchamal district. Late one night, Baath soldiers raided our village and took all of us in covered military vehicles to Topzawa in Kirkuk. At first, they separated us all from each other. They took the women to Dubz prison and the men to Nugra Salman. During our time in prison, every day the prison official would come to us and say: "You will no longer be Kurdish or practice Kurdish nationalism. This will be your place until you die!" While in prison and until we were released, we didn't know what happened to the others, because when they separated us, some died from the extreme heat and lack of water. In Dubz prison, more than 60 children were born by my hands. Although there was a hospital there, because we were Kurdish, they wouldn't take us to the hospital even if we fell ill. When Saddam issued a general amnesty and we were released, none of our men and boys had returned. In my father's house alone, more than 20 men had been buried alive. I had six children. One of my children even died in prison from starvation. Food in prison was only one piece of hard bread. Until my child died, they kept crying out for bread. Finally, after the general amnesty, one night they put us in five vehicles and later dumped us in Arbat. From that night until two years ago, I continued in the profession of midwifery, but later the government officially banned the practice of midwifery. ...

23/04/2025

by Nvar Kawan

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in Humans of East

چیرۆکی کوردێكی ڕۆژهەڵات I have been connected to the wood profession for a long time, and my father did the same work as a wood seller. I have been involved in this work since childhood. My name is Sharara Rahmani, I was born in 1988, and I have a degree in sculpture and fine arts. For many years, I have done painting work with many distinguished teachers in Sanandaj, and I have been busy with this work for five years, and have taken several specialized courses. For about three years, I have established a workshop where I create art paintings, sculptures, and woodwork such as chess sets and many other handicrafts. I have bigger goals - I desire to make more beautiful work and advance further, so that in the future I can establish a workshop larger than the current one. ...

Apr 16 2025

16/04/2025

by Nvar Kawan

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in Humans of North

I sell ice, which I've been doing for nearly 35 years. In the past, because not every home had a refrigerator, people were forced to buy ice to keep their drinking water cool during the summer. I've been involved with ice-making since that time. This desire grew with me, and because of this, I decided to sell ice. In 1990, we bought an ice-making machine and began producing ice. But because we were new to our profession, we had neither knowledge nor experience in selling ice. We would put the ice in containers and walk around the streets selling it. In the beginning, we could only do this much, but over time, we gathered experience in the business, and now I make ice every day. In the summer months, our work increases because the demand for ice is greater. I make ice in square and round shapes, then ride my motorcycle to my customers' doors and deliver it to them. Ice is something special to me, not just a cooling factor. Because of my love and dedication to my work, those who know me well call me 'Father of Ice.' I'm happy with my work - we now have our own brand in the ice business and have become so established in our profession that we can say we've become the best ice producer in Amed. ...

Apr 09 2025

09/04/2025

by Nvar Kawan

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in Humans of West

I am forty years old...

Apr 02 2025

2/04/2025

by Nvar Kawan

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in Humans of South

My name is Sawza Maruf Said. I was born in 1956. At the age of four, I lost both of my eyes due to an illness. One night, I went to sleep with healthy eyes, and by morning, I had become blind! The illness is not hereditary, and in our family, until now, there has been no other blind person - I am the only one. I learned sewing from my sister-in-law. The first time I sewed a dress was when I was 13 years old, and I have continued this work ever since. I mostly sew maxis, dresses, and Kurdish clothing for people, but recently, cancer has gripped me, and I have visited Hewa Hospital. I can no longer do the work as I used to, and now I only sew clothes for myself. In the past, (Kewa) was very difficult to sew and was not like the current style; it had seven or eight pieces. Besides sewing, I also made handicrafts, bags, and floor cloths by hand. Whatever I touched, I would quickly learn - my talent was a gift from God. I even used to repair sewing machines for people. Despite losing my sight and being ill, I now teach sewing classes in this center, and nothing has become an obstacle in my work and life. I also teach classes to people with special needs, especially those who are blind and deaf. I continue to attend all festivals and showcase my handicrafts...

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