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Photo Samples, Iraqi Kurdistan
The Kurds are the most populous
group of people never to have their own country. Spread across six countries
(Syria, Turkey, Iran, Iraq, Azerbaijan and Armenia), history has been quite
cruel to them, and they never established themselves as a country. They were
close after the fall of the Ottoman empire in 1918, but it just never
happened, and to most Westerners, the Kurds are just synonymous with PKK and
lots of trouble. At lest until the rise of "Islamic State" in the beginning
of June 2014. Suddenly, The Kurds appeared as the only reliable ones in th
eregion and the only ones really putting up a fight against the crazy Sunni
Islamists - despite the fact tha loads of Kurds are actually Sunni as well.
Just very moderate.
I happened to be in Kurdistan until 27th of
May 2014 - just 13 days before the IS invasion of Mosul and Tikrit, and what
a shame. Kurdistan is, to me, one of the friendiest and least dogmatic
peoples you'lll ever imagine, but I doubt very much if they'll ever regain
the peace "as it was". So, all the photos below are "just before the war" -
a great evidence of a great people. Fortunately, in the time of writing (Oct.
2016), IS is on the run in most of the region, and Mosul will soon be free
again. At least I hope, but time will show.
As usual, all photos are, of course © Claus
Qvist Jessen, and none of them are to be used without my permission. |
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The central part of Erbil: The Citadel,
where people have been living continuously for about 8000 years. Erbil,
Iraqi Kurdistan. © Claus Qvist Jessen |
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Mosaic depicting ancient scenes. Erbil,
Iraqi Kurdistan. © Claus Qvist Jessen |
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A true sign og Kurdish tolerance:
Carpets with Jesus and Imam Ali for sale in the same shop. No
fundamentalism here! Erbil, Iraqi Kurdistan. © Claus Qvist Jessen |
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Fixing the clothes. Erbil, Iraqi
Kurdistan. © Claus Qvist Jessen |
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Goat vendor. Erbil, Iraqi Kurdistan. © Claus Qvist Jessen |
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Enjoying the Friday off in Erbil, Iraqi
Kurdistan. © Claus Qvist Jessen |
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Great guy selling joke stuff. Erbil,
Iraqi Kurdistan. © Claus Qvist Jessen |
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Money changer on the street. No risk of
theft here. Erbil, Iraqi Kurdistan. © Claus Qvist Jessen |
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Women dancing during a Kurdish wedding.
Erbil, Iraqi Kurdistan. © Claus Qvist Jessen |
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If Elvish was Kurdish.... Wedding guest
of Erbil, Iraqi Kurdistan. © Claus Qvist Jessen |
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Ainkawa is a mostly Chrstian suburb of
Erbil, however, they have maintained the same culture, such as smoking
the shisha. Here, the witer is replacing the charcoal. Erbil, Iraqi
Kurdistan. © Claus Qvist Jessen |
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The Hamilton Road from Erbil to the
Iranian border is one of the most beautiful stretches of any Middle East
road. One of the first towns from Erbil is Soran, and the market here is
just great. This guy obviously loves selling scull caps. I bought one
:-) Soran, Iraqi Kurdistan. © Claus Qvist Jessen |
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Pouring the yoghurth. Soran,
Iraqi Kurdistan. © Claus Qvist Jessen |
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This venerable welder just looks very
much like Bono from U2! Very friendly guy, by the way. Soran, Iraqi
Kurdistan. © Claus Qvist Jessen |
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Enjoying life at a Soran Café. Iraqi
Kurdistan. © Claus Qvist Jessen |
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Happy boy with a bunch of local
fruits.Soran, Iraqi Kurdistan. © Claus Qvist Jessen |
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The view across the valley from Rawanduz
back towards Soran, Iraqi Kurdistan. © Claus Qvist Jessen |
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The great gorge in Rawanduz, Iraqi
Kurdistan. © Claus Qvist Jessen |
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The 19th of May, 1987, the people of
made an uprising against Saddam Hussein. Of course, they were bloodily
beaten, but the day is still rememered, here in 2014 by an exhibition of
paintings of the occasion. Rawanduz, Iraqi Kurdistan. © Claus Qvist Jessen |
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Rural field, Rawanduz, Iraqi Kurdistan. © Claus Qvist Jessen |
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Cheeky girls of Rawanduz, Iraqi
Kurdistan. © Claus Qvist Jessen |
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The most important corner of a tea house
in Rawanduz, Iraqi Kurdistan. © Claus Qvist Jessen |
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The eastern corner of Choman, a very
beautiful town along the Hamilton Road; Iraqi Kurdistan. © Claus Qvist Jessen |
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Local transport of Choman, Iraqi
Kurdistan. © Claus Qvist Jessen |
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The local car repair shop of Choman,
Iraqi Kurdistan. The owner, Rasoul is the guy to the right - indeed a
very friendly fellow. © Claus Qvist Jessen |
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If Che Guevara was a 10-year-old girl.....
Very determined, indeed. Choman, Iraqi Kurdistan. © Claus Qvist Jessen |
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Kurdish hospitality with Rasoul and his
wife, Skhleer in the middle. Choman, Iraqi Kurdistan. © Claus Qvist Jessen |
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The geographic and spiritual centre of
Suleimaniyah: The Great Mosque. Suleimaniyah, Iraqi Kurdistan. © Claus Qvist Jessen |
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The Great Mosque by night. Suleimaniyah,
Iraqi Kurdistan. © Claus Qvist Jessen |
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The leader of the mosque, Sheikh Salar
al-Hafeed (left), grandson of the first king of Kurdistan, Sheikh
Mahmoud Barzini. Sheikh Salar is advocate by education, but devotes a
lot of his time for the benefit of the mosque. Suleimaniyah, Iraqi
Kurdistan. © Claus Qvist Jessen |
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Pilgrim inside the burial chamber of the
late Sheikh Mahmoud Barzini. Suleimaniyah, Iraqi Kurdistan. © Claus Qvist Jessen |
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Elderly gentleman outside the Great
Mosque; Suleimaniyah, Iraqi Kurdistan. © Claus Qvist Jessen |
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Frut vendor; Suleimaniyah, Iraqi
Kurdistan. © Claus Qvist Jessen |
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Nightly tea stall; Suleimaniyah, Iraqi
Kurdistan. © Claus Qvist Jessen |
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Enjoying good friends, a game and a
shisha. Suleimaniyah, Iraqi Kurdistan. © Claus Qvist Jessen |
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Life is not bad in the evening in
Suleimaniyah :-). Iraqi Kurdistan. © Claus Qvist Jessen |
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One of Saddam Hussein's tanks, used to
surpres the Kurds during the 80'ies and 90'ies. Suleimaniyah, Iraqi
Kurdistan. © Claus Qvist Jessen |
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Lake Dukan, 50+ kms north of
Suleimaniyah; Iraqi Kurdistan. © Claus Qvist Jessen |
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On the 16th of March 1988, Saddam
Hussein lauched his most infamous poison gas attack of the Kurds. In the
small town of Halabja, more than 5,000 people died and 7,000 were
wounded on that day. This is the memorial of the sad day. Halabja, Iraqi
Kurdistan. © Claus Qvist Jessen |
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Inside the memorial, the names of each
and every one who died at that day are written in marble. Halabja, Iraqi
Kurdistan. © Claus Qvist Jessen |
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Less elegant memorial of the 16th of
March 1988. Halabja, Iraqi Kurdistan. © Claus Qvist Jessen |
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A bronze replica of the most famous
photo of the genocide: A grandfather trying to protect his grandson.
Halabja, Iraqi Kurdistan. © Claus Qvist Jessen |
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Today, Halabja is still trying to
recover, evidently at a slower pace than the rest of the country.
Halabja, Iraqi Kurdistan. © Claus Qvist Jessen |
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Electronics repairman; Halabja, Iraqi
Kurdistan. © Claus Qvist Jessen |
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Take a break! Halabja, Iraqi Kurdistan. © Claus Qvist Jessen |
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As everywhere in kurdistan, tea is the
most important "drug", served everywhere and enjoyed slowly. Not to be
missed. Halabja, Iraqi Kurdistan. © Claus Qvist Jessen |
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Local man of Halabja, Iraqi Kurdistan. © Claus Qvist Jessen |
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