High in Iraq’s far north, the sun‑baked plains typical of the rest of the country are replaced by huge and dramatic mountains: the Zagros range, which stretches from Mount Agri (also known as Ararat, Turkey) all the way into Iran. These very mountains once hid the Peshmerga guerrillas, resistence fighters who fought Saddam Hussein before and the rise of the Islamic State after, eventually securing a degree of self‑government. In this context the famous kurdish proverb “No friends but the mountains” originated.
Iraqi Kurdistan is a region homeland of the Kurds—an ethnic nation with its own culture and two main dialects. The Great Zab River cuts the region in two: Kurmanji is spoken on the northern bank, Sorani on the southern. Daily life unfolds to the clink of small, tulip‑shaped glasses filled with strong black tea, served morning to night in any circumstance. In one of these many circumstances I learned a funny sorani saying: “Har chaka chaka” – هەر چاکا چاکا which literally means “Tea is always good”. Indeed it was.
A very visual aspect of the kurdish identity is found also in its clothing: long colorful dresses for women, made of several layers of fabric and jewelry; loose, baggy trousers for men and a fitted jacket with a wide cloth belt (peshtwen) 3-7 meters long.
This photo series is framed by a blend of dramatic landscape, resilient history, and living tradition.