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Kurdistan province

geography Maturity 11-13 Next article →

Kurdistan province is a large region in the west of Iran.

Kurdistan (Iran)
Kurdistan (Iran)

The map shows its place in Region 3 of the country. It sits right next to the Kurdistan region of Iraq to the west. Other Iranian provinces surround it on different sides. West Azerbaijan is to the north, and Zanjan is to the northeast. Hamadan lies to the east, while Kermanshah is to the south. The capital city of this province is Sanandaj.

ZeviyehSoldierSculpture
ZeviyehSoldierSculpture

History in this land goes back a very long time. Humans first lived here during the Paleolithic Period. This was more than 40,000 years ago. Neanderthals lived in the Sirwan Valley during that era. The province is also part of an area known as Iranian Kurdistan. Many people there follow the Sunni branch of Islam. A smaller number of people follow Shia, Yarsanism, or Christianity.

Many different languages are spoken by the people here. Most people speak Kurdish, but they use different versions. Many use Sorani Kurdish, while others use Southern Kurdish. In some southwestern villages, people speak Gorani. You can also hear Azerbaijani and Persian in many places. In the far east, people speak Oghuz Turkic varieties. These are spoken in cities like Delbaran, Pir Taj, and Serishabad.

Kurdish womens dress
Kurdish womens dress

Life in Kurdistan has many bright traditions. People wear special clothes that have stayed the same for centuries. They also love Kurdish singing and dancing. These traditions are popular across the whole country.

Nowruz in Bisaran 20170327 08
Nowruz in Bisaran 20170327 08

Big festivals like Nowruz mark the start of spring. People also celebrate Chaharshanbeh Suri on the last Wednesday of the year. During this festival, they light fires on roofs and mountains.

Mountain child
Mountain child

They dance and rejoice to welcome the new year.

Work in the province often involves the land. Many people work in agriculture and livestock farming. They grow crops like wheat, barley, and various fruits. There are also industries that make food, leather, and textiles.

Senneh prayer kilim 19thC
Senneh prayer kilim 19thC

The population has grown quite a lot lately. In 2006, there were about 1,416,334 people living there. By 2016, the census counted 2,152,471 people. Most of these people live in cities like Sanandaj and Saqqez. Sanandaj is the largest city with over 412,000 people.

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🖼️ Images & Media (8)
File:ZeviyehSoldierSculpture.jpg
ZeviyehSoldierSculpture.jpg
File:Nowruz in Bisaran 20170327 08.jpg
Nowruz in Bisaran 20170327 08.jpg
File:Kurdistan (Iran).svg
Kurdistan (Iran).svg
File:Kurdish womens dress.jpg
Kurdish womens dress.jpg
File:Hawraman female with traditional headdress.jpg
Hawraman female with traditional headdress.jpg
File:Mountain child.jpg
Mountain child.jpg
File:Kurdish New Year ceremony of Nawroz, Palangan village, Hawraman,Kurdistan.jpg
Kurdish New Year ceremony of Nawroz,...
File:Senneh prayer kilim 19thC.JPG
Senneh prayer kilim 19thC.JPG
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