SLEMANI/SULAYMANIYAH - Discover Kurdistan's Capital of Culture (Travel Guide) سلێمانی #kurdistan

Known throughout Kurdistan for its historical and cultural importance, Sulaymaniyah السليمانية (Slemani in Kurdish) is a great city for visitors to learn more about the Kurds, from their battles with Saddam to to their love of poetry. It's also a city that has witnessed enormous population growth in recent decades and boasts two thriving universities.

The city was founded by the Kurdish prince Ibrahim Pasha Baban who named it after his father Sulaiman Pasha. When the ottoman empire collapsed in 1820 the city became the capital of the short-lived kingdom of Kurdistan. Culturally it has always had strong links with persia and many Iranians visit the city to this day.

The city was always a point of resistance to the Baathist regime of Saddam Hussein, which meant that it was heavily controlled. The extent of the repression is plain to see at the Red House.

Built to an East German design the building specialised in torture throughout the 80s and early 90s. The slightest hint of support for Kurdish separatism could land you in the notorious prison. The uprising in 1991 finally put an end to the horrors. Tanks left behind by the Baathist regime now stand rusting outside the bullet ridden building which has been turned into the national museum in order not to forget. At the entrance to the museum visitors walk through a corridor lined with mirror tiles to represent the people lost to Saddam’s campaign of genocide against the Kurds. 4,500 light bulbs represent each village lost to the campaign known as Al Anfal. More recently the Kurds have had to fight off the terrorist group ISIS and the museum also documents that fight and commemorates the bravery of every peshmurga fighter that was lost in battle. This is a museum that hits you hard. The attacks on the Kurdish people by Saddam Hussein and by ISIS must not be forgotten.

One of the city’s best loved poets is Nali. Through his writings he brought about a renaissance of the Kurdish language. He was an enlightened Kurdish patriot and campaigned for independence from both ottoman and Iranian control. Actions that inevitably forced him to flee. From his exile he remembered Sulaymaniya and Kurdistan in one of his most famous poems:

“Explaining the pain of exile, this burning fire of separation inside melts my heart, slowly dripping. Tell me has the day for my return now come or must I remain in this place forever?”

The busy activity of Suli’s bazaar has probably changed little since Nali’s time. It’s considered to be the largest in Kurdistan and is the beating heart of the city.

JONATHAN WHEELER
Filmed: October 2023
@TravelObscurer
www.travelobscurer.com
music licensed through Artlist

Thanks to Balin at Kurdistan Expeditions

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