Kurdistan

Kurdistan is the historical and cultural homeland associated with the Kurdish people. Its main area extends across parts of southeastern Türkiye, northern Iraq, western Iran and northern Syria. It is a region with varied landscapes and communities, rather than a single internationally recognised sovereign state. Cultural maps of Kurdistan and maps of government jurisdictions therefore answer different questions. [1]

Mountains, plains and connections

The eastern Taurus and northern Zagros mountains are prominent features, alongside valleys, uplands and the plains of northern Mesopotamia. Rivers and routes connect these environments. Mountains have shaped settlement and political history, but Kurdish life also belongs to towns, cities and farming areas. Migration has created Kurdish communities well beyond the region, so a map of the homeland does not show every place where Kurds live. [1]

The names of the four parts

Kurdish geographical usage often names four parts: Bakur, or north, for the areas in Türkiye; Başûr, or south, for those in Iraq; Rojhelat, or east, for those in Iran; and Rojava, or west, for those in Syria. These directional names express a Kurdish view of the wider homeland. They are not four equivalent administrative divisions with identical powers or fixed cultural boundaries. [2]

Kurdistan and the Kurdistan Region of Iraq

The Kurdistan Region of Iraq is a specific federal region. Article 117 of Iraq’s 2005 Constitution recognises it and its existing authorities. The wider name Kurdistan also includes places outside that region. Similarly, a reference to a Kurdish cultural area should not be treated as proof of which government administers a particular town. [3]

A region with many local histories

Language and local culture do not fit neatly inside state borders. Iranica’s study of Kermanshah, for example, describes Central and Southern Kurdish varieties alongside Gurani, and notes that Hawrami-speaking areas cross the Iran–Iraq border. Shared Kurdish identity can coexist with such linguistic differences. [4]

Historic places also preserve several layers of the past. Erbil Citadel stands on a settlement mound associated with ancient Arbela, while much of its visible urban layout reflects the Ottoman period. These layers are part of the history of the place; they should not be collapsed into a claim that every ancient population had the same modern identity. [5]

Explore South Kurdistan (Başûr) and East Kurdistan (Rojhelat), or discover everyday traditions in our Kurdish cuisine guide.