Introduction
Barzan is a small region and town deep in the mountains of northern Iraqi Kurdistan — but few places loom larger in modern Kurdish history. It is the homeland of the Barzani family, the dynasty that has shaped Kurdish politics for more than a century, and the birthplace of the most famous Kurdish leader of the twentieth century, Mustafa Barzani.
From a line of Sufi sheikhs to the leadership of the Kurdish national movement, the name Barzan has become synonymous with both rebellion and terrible suffering. This profile looks at the place, the family it gave rise to, and the history written in its mountains.
Key Takeaways
• Barzan is a mountain region and town in Erbil Governorate, in northern Iraqi Kurdistan.
• It is the homeland of the Barzani family, the most influential dynasty in modern Kurdish politics.
• Mustafa Barzani, founder of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), was born in Barzan.
• The Barzanis began as a line of Naqshbandi Sufi sheikhs and became leaders of Kurdish revolts.
• In 1983 around 8,000 Barzani men and boys were abducted by Saddam Hussein’s regime and never returned.
Quick Facts
Name: Barzan
Country / Region: Iraq (Bashur / Kurdistan Region)
Governorate: Erbil
Setting: Mountains along the Greater Zab
Famous As: Homeland of the Barzani family
Most Famous Son: Mustafa Barzani (1903–1979)
Tradition: Naqshbandi Sufi sheikhly family
Great Tragedy: The 1983 disappearance of ~8,000 Barzanis
Contents
Related People, Places, and Topics
References and Further Reading
Where Is Barzan?
Barzan lies in the rugged mountains of the north of Erbil Governorate, along the valley of the Greater Zab, in some of the most remote and defensible high country in Iraqi Kurdistan. It is a land of steep ridges and narrow valleys not far from Rawandiz, terrain that for generations sheltered its people and made the region a natural stronghold of resistance.
This isolation shaped Barzan’s history: hard to reach and easy to defend, it became both a refuge and a base from which the Barzanis could challenge far stronger powers.
From Sufi Sheikhs to Rebels
The Barzani family rose to prominence as religious leaders — sheikhs of the Naqshbandi Sufi order, whose spiritual authority drew followers from across the surrounding tribes. From this base of devotion grew political and military leadership. Sheikh Abd al-Salam Barzani was executed by the Ottomans in 1914, and Sheikh Ahmed Barzani led revolts in the early decades of the twentieth century, establishing the family as a force the central governments could neither ignore nor easily subdue.
Mustafa Barzani and the KDP
The most famous figure born in Barzan was Mustafa Barzani — Mella Mistefa Barzanî — the towering leader of the modern Kurdish movement. He commanded forces in the short-lived Republic of Mahabad in Mahabad in 1946, and that same year helped found the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), which he would lead for decades. From the 1960s he directed the great Kurdish revolts against the Iraqi state, becoming a symbol of Kurdish aspirations until his death in 1979. The family he led — including his son Masoud Barzani — has remained central to Kurdish politics ever since.
The 1983 Disappearances
Barzan’s history also holds one of the darkest chapters of the Kurdish tragedy. After the collapse of the Kurdish revolt in 1975, thousands of Barzanis were deported and resettled in bleak camps in other parts of Iraq. Then, in 1983, Saddam Hussein’s forces rounded up around eight thousand Barzani men and boys from those camps and took them away. They were never seen alive again; years later, mass graves of Barzanis were found in the deserts of southern Iraq. The disappearance of the Barzanis stands as a forewarning of the wider Anfal genocide that would follow.
Barzan Today
Today Barzan is once more a living region, rebuilt after decades of destruction and depopulation, and honoured across Kurdistan as a place of memory and of leadership. Its mountains, once a guerrilla stronghold, now hold the graves and monuments of a family and a people who paid an enormous price — and the name Barzan remains one of the most powerful in the Kurdish story.
Timeline
1914 — Sheikh Abd al-Salam Barzani is executed by the Ottomans.
1903 — Mustafa Barzani is born in Barzan.
1946 — Mustafa Barzani serves in the Republic of Mahabad and helps found the KDP.
1960s–1975 — Barzani leads the Kurdish revolts against the Iraqi state.
1983 — Around 8,000 Barzani men and boys are abducted by Saddam’s regime.
1991 onward — Barzan is rebuilt as Kurdish autonomy takes hold in northern Iraq.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Barzan important?
Barzan is the homeland of the Barzani family, the most influential dynasty in modern Kurdish politics, and the birthplace of Mustafa Barzani, founder of the KDP.
Who was Mustafa Barzani?
Mustafa Barzani (1903–1979) was the legendary leader of the modern Kurdish national movement, a commander in the 1946 Republic of Mahabad and founder of the Kurdistan Democratic Party.
What happened to the Barzanis in 1983?
In 1983 Saddam Hussein’s forces abducted around 8,000 Barzani men and boys from resettlement camps; they were killed, and mass graves were later found in southern Iraq.
Where is Barzan?
Barzan is a mountainous region and town in the north of Erbil Governorate, in Iraqi Kurdistan, along the Greater Zab river.
Related People, Places, and Topics
Mustafa Barzani · the Barzani family · the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) · Mahabad · Erbil · Rawandiz.