Qaladze (Qeladize): A Kurdish Town Bombed and Rebuilt
- Dala Sarkis
- 2 days ago
- 4 min read
Introduction
Qaladze (Kurdish: Qeladize) is a Kurdish town in the mountains of north-eastern Iraqi Kurdistan, near the Iranian border and the waters of Lake Dukan. Its name means “the castle,” but Qaladze is remembered less for any fortress than for what it endured: it is one of the towns most scarred by the violence of the Iraqi state against the Kurds — bombed in 1974, then erased entirely in the late 1980s, and rebuilt by its people afterward.
This profile looks at the town, the atrocities it suffered, and the resilience that brought it back to life.
Key Takeaways
• Qaladze (Kurdish: Qeladize) is a Kurdish town in Sulaymaniyah Governorate, in north-eastern Iraqi Kurdistan.
• It lies near the Iranian border and Lake Dukan, in the Pshdar / Raparin region.
• In 1974 the Iraqi air force bombed Qaladze, killing many civilians in a notorious attack.
• During the Anfal era in the late 1980s, the regime demolished the town and deported its people.
• Qaladze was rebuilt after 1991 and stands today as a symbol of Kurdish endurance.
Quick Facts
Name (Kurdish): Qeladize
Meaning: “The castle”
Country / Region: Iraq (Bashur / Kurdistan Region)
Governorate: Sulaymaniyah (Raparin area)
Setting: Mountains near the Iranian border and Lake Dukan
1974: Bombed by the Iraqi air force
Late 1980s: Demolished during the Anfal era
After 1991: Rebuilt by its people
Contents
Where Is Qaladze?
Qaladze lies in the north-east of Sulaymaniyah Governorate, high among the mountains close to the Iranian border, not far from Lake Dukan and the town of Ranya. It sits in the Pshdar region, in the same mountainous Raparin country that has long been a stronghold of Kurdish life and resistance.
This is rugged border terrain, beautiful but exposed — and that exposure, close to the frontier and to the routes used by Kurdish fighters, helped make Qaladze a target in the wars between the Kurds and the Iraqi state.
The 1974 Bombing
In the spring of 1974, during the renewed war between the Kurdish movement and the Iraqi government, the Iraqi air force bombed the centre of Qaladze. The attack struck a crowded part of the town and killed a large number of civilians in a single day. It became one of the most infamous bombings of that war — an early warning of the lengths to which the regime in Baghdad would go against Kurdish towns, and a wound that the people of Qaladze never forgot.
Erased and Rebuilt
Worse was to come. In the late 1980s, as the regime carried out the genocidal Anfal campaign against the Kurds — the same campaign that brought the chemical attack on Halabja — Qaladze was among the many border towns and villages that were forcibly emptied and destroyed. Its people were deported to grim collective settlements, and the town itself was bulldozed, wiped from the map. For a time, Qaladze simply ceased to exist.
Only after the 1991 uprising and the coming of Kurdish self-rule were its people able to return and rebuild their town from the rubble.
A Symbol of Endurance
The story of Qaladze — bombed, then razed, then raised again — has made it a powerful symbol of Kurdish endurance. Its fate mirrors that of countless Kurdish communities that were targeted for destruction yet refused to disappear. To rebuild a town that the state had deliberately erased was itself an act of resilience, and Qaladze carries that meaning to this day.
Qaladze Today
Today Qaladze is once again a living Kurdish town, part of the Raparin area of the Kurdistan Region, set among its mountains near Lake Dukan. Rebuilt and growing, it honours the memory of those killed in 1974 and lost in the Anfal years, while looking to a more peaceful future — a community that was twice struck down and twice came back.
Timeline
1974 — The Iraqi air force bombs the centre of Qaladze, killing many civilians.
1988–1989 — During the Anfal era, the regime deports Qaladze’s people and demolishes the town.
1991 — The Kurdish uprising and safe haven allow residents to begin returning.
1990s onward — Qaladze is rebuilt under Kurdish self-rule.
today — Qaladze is a living town in the Raparin area, honouring its dead.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Qaladze’s Kurdish name?
In Kurdish the town is called Qeladize, which means “the castle.”
Why is Qaladze significant?
Qaladze is remembered for the suffering it endured at the hands of the Iraqi state — bombed in 1974 and demolished during the Anfal era — and for being rebuilt by its people, making it a symbol of Kurdish endurance.
What happened to Qaladze in 1974?
In 1974 the Iraqi air force bombed the centre of the town during the Kurdish war, killing a large number of civilians in one of the most infamous bombings of that conflict.
Where is Qaladze?
Qaladze (Qeladize) is in the north-east of Sulaymaniyah Governorate in Iraqi Kurdistan, in the mountains near the Iranian border and Lake Dukan.
Related People, Places, and Topics
The Anfal campaign · the Pshdar / Raparin region · Lake Dukan · Ranya · Halabja · Sulaymaniyah.
References and Further Reading
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