Introduction
Ranya (Kurdish: Ranye) is a Kurdish town on a broad plain in the north of Iraqi Kurdistan, set between mountains and the shining waters of Lake Dukan. It is a modest place by size — but in Kurdish history it carries an enormous title: Derî Raperîn, “the Gateway of the Uprising.”
It was here, on 5 March 1991, that the great Kurdish uprising against Saddam Hussein began — the rebellion known as the Raperîn that swept across Kurdistan and changed its history. This profile looks at the town, its setting, and the moment it lit the spark of freedom.
Key Takeaways
• Ranya (Kurdish: Ranye) is a Kurdish town in Sulaymaniyah Governorate, in northern Iraqi Kurdistan.
• It is famous as the place where the 1991 Kurdish uprising (the Raperîn) against Saddam Hussein began.
• For this it is honoured as Derî Raperîn — “the Gateway of the Uprising.”
• Ranya sits on the Ranya plain beside Lake Dukan, ringed by mountains.
• The area has ancient roots, including the nearby archaeological site of Tell Shemshara.
Quick Facts
Name (Kurdish): Ranye
Country / Region: Iraq (Bashur / Kurdistan Region)
Governorate: Sulaymaniyah
Setting: The Ranya plain, beside Lake Dukan
Famous As: Derî Raperîn — Gateway of the Uprising
Key Date: 5 March 1991
People: Kurdish
Nearby Heritage: Tell Shemshara
Contents
Related People, Places, and Topics
References and Further Reading
Where Is Ranya?
Ranya lies in the north of Sulaymaniyah Governorate, on a wide and fertile plain ringed by mountains in northern Iraqi Kurdistan. Just beside it spreads Lake Dukan, the great reservoir formed by damming the Lesser Zab river, whose blue waters dominate the landscape of the Ranya plain.
This combination of open farmland, mountains, and water has made the Ranya plain one of the more beautiful and productive corners of the Kurdistan Region, long settled and long fought over.
The Gateway of the Uprising
Ranya’s place in history was sealed in the spring of 1991. In the aftermath of the Gulf War, with Saddam Hussein’s regime weakened, the people of Ranya rose up on 5 March 1991 and drove out the local forces of the Iraqi state — making Ranya the first town in Kurdistan to be liberated in what became known as the Raperîn, the great Kurdish uprising. Within days the revolt spread to town after town across Iraqi Kurdistan.
For striking the first blow, Ranya earned its proud and lasting name: Derî Raperîn, the Gateway of the Uprising.
Why Ranya Mattered
The Raperîn that began in Ranya transformed Kurdish history. Although Saddam’s forces struck back fiercely, sending hundreds of thousands of Kurds fleeing to the mountains and borders, the scale of the catastrophe drew the world’s attention. The result was a Western-protected safe haven and no-fly zone, and from it grew the autonomous Kurdistan Region that exists today. The uprising came only three years after the chemical attack on Halabja and the Anfal campaign — and Ranya’s revolt was, in part, an answer to that suffering.
An Ancient Plain
Long before 1991, the Ranya plain was a place of deep history. Nearby stands Tell Shemshara, an archaeological mound that has yielded prehistoric remains and ancient cuneiform archives, evidence of settlement and writing here thousands of years ago. The flooding of the plain to create Lake Dukan in the mid-twentieth century spurred archaeological surveys that revealed just how ancient and continuous human life on this plain has been.
Ranya Today
Today Ranya is a growing Kurdish town, proud of its setting by Lake Dukan and prouder still of its history. Each year its uprising is remembered as a turning point in the Kurdish story, and the name Derî Raperîn keeps alive the memory of the day a small plains town opened the gateway to Kurdish freedom.
Timeline
ancient era — The Ranya plain is settled; Tell Shemshara holds prehistoric remains and cuneiform archives.
1950s–1960s — The Lesser Zab is dammed at Dukan, forming Lake Dukan beside Ranya.
1988 — The Anfal campaign and the chemical attack on Halabja devastate Iraqi Kurdistan.
5 March 1991 — Ranya rises up and is the first town liberated in the Raperîn uprising.
1991 onward — The uprising leads to a safe haven and, in time, the autonomous Kurdistan Region.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Ranya famous?
Ranya is famous as the town where the 1991 Kurdish uprising (the Raperîn) against Saddam Hussein began; it was the first town in Kurdistan to be liberated, on 5 March 1991.
What does “Derî Raperîn” mean?
Derî Raperîn means “the Gateway of the Uprising” — the honorary title given to Ranya for starting the 1991 revolt.
Where is Ranya?
Ranya (Ranye) is in the north of Sulaymaniyah Governorate in Iraqi Kurdistan, on the Ranya plain beside Lake Dukan.
What is the Raperîn?
The Raperîn was the mass Kurdish uprising of March 1991 against Saddam Hussein’s regime, which began in Ranya and spread across Iraqi Kurdistan, ultimately leading to Kurdish autonomy.
Related People, Places, and Topics
The Raperîn (1991 uprising) · Derî Raperîn · Lake Dukan · Tell Shemshara · Sulaymaniyah · Halabja.