Preserving Piramerd's legacy
Newroz fire blazes at Sulaymaniyah’s Mamayara hill, honoring spring and local poet
SULAIMANIYAH — Hundreds gathered at Mamayara hill in Sulaymaniyah on Wednesday to celebrate Newroz, the Kurdish spring festival and New Year in an event, organized by the Kurdish Folklore and Culture Association that paid homage to Kurdish cultural heritage and the season’s renewal.
Mamayara holds special significance for Sulaymaniyah residents during Newroz. Renowned Kurdish poet Piramerd, born in 1867 in the city, is credited with lighting the Newroz fire atop the hill each year throughout his life. The tradition not only revitalized Kurdish customs at the time, but also fostered a strong sense of national identity among Kurds.
Locals continue to light fires on the hill as a yearly symbol of renewal and resilience, and to honor Piramerd’s legacy. He received his education in Sulaymaniyah’s religious schools before launching a Kurdish newspaper in 1907. He passed away in 1950 and was buried on Mamayara as per his wishes.
Piramerd’s act of igniting the Newroz fire symbolized the rekindling of Kurdish national awareness and defiance against oppression. He authored one of the most celebrated Kurdish poems about Newroz in 1948. That poem has been adopted and turned into songs by various artists, with the most famous rendition by Kurdish singer Hasan Zirak. Often called the “Kurdish Orpheus,” Zirak’s version solidified the poem as a quintessential Newroz anthem for Kurds.