Sinjar hosts Orshina festival, celebrating heritage and promoting reading

NINEVEH — The town of Sinjar in western Nineveh hosted the Orshina cultural festival, a vibrant event aimed at celebrating the town’s heritage and diversity. Organized by local youth, the festival featured folkloric music, art exhibits, and the distribution of 1,000 free books, all intended to encourage reading and aid community healing from the scars of conflict.

Sinjar became a symbol of suffering after ISIS’s brutal attack in 2014, which led to the killing of thousands of Yazidis and the enslavement of many women and children. The community faced massive displacement, and the region was left in ruins. Since ISIS’s defeat, efforts in Sinjar have focused on rebuilding infrastructure, resettling families, and reviving the area’s cultural heritage. Despite ongoing challenges, including political instability and limited resources, the town continues to work toward recovery.

“The aim of the Orshina Cultural Festival in Sinjar is to support and elevate the cultural landscape while encouraging reading,” said Kamaran Kamal, owner of the Orshina Bookstore, speaking to 964media. “The festival included a variety of activities, from musical performances to art exhibitions, and we gave away 1,000 books to attendees. The response has been fantastic, showing how hungry the people of Sinjar are for these kinds of cultural events.”

Kamal highlighted the importance of expanding the project to other areas. “We are striving to extend our cultural initiative and hold similar festivals in other regions, spreading the culture of reading and awareness throughout our city,” he said.

A highlight of the festival was a performance by the Merzo Band, which brought Sinjar’s traditional folklore to life. “We participated in this festival with a one-hour musical performance,” said Shaker Khidr, a member of the Merzo Band. “Our goal is to preserve Sinjar’s folklore through music and traditional clothing. This essential part of our culture has been marginalized recently, and we feel it is our duty to showcase it to the world and pass it on to future generations.”