Duhok Institute for Kurdish Heritage launches project to archive traditional Kurdish oral tales

DUHOK — The Duhok Institute for Kurdish Heritage has begun an ambitious project to record and archive Kurdish folk poetry and oral tales, aiming to preserve these cultural treasures for future generations. The institute invited two renowned Kurdish folk singers to contribute their works to the archive.

Female vocalist Khamri Haji recorded several traditional verses, including “Ali Raba,” “Hey Sheikhe Mano,” “Muhammad Sahib-e Tajir,” “Roja Ke Ji Roja,” “Sheikh Seyda,” “Sheikho Gomall,” and “Beyti Sheikhe Jazire.”

Another singer, Sami Jalal, recorded well-known pieces such as “Weylo Weylo,” “Sheikh Jalal al-Din,” “Share Hassan Qala,” “Zambil Frosh,” “Helo Ahmed Ji Khaw Raba,” and “Ay Rasool al-Alamein.”

Bahar Abdullah, director of the Duhok branch of the Kurdish Heritage Institute, told 964media, “All the recorded poetry has been archived in both audio and visual formats, organised systematically for preservation at our institute.”

“This project is in its early stages, and we plan to visit other folk poets to record and archive their verses,” Abdullah added.

The initiative is crucial as a large portion of Kurdish folk poetry has been lost due to the lack of previous archival efforts. This project aims to prevent further loss and to keep the region’s cultural heritage alive.