Hawraman Literature and Culture Conference in Halabja honors poet Jihanara Paveyi

HALABJA — The fourth edition of the Hawraman Literature and Culture Conference was held Saturday in Halabja, organized by the Karimi Alaka Foundation. This year’s event was dedicated to the Hawrami poet Jihanara Paveyi and featured ten academic presentations by Kurdish scholars from both Iraqi Kurdistan and Iranian Kurdistan.

Jihanara Paveyi, born in 1859 and passing in 1911, was a Kurdish poet known for writing in the Hawrami dialect.

Shakhawan Sadiq, the event’s supervisor, told 964media, “The papers covered diverse topics, including language, sociology, geography, literature, and women’s issues in the Hawraman area. The studies have been compiled into a book that will be distributed to attendees.”

Sadiq highlighted that all research papers were new and had not been published elsewhere. Four of the studies were conducted by scholars from Iranian Kurdistan, while six were prepared by researchers from the Kurdistan Region.

Hawraman, a mountainous region located in western Iran and northeastern Iraq, is primarily inhabited by Kurdish people who speak the Hawrami dialect. The region is known for its rich oral and literary tradition, particularly in poetry and spiritual writings.

“Our goal with this gathering is to explore and examine the rich cultural and literary heritage of Hawraman. This region has a unique and authentic culture, and we aim to preserve and introduce this heritage to the new generation,” Sadiq stated.

In July 2021, UNESCO added Hawraman/Uramanat to its list of World Heritage sites, recognizing the region’s significant cultural and historical value, particularly in terms of its architecture, cultural practices, and its relationship with the surrounding natural environment.