Festival in Rojava strengthens coexistence with display of various cultural dress, traditions

"We showcased and are proud of our original dresses and clothes from our respective cultures."

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – A committee in Syrian Kurdistan’s (Rojava) Hasakah organized the first ever festival to showcase the cultural dresses and traditions of the various ethnicities in the region.

The clothes on display included styles from Kurdish to Arab, Armenian, Assyrian, and Chaldean.

The organizers of the event said the initiative is a fantastic opportunity to increase the level of coexistence in the region.

“Today, during a time where capitalism has dictated the way people dress, we showcased and are proud of our original dresses and clothes from our respective cultures,” Efaf Heseke, one of the members of the organizing committee, told Kurdistan 24.

Dozens of people from Hasakah and its surrounding regions visited the festival to view the clothing on display.

The visitors said they believe initiatives like this will help increase the level of acceptance and tolerance of different cultures in the region.

“We saw a lot of unique clothing that we’ve never seen before,” one of the visitors, Mehabad Mihemed, told Kurdistan 24. “We were able to differentiate between the different styles of clothing respective to each culture.”

“It was an educational event,” she added. 

Mihemed Musa, another visitor, said the festival “brings together all the different cultures in the region and builds a stronger bond between them.”

“Whoever visits the festival can see all the different cultures which reside in the region,” he told Kurdistan 24.

The three-day event also included various seminars on the history of the different cultures and traditions in Rojava.

(Additional reporting by Lava Assad)