The medicinal qualities of Kurdistan’s mineral water

Aside from its wealth of oil and gas, the Kurdistan region also has rich water resources. The water in Kurdistan is not only used for drinking and irrigation, but also for treating medical conditions.

There are several places famous for their “unique water”. Jali Mineral Well, Sheikh Balak, Khurmal, Zioh Resort, Graw Baba Jesk, Grawan, and Sheraswar Mineral Well are all water sources well-known for their healing capacities.

The Jali Well, located 75 km from northeast Erbil and 24 km from Koya city, gets its water from the Jali River. But the water is not fresh; it is mineralized and contains several other chemical substances.

“People visit Jali to cure their skin disease, rheumatic illness, back and neck pains,” Awla Kareem, a villager from Jali, told Kurdistan 24. “The water is like magic, it treats skin conditions and any pain in your body.”

People do not come to Jali only for medical needs -- they also come for tourism. According to Kareem, in addition to treatment, people come to Jali to enjoy picnics in its stunning, lush environment.

The Jali Well flows into two pools, both of which hold a stable temperature of 38 Celsius at all times. One of the pools is six-by-six meters, and the other is round with a two-meter diameter. Tourists and patients visit Jali all year round, except during winter.

Located near Pirmam, Graw Baba Jesk (locally known as Grawan) has two sources of mineral water. In Grawan people seek treatment for their skin diseases.

“Hundreds of people visit Grawan monthly,” Qadir Hakim, a local villager from Graw village said. “They come for treatment, to purify their skin.”

True or false? Only those who have tried it can answer that question.

“My six-year-old son had a skin rash, leaving big red marks everywhere on his body,” Rahman Rasul, a local from Erbil, said. “Many doctors saw him and said they could not treat him. Someone told me to take him to Grawan. I took my son there three times. We covered his body with earth, and let him rinse it off in the water. And now he is ok, no rashes and no itching.”

Similar stories surround several other wells in the Kurdistan region (Khurmal, Zioh, Sheraswar, and Sheikh Balak), where people also purportedly found treatment for their skin conditions.

“I know people who took patients to other mineral waters, such as Sheraswar and Jali,” Rasul noted.