Whispers of 730 Years: Inside Hiran’s Dervish Tekke
The surviving documents offer a rare glimpse into the intellectual and spiritual life of the region across centuries. According to Hana Hirani, the manuscripts cover a wide range of scholarly subjects once studied by religious students: grammar, morphology, logic, rhetoric, and mystical teachings.
By Kamaran Aziz
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – In the mountainous heart of Erbil province lies the historical township of Hiran, once a vital hub of Sufi mysticism, scholarship, and poetic expression. At its spiritual center stands the Hiran Tekke, a centuries-old dervish monastery that has long safeguarded a collection of invaluable manuscripts—some of which date back nearly 730 years. But the legacy of this knowledge is marked by both resilience and tragedy.
Speaking to Kurdistan24 on Thursday, April 17, 2025, local historian Hana Hirani revealed that while many manuscripts have been preserved at the Tekke, a significant portion was lost during the chaos of the September Revolution. "When the village of Hiran was burned, most of the manuscripts were also destroyed," she said solemnly.
The surviving documents offer a rare glimpse into the intellectual and spiritual life of the region across centuries. According to Hirani, the manuscripts cover a wide range of scholarly subjects once studied by religious students: grammar, morphology, logic, rhetoric, and mystical teachings. They also include poetry by Kurdish regional poets from around 200 years ago, alongside classical Persian and Arabic works.
Some of the manuscripts trace their origins back to the Ilkhanid era, which ruled over large parts of the Middle East and Central Asia in the 13th and 14th centuries. Other preserved works stem from the Ottoman period, including one manuscript that is 170 years old and still housed in a modest room within the Tekke.
Hiran’s reputation as a center of learning and spiritual discipline endures despite decades of political upheaval and physical destruction. Established roughly 400 years ago, the village grew into a beacon of religious, scholarly, and social significance in the Erbil region. The Hiran Tekke itself, founded about 300 years ago, once attracted a large number of dervish disciples and served as a vital institution for the transmission of religious knowledge and Sufi philosophy.
Today, Hiran remains a township in Erbil governorate, quietly guarding the fragments of its once-flourishing intellectual heritage. The remnants of its ancient library now stand as a silent testament to the enduring legacy of Kurdish religious and literary traditions, threatened but not extinguished by the passage of time and the fires of revolution.
Kurdistan24's correspondent Shorsh Harki contributed to this report.