The Horses of Kurdistan recounts history through animals

author_image Yadgar Ismail
The Horses of Kurdistan is a lavishly illustrated book that highlights the beauty and importance of horses throughout Kurdish history.

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The Horses of Kurdistan is a lavishly illustrated book that highlights the beauty and importance of horses throughout Kurdish history.

Karwan Barzani, the founder and managing director of Ketin Horse Club published the coffee table book on Sunday to share his passion for horses and pay gratitude to this animal for the role they have played in Kurdish history.

“We have no friends but mountains,” Kurds have said for decades.

Presenting stunning images of horses that were adopted at Ketin Horse Club, the book reminds the audience that horses, like mountains, have been friends of Kurds throughout the difficult yet heroic history of Kurdish resilience.

Horses have been cherished in Kurdish culture. Cities have been named after them and folk tales have recounted their stories which have been passed on from generation to generation.

In Kurdish fights for liberation horses have carried Peshmerga and their supplies, weapons, and the wounded under the worst imaginable conditions in frontlines and through impassable passages.

The publication is also an attempt to reintroduce Kurdish horses to the new generation too used to modern life to remember how vital this animal has been to Kurds during war and at times of peace.

Karwan Barzani told Kurdistan24 that this book is produced in the memory of the legendary leader Mullah Mustafa Barzani and his passion for horses. Horses are much loved for their strength, grace, and dignity.

The author stated that his work is dedicated to Mullah Mustafa Barzani’s liberation movement and his love for his people.

“Mustafa Barzani envisioned a Kurdistan nation where all the people could live honorably at peace. He dedicated his entire life to pursuing this vision. Despite infinite obstacles, he never let his people lose hope, or confidence in shaping their future.”

The author said he is proud to be part of the project that wishes “to inspire the youth to discover their rich cultural heritage that features the legacy of Mustafa Barzani.”

More importantly, during the 1945 Mahabad Republic—also known as Republic of Kurdistan—in Iranian Kurdistan (Rojhalat), horses were very helpful. General Mustafa Barzani and his Peshmerga have ridden and cared for horses that have been with them throughout their fight for freedom.

Moreover, Mustafa Barzani himself was very fond of horses and always had a few. Besides, the Kurdish society is often described as an agricultural society where horses have been used for multiple purposes on the field.

In the recent years, the number of original and pure Kurdish horses have declined. Enthusiasts believe that this is due to two different reasons: other types of horses are more common and helpful nowadays and the Kurdistan Region has altered geographically since people have moved to cities.

With their maneuverability, gentleness, speed and strength, domesticated horses have shaped Kurdish history by helping to advance communication and speed up transportation.

Reporting by Yadgar Ismail and Mewan Dolamari. Editing by Ava Homa

The Horses of Kurdistan recounts history through animals
The Horses of Kurdistan recounts history through animals
The Horses of Kurdistan recounts history through animals
The Horses of Kurdistan recounts history through animals
The Horses of Kurdistan recounts history through animals
The Horses of Kurdistan recounts history through animals
The Horses of Kurdistan recounts history through animals
The Horses of Kurdistan recounts history through animals
The Horses of Kurdistan recounts history through animals
The Horses of Kurdistan recounts history through animals
The Horses of Kurdistan recounts history through animals
The Horses of Kurdistan recounts history through animals
The Horses of Kurdistan recounts history through animals
The Horses of Kurdistan recounts history through animals
The Horses of Kurdistan recounts history through animals
The Horses of Kurdistan recounts history through animals
The Horses of Kurdistan recounts history through animals
The Horses of Kurdistan recounts history through animals