Turkish Kurdistan (Turkish: Türkiye Kürdistanı or Kuzey Kürdistan ("Northern Kurdistan") or Kuzeybatı Kürdistan [1] ("Northwestern Kurdistan"), Kurdish: Kurdistana Tirkiyê [2] or Bakurê Kurdistanê [3]) Northern Kurdistan is an unofficial name for the southeastern part of Turkey densely inhabited by Kurds, which references the region's geographical location with respect to the larger Kurdish region stretching across the Middle East. The area covers about 230,000 km² (88,780 sq mi), or nearly a third of Turkey. It forms part of the wider Kurdish-inhabited region known as Kurdistan, which encompasses parts of Turkey, Syria, Iran and Iraq.^[1] The history of the Kurds stretches from ancient times to the present day. ... Kurdish culture (Kurdish: çand û toreya kurdî) is a group of distinctive cultural traits practiced by Kurdish people. ... Gutium, Mat Quti, Mat Qurti, (Land of Guti or Qurti people) was an ancient hilly country in upper Mesopotamia, comprised the area between Euphrates on the west and Zagros mountains on the east, streching from Sumerian era to the end of Babylonian era. ... Kingdom of Mitanni Mitanni (cuneiform KUR URUMi-it-ta-ni, also Mittani Mi-ta-an-ni, in Assyrian sources Hanigalbat, Khanigalbat cuneiform Ḫa-ni-gal-bat ) was a Hurrian kingdom in northern Mesopotamia from ca. ... The Mannaeans (or Mannai, Mannae, Biblical Minni) were an ancient people of unknown origin, who lived in the territory of present-day Iranian Azerbaijan around the 10th to 7th century BC. At that time they were neighbours of the empires of Assyria and Urartu, as well as other small buffer... Matiene was the name of northwestern Iran from the time of the arrival of Iranians, who overran the Kingdom of Mannae. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... 60 BC Kingdom of Corduene Corduene (also known as Cordyene, Cardyene, Gordyene, Gordyaea, Korduene, Korchayk and Girdiyan) was an ancient region located in northern Mesopotamia, known today as Kurdistan. ... Adiabene (In Syriac: ܚܕܝܐܒ) was an ancient Assyrian kingdom in Mesopotamia with its capital at Arbela. ... The Kayusid or House of Kayus (also Kâvos) or Kâvusakân(226-380) was a semi-independent Kurdish kingdom in central and southern Kurdistan established in 226 CE. The House of Kayus was established after an agreement between Kurdish principalities and kingdoms and the Persian Empire, following a... Sharazor (also: Sharazur, Shahrazor, Shahrazur, Shahrezour, Shehrizor, land of Zor and City of Zor) was name of a historic Wilayet and a city situated to the south and east of Iraqi Kurdistan; // The name of Sharazor is formed of two words: Shar or shahr meaning: land, region, city; and Zor... The Shaddadids were a Kurdish dynasty, who ruled in various parts of Armenia, including Arran from 951-1174 or 1199 A.D. They were established Dvin. ... Rawadid (also Rawwadid or Ravvadid), (955-1227), was a Kurdish principality ruling Azerbaijan from the 10th to the early 13th centuries, centered around Tabriz and Maragheh(Maragha). ... Hasanwayhid,(959-1015), was a Kurdish principality centered at Dinawar (northeast of present-day Kermanshah). ... The Annazid or Banu Annaz,(990-1116), were a Kurdish dynasty that ruled a territory on the present-day Iran-Iraq frontier that included Kermanshah, Hulwan, Dinawar (all in western Iran), Sharazour, Daquq, Daskara, Bandanijin(Mandali), and Nomaniya(in north-eastern Iraq). ... Marwanid, (990-1085), was a Kurdish dynasty in Northern Mesopotamia and Armenia, centered around the city of Diyarbakır. ... Bokhtan (also Bohtan, Botan) was a medieval Kurdish principality in Kurdistan centered at Jazira in southeastern Anatolia. ... Hadhabani (also: Hadhbani) was an 11th century Kurdish dynasty centered at Ushnu. ... The Ayyubid Dynasty was a Muslim dynasty of Egypt, Iraq in the 12th and 13th centuries. ... Badlis (1182-1847), was a Kurdish principality originated from the Rojaki tribe. ... Ardalan or (Erdelan) is the name of a semi-independent state in north-western Iran which ruled an area encompassing present day Iranian province of Kurdistan from medieval period up to mid 19th century. ... Badinan, was one of the more powerful and enduring Kurdish principalities. ... Soran Emirate (1399-1883 A.D) was a Kurdish principality in Southern Kurdistan Its Capital was the city of Rawanduz. ... This article or section is missing references or citation of sources. ... Baban, (1649-1850), was a Kurdish principality and ruling family originated in the region of Pijder. ... Simko Shikak also Ismail Agha Shikak (1887-1930), was a Kurdish politician and nationalist. ... Flag Capital Sulaymaniyah Language(s) Kurdish Religion Islam Government Monarchy King Mahmud Barzanji Prime Minister Qadir Hafeed Historical era Interwar Period  - Treaty of Sèvres August 10, 1920  - Proclaimed October 10, 1921  - Treaty of Lausanne July 24, 1923  - Disestablished July, 1924  - British Mandate of Mesopotamia October 3, 1932 Currency Indian... The Republic of Ararat was a self-proclaimed Kurdish state. ... Flag Anthem: Ey Reqîb (English: Hey Guardian) Approximate extent of the Republic. ... Motto: None Anthem: Ey Reqîb (English: Hey Guardian) Capital Arbil Largest city Erbil Official languages Kurdish, Arabic, (Assyrian (Syriac)) and (Iraqi Turkmen) [1] Government Parliamentary Democracy  - President Masoud Barzani  - Prime Minister Nechervan Idris Barzani  - Deputy Prime Minister Omer Fattah Hussain Formation of Autonomous Region    - Autonomy Accord Agreement is Signed... Iranian Kurdistan (Kurdish: Kurdistana ÃŽranê [1] or Kurdistana Rojhilat (Eastern Kurdistan) [2] or Rojhilatê Kurdistan (East of Kurdistan) [3]) is an unofficial name for the parts of Iran inhabited by Kurds and has borders with Iraq and Turkey. ... The Kurds in Turkey (Kurdish: Kurdên li Tirkiye, Turkish: Türkiyedeki Kürtler) who are an Indo-European people and their name first mentioned around 3000 BC by Sumerians [6] are remnants of ancient Iranians who resided in Anatolia before the expansion of the Median Empire, 600 BC... Kurds are the largest ethnic minority in Syria making up 10% of the countrys population i. ... The Kurdistan newspaper Kurdish literature (in Kurdish: Wêjey kurdî) is a literature written in Kurdish language. ... Kurdish Music (Kurdish: Muzîk û strana kurdî) referes to music performed in Kurdish language. ... Kurdish dance (Kurdish: Govend) is a group of traditional hand-holding dances similar to those from the Balkans, Lebanon, and to Iraq. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... The Kurdish language is a language spoken in the region called Kurdistan, including Kurdish populations in parts of Iran, Iraq, Syria and Turkey. ... Kurds are one of the Iranian peoples and speak Kurdish, a north-Western Iranian language related to Persian. ... For other uses, see Kurdistan (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Kurdistan (disambiguation). ...

Geography and economy

Kurdish-inhabited areas of the Middle East

The Encyclopaedia of Islam describes Turkish Kurdistan as covering at least 17 provinces of Turkey: Erzincan, Erzurum, Kars, Malatya, Tunceli, Elazığ, Bingöl, Muş, Ağrı, Adıyaman, Diyarbakır, Siirt, Bitlis, Van, Şanlıurfa aka Urfa, Mardin and Hakkâri, stressing at the same time that "the imprecise limits of the frontiers of Kurdistan hardly allow an exact appreciation of the area." [4]. Since 1987, four new provinces - Şırnak, Batman, Iğdır and Ardahan - have been created inside the Turkish administrative system out of the territory of some of these provinces. The region has no unified administrative identity and the Turkish state rejects the use of the term "Kurdistan" to describe it. In addition to the provinces already mentioned, the region forms part of the wider geographic subdivisions of Southeastern Anatolia Region (Güneydoğu Anadolu Bölgesi) and Eastern Anatolia Region (Doğu Anadolu Bölgesi). Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (982x802, 630 KB) Kurdish-inhabited area by CIA (1992) Source: Perry-Castañeda Library Map Collection at The University of Texas at Austin [1] License: Above a list of maps available for download, the web site has the text: . There is... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (982x802, 630 KB) Kurdish-inhabited area by CIA (1992) Source: Perry-Castañeda Library Map Collection at The University of Texas at Austin [1] License: Above a list of maps available for download, the web site has the text: . There is... Provinces of Turkey are called iller in Turkish (singular is il, see Turkish alphabet for capitalization of i). ... Erzincan Province is a province on the Eastern region of Anatolia, and home to Erzincan, a city which was destroyed and rebuilt after a 7. ... shows the Location of the Province Erzurum Erzurum (or Erzerum, Arzen in antiquity, Karin in ancient Armenian, Theodosiupolis or Theodosiopolis during Byzantine rule) is one of the Provinces of Turkey, in the Eastern Anatolia Region, to the east of the country. ... Kars is a province of Turkey, and is located in the northeastern part of the country, next to the border with Armenia. ... Malatya Province is a province in Anatolia (Turkey). ... Tunceli (Zazaki: Dêsim, Kurdish: ) is a province in the Eastern Anatolia region of Turkey. ... Location of Elazığ Province Elazığ Province is a province of Turkey with its seat in the city of Elazığ. This province is also the source of the Euphrates river. ... Bingöl Province is a province of Turkey in Eastern Anatolia. ... Shows the Location of the Province MuÅŸ MuÅŸ (alternative transliteration: Mush) is a province in eastern Turkey. ... Location of Province AÄŸrı AÄŸrı (Armenian: Ô±Ö€Õ¡Ö€Õ¡Õ¿Õ«; Kurdish: Agirî [1]) is a province on the eastern borders of Turkey, bordering Iran to the east, Kars to the North, Erzurum to the Northeast, MuÅŸ and Bitlis to the Southeast, Van to the south, and IÄŸdır to the northeast. ... Map showing the location of Adıyaman Province in the Kurdish region of Turkey Adıyaman is a province in south-central Turkey. ... shows the Location of the Province Diyarbakır Diyarbakır is a province in eastern Turkey. ... Siirt (Kurdish Sêrt) is a province of Turkey, located in the southeast. ... shows the Location of the Province Bitlis Bitlis is a province of Turkey. ... Shows the Location of the Province Van Van is a province in eastern Turkey, between Lake Van and the Iranian border. ... Shows the Location of the Province Åžanlıurfa Åžanlıurfa (also called simply, Urfa) is a province in Southeast Anatolia, Turkey. ... Map showing the location of Mardin Province of Turkey Mardin Province is a province of Turkey with a population of 835,173 (2000)[1]. The capital of the Mardin Province is Mardin. ... shows the Location of the Province Hakkari Hakkari is a province in southernmost Turkey, located at the juncture of Iraq and Iran. ... Şırnak is a Turkish province in the south east of Anatolia. ... Location of Batman Province Batman is a Turkish province in the predominantly Kurdish[1][2] southeast of Anatolia, with a population of slightly less than 500,000. ... shows the Location of the Province IÄŸdır Igdir is a province in eastern Turkey, located along the border with Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Iran. ... shows the Location of the Province Ardahan Ardahan is a province in the northwestern-most corner of Turkey, along part of the border with Georgia. ... Provinces of Turkey are called iller in Turkish (singular is il, see Turkish alphabet for capitalization of i). ... Southeastern Anatolia Region Southeastern Anatolia Region (Turkish: GüneydoÄŸu Anadolu Bölgesi) // Southeastern Anatolia Region Adıyaman Province Batman Province Diyarbakır Province Gaziantep Province Kilis Province Mardin Province Åžanlıurfa Province Siirt Province Şırnak Province 2k Provinces of Turkey Categories: | ... Eastern Anatolia Region Eastern Anatolia Region (Turkish: DoÄŸu Anadolu Bölgesi) encompasses the eastern provinces of Turkey, and it is one of the 7 non-administrative sub-divisions used for census purposes. ...

The region forms the south-eastern edge of Anatolia. It is dominated by high peaks rising to over 3,700m (12,000 ft) and arid mountain plateaux, forming part of the arc of the Taurus Mountains. It has an extreme continental climate — hot in the summer, bitterly cold in the winter. Despite this, much of the region is fertile and has traditionally exported grain and livestock to the cities in the plains. The local economy is dominated by animal husbandry and small-scale agriculture, with cross-border smuggling (especially of petroleum) providing a major source of income in the border areas. Larger-scale agriculture and industrial activities dominate the economic life of the lower-lying region around Diyarbakır, the largest Kurdish-populated city in the region. Elsewhere, however, decades of conflict and high unemployment has led to extensive migration from the region to other parts of Turkey and abroad.^[2] Anatolia and Europe Anatolia (Turkish: from Greek: Ανατολία - Anatolia) is a peninsula of Western Asia which forms the greater part of the Asian portion of Turkey, as opposed to the European portion (Thrace, or traditionally Rumelia). ... Demirkazık Summit [IN CHINA] The Taurus Mountains (Turkish: Toros DaÄŸları, also known as Ala-Dagh or Bulghar-Dagh) are a mountain range in the southeastern Anatolian plateau, from which the Euphrates (Turkish: Fırat) descends into Syria. ... Regions containing a continental climate exist in portions of Northern Hemisphere continents, and also at higher elevations in certain other parts of the world. ... Shepherd with his sheep in FăgăraÅŸ Mountains, Romania. ... Pumpjack pumping an oil well near Lubbock, Texas Ignacy Łukasiewicz - inventor of the refining of kerosene from crude oil. ... Diyarbakır (Ottoman Turkish: دیاربکر land of the Bekr as derived from Persian; Kurdish Amed; Syriac ; Greek Amida; Armenian Ô±Õ´Õ«Õ¤ Amid) is a major city in the Southeastern Anatolia region of Turkey. ...

History

Main article: History of the Kurdish people

The Kurds — a population ethnically and linguistically disinct from their Arab and Turkish neighbours — are believed to have lived in the region for at least 3,000 years. They traditionally practised a nomadic way of life in which they herded sheep and goats throughout the plains of Mesopotamia and the highlands of Turkey and Iran. During the Middle Ages, the Kurdish-inhabited regions of the Middle East came under the rule of local Kurdish chieftains, though they never established a unified nation state. During 10th and 11th ceturies, the region was ruled by the Kurdish dynasty of Marwanid. From the 14th century onwards the region was mostly incorporated into the Ottoman Empire. The breakup of the empire after its defeat in the First World War let to the establishment of the present-day political boundaries, dividing the Kurdish-inhabited regions between several newly-created states. The establishment and enforcement of the new borders had profound effects for the Kurds, who had to abandon their traditional nomadism for village life and settled farming.^[3] It has been suggested that Turkish Kurdistan be merged into this article or section. ... Mesopotamia refers to the region now occupied by modern Iraq, and parts of eastern Syria, southeastern Turkey, and southwest Iran. ... The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times, beginning with the Renaissance. ... Marwanid, (990-1085), was a Kurdish dynasty in Northern Mesopotamia and Armenia, centered around the city of Diyarbakır. ... This 14th-century statue from south India depicts the gods Shiva (on the left) and Uma (on the right). ... Motto دولت ابد مدت Devlet-i Ebed-müddet (The Eternal State) Anthem Ottoman imperial anthem Borders in 1680, see: list of territories Capital Söğüt (1299–1326) Bursa (1326–65) Edirne (1365–1453) Constantinople (Ä°stanbul, 1453–1922) Language(s) Ottoman Turkish Government Monarchy [[Category:Former monarchies}}|Ottoman Empire, 1299]] Sultans  - 1281–1326... Ypres, 1917, in the vicinity of the Battle of Passchendaele. ...

Kurdish Principalities of the Region

A tax register (or defter) dating back to 1527, mentions an area called vilayet-i Kurdistan, which included 7 major and 11 minor emirates (or principalities). The document refers to Kurdish emirates as eyalet(state), an indication of the autonomy enjoyed by these principalities. In a ferman (imperial decree) issued by Suleiman I, around 1533, he outlines the rules of inheritance and succession among Kurdistan beys i.e. Kurdish nobility. Hereditary succession was granted to Kurdish emirates loyal to the Ottomans, and Kurdish princes were granted autonomy within the Empire. The degree of autonomy of these emirates varied greatly and depended on their geo-political significance. The weak Kurdish tribes were forced to join stronger ones or become a part of Ottoman sancaks(or sanjak). However the powerful and less accessible tribes, particularly those close to the Iranian border, enjoyed high degrees of autonomy. According to a kanunname(book of law) mentioned by Evliya Çelebi, there were two adiministrative units different than regular sanjaks: 1) Kurdish sancaks (Ekrad Beyliği), charcterized by hereditary rule of the Kurdish nobility and 2) Kurdish governments (hükümet). The Kurdish sanjaks like ordinary sanjaks, had some military obligations and had to pay some taxes. On the other hand, the Kurdish hükümet neither pay taxes nor provided troops for the Ottoman Army. The Ottomans preferred not to interfere in their succession and internal affairs. As Evliya Çelebi has reported, by the mid-17th century the autonomy of Kurdish emirates had diminished. At his time, out of 19 sancaks of Diyarbakir, 12 were regular Ottoman sanjaks, and the remaining were referred to as Kurdish sanjaks. Kurdish sanjaks were reported as Sagman, Kulp, Mihraniye, Tercil, Atak, Pertek, Çapakçur and Çermik. He also reported the Kurdish states or hükümets as Cezire, Egil, Genç, Palu and Hazo. In the late 18th and early 19th century, with the decline of Ottoman Empire, the Kurdish principalities became practically independent^[4]. January 5 - Felix Manz, co-founder of the Swiss Anabaptists, was drowned in the Limmat in Zürich by the Zürich Reformed state church. ... Suleiman the Magnificent Suleiman I (November 6, 1494 – September 5/6, 1566); in Turkish Süleyman , (nicknamed the Magnificent in Europe and the Lawgiver in the Islamic World, in Turkish Kanuni) was the sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1520 to 1566 and successor to Selim I. He was... Events January 25 - King Henry VIII of England marries Anne Boleyn, his second Queen consort. ... This page is about districts of the Ottoman Empire; for a region in Serbia and Montenegro, see Sandžak. ... Evliya Çelebi (اوليا چلبي; also known as DerviÅŸ Mehmed Zılli) (March 25, 1611–1682) was the most famous Ottoman traveler, having journeyed throughout the territories of the Ottoman Empire and the neighbouring lands over a period of forty years. ... Evliya Çelebi (اوليا چلبي; also known as DerviÅŸ Mehmed Zılli) (March 25, 1611–1682) was the most famous Ottoman traveler, having journeyed throughout the territories of the Ottoman Empire and the neighbouring lands over a period of forty years. ... Motto دولت ابد مدت Devlet-i Ebed-müddet (The Eternal State) Anthem Ottoman imperial anthem Borders in 1680, see: list of territories Capital Söğüt (1299–1326) Bursa (1326–65) Edirne (1365–1453) Constantinople (Ä°stanbul, 1453–1922) Language(s) Ottoman Turkish Government Monarchy [[Category:Former monarchies}}|Ottoman Empire, 1299]] Sultans  - 1281–1326...

Conflict and controversy

Main article: Kurds in Turkey

The incorporation into Turkey of the Kurdish-inhabited regions of eastern Anatolia was opposed by many Kurds, and has resulted in a long-running separatist conflict in which thousands of lives have been lost. The region saw several major Kurdish rebellions during the 1920s and 1930s. These were forcefully put down by the Turkish authorities and the region was declared a closed military area from which foreigners were banned between 1925 and 1965. A major campaign to eradicate separatist sentiment by severely restricting Kurdish cultural and political activities was undertaken by Turkey's first president, Kemal Ataturk, and continued in varying degrees of severity under his successors. The Kurds in Turkey (Kurdish: Kurdên li Tirkiye, Turkish: Türkiyedeki Kürtler) who are an Indo-European people and their name first mentioned around 3000 BC by Sumerians [6] are remnants of ancient Iranians who resided in Anatolia before the expansion of the Median Empire, 600 BC... Anatolia and Europe Anatolia (Turkish: from Greek: Ανατολία - Anatolia) is a peninsula of Western Asia which forms the greater part of the Asian portion of Turkey, as opposed to the European portion (Thrace, or traditionally Rumelia). ... Mustafa Kemal Atatürk Mustafa Kemal Atatürk (1881 – November 10, 1938), Turkish soldier and statesman, was the founder and first President of the Republic of Turkey. ...

In 1983, the Kurdish provinces were placed under martial law in response to the activities of the militant separarist Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK).^[1] An extremely violent guerrilla war took place through the rest of the 1980s and into the 1990s, in which much of the countryside was evacuated, thousands of Kurdish-populated villages were destroyed and numerous extrajudicial summary executions were carried out by both sides.^[2] More than 37,000 people were killed in the violence and hundreds of thousands more were forced to leave their homes.^[5] The situation in the region has since eased following the capture of the PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan in 1999 and the introduction of a greater degree of official tolerance for Kurdish cultural activities, encouraged by the European Union.^[3] However, some political violence is still ongoing and the Turkish-Iraqi border region remains tense.^[6] The Kurdistan Workers Party (Kurdish: or PKK, Turkish: , also called KADEK , Kongra-Gel and KCK) is a militant separatist group founded in the 1970s and led, until his capture in 1999, by Abdullah Öcalan. ... Guerrilla (also called a partisan) is a term borrowed from Spanish (from guerra meaning war) used to describe small combat groups. ... Abdullah Öcalan Abdullah Apo Öcalan (; born April 4, 1948), is the founding leader of the Kurdish militant group Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). ...

Other parts of Kurdistan

Southern Kurdistan Western Kurdistan Eastern Kurdistan Southern Kurdistan (or Iraqi Kurdistan) is a geo-cultural region located in present-day Northern Iraq. ... Kurds are the largest ethinc minority in Syria; // Demography The Kurds are the largest ethnic minority in Syria making up 10% of the countrys population i. ... For the Iranian province of Kurdistan, please see Kurdistan Province, Iran. ...

Footnotes

See also

• Casualties of the Turkish-Kurdish conflict
• Origins of the Kurds
• Kurdish Christians
• Kurdish Jews
• Kurdish people
• Kurdistan
• Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK)
• Kurds in Turkey
• Yazidis

Main article: Turkish-Kurdish conflict Ayşe Konakçı Primary School in Tavas, Denizli: A notable form of remembrance for the memory of the teachers killed by the PKK has been to give the names of each to an educational establishment Kurds on March 30, 2006 carry the coffin one of... Although Kurds have inhabited their highlands for several millennia BC, their prehistory is not very well known. ... Kurdish Christians are the ancient Christian communities inhabiting the region today known as Kurdistan. ... Kurdish Jews (יהדות כורדיסתאן Jews of Kurdistan, Standard Hebrew Yehudi Kurdistan) are the ancient Jewish communities inhabiting the region today known as Kurdistan, roughly covering parts of Turkey, Iraq, Iran, Armenia, and Syria. ... Languages Kurdish Religions Predominantly Sunni Muslim also some Shia, Yazidism, Yarsan, Judaism, Christianity Related ethnic groups other Iranian peoples (Talysh Baluch Gilak Bakhtiari Persians) The Kurds are an ethnic group who consider themselves to be indigenous to a region often referred to as Kurdistan, an area which includes adjacent parts... For other uses, see Kurdistan (disambiguation). ... The Kurdistan Workers Party (Kurdish: or PKK, Turkish: , also called KADEK , Kongra-Gel and KCK) is a militant separatist group founded in the 1970s and led, until his capture in 1999, by Abdullah Öcalan. ... The Kurds in Turkey (Kurdish: Kurdên li Tirkiye, Turkish: Türkiyedeki Kürtler) who are an Indo-European people and their name first mentioned around 3000 BC by Sumerians [6] are remnants of ancient Iranians who resided in Anatolia before the expansion of the Median Empire, 600 BC... Malak Ta’us, the peacock angel The Yazidi or Yezidi (Kurdish: Êzidî) are adherents of a small Middle Eastern religion with ancient origins. ...

External links

• Kurdish uprising movie
• Comparing Ethnic Conflicts in Kosovo and Turkish Kurdistan
• Kurds, Kurdistan, The Encyclopaedia of Islam.
• Maps of Kurdish Regions by GlobalSecurity.org
• Map of Kurdish Population Distribution by GlobalSecurity.org