Table of Contents
Was Kurdistan part of the Ottoman Empire?
Nearly all of Kurdistan was part of the Iranian Empire until its western part was lost during the wars against the Ottoman Empire.
Was Kurdistan ever a country?
Iraqi Kurdistan first gained autonomous status in a 1970 agreement with the Iraqi government, and its status was re-confirmed as the autonomous Kurdistan Region within the federal Iraqi republic in 2005. There is also a Kurdistan Province in Iran, but it is not self-ruled.
Where did the Kurds come from originally?
The Kurds are one of the indigenous peoples of the Mesopotamian plains and the highlands in what are now south-eastern Turkey, north-eastern Syria, northern Iraq, north-western Iran and south-western Armenia.
Who did the Kurds descended from?
Origin legends One details the Kurds as being the descendants of King Solomon’s angelic servants (Djinn). These were sent to Europe to bring him five-hundred beautiful maidens, for the king’s harem. However, when these had done so and returned to Israel the king had already died.
What is the size of Kurdistan?
15,692 mi²
Kurdistan Region/Area
Do the Kurds speak Arabic?
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region—The number of Iraqi Kurds who speak Arabic fluently has declined significantly since the 1990s, even though Arabic is the second official language in Kurdistan and the primary language of Iraq. The result is a generation where most people under the age of 35 cannot communicate in Arabic.
How similar are Kurdish and Persian?
Kurdish and Persian are linguistically sister languages and both are in the Iranian branch, much like how English and German can be considered sister languages of the Germanic branch. Since Persian is an Indo-European language, it is not linguistically related to Arabic.
How many Kurds live outside Kurdistan?
1.2 million Kurds
While there is no recent, accurate census of the Kurdish diaspora, widely accepted figures estimate around 1.2 million Kurds living outside Kurdistan, with around half of those Kurds living in Germany.
When was Kurdistan autonomous?
Kurdistan Region
| Kurdistan Region ھەرێمی کوردستان Herêma Kurdistanê | |
|---|---|
| Kurdistan Region in dark red Disputed territories controlled by the Iraqi federal government in light red | |
| Country | Iraq |
| Autonomy founded | 19 May 1992 |
| Autonomy recognized | 15 October 2005 |
Is Kurdish related to Persian?
“Genetically” (in linguistic terms), Kurdish and Persian are both Western Iranian languages (as opposed to Eastern Iranian languages), which makes them very similar in comparison, since the Western Iranian languages have gone through many similar morphological and phonological changes.
What language is closest to Kurdish?
The closest languages to it are Zazaki and Gorani, while the Caspian languages (Semnani, Gilaki, Mazandarani) are fairly close as well. Kurdish is more similar to Persian than Arabic. Kurdish is an Iranian language, like Persian.