Who are the Kurds, who are they by nationality and religion?

How do modern Kurds live? What is their religion and traditions?

Content

Kurds are a huge people who do not have their own country. The number of Kurds is more than 30 million people. Meanwhile, the average resident of Russia or Europe finds it difficult to answer: Kurds are who is by nationality, where they live, what kind of Kurds they have and what are their customs? We will try to fix this annoying misunderstanding and tell who the Kurds are, and what they are special. Moreover, for the Russian layman, this people are really amazing.

Kurds are who is by nationality?

I would like to answer that Kurds by nationality are Kurds. They live in a compact territory, the size of Belarus. They have their own language, their own traditions and their own satellite channels. But the Kurds do not have their own country. And they are divided by borders at once into 4 modern states.

Turkey. Kurds live in the east of the country. It is in Eastern Turkey that the Kurds live the most, there are about 20 million of them. For the country, this is a lot, in fact, every fourth resident of Turkey is Kurd.
Iraq. This is another country, part of which is compactly populated by the Kurds. Now in Iraq, the Kurds have autonomy.
Iran. Kurds live in the west of Iran. Iran is one of the leading world oil exporters and the territory on which the Kurds live rich in its deposits.
Syria. The well -known recent military operations in Syria, did not affect Damascus - the capital of the country. They suffered more from them, just the territories on which the Kurds live.

Thus, it is difficult to answer the question: Kurds are who is by nationality? Kurds may have citizenship of Turkey, Iran, Iraq or Syria. This is not considered that Kurdish diasporas are in the territories of many other countries. There are many of them in Germany, a lot in Azerbaijan, there are Kurds in Russia.

Interestingly, Kurdish and Turkish languages \u200b\u200bare completely different. And even it is easier for Russians to understand the Kurdish language than the Turks. We and the Kurds have many similar words with a common root, and a similar structure of sentences.

Who are the Kurds and what are they special?

Mount Ararat

The well -known peak, to which Noah moored his ark, is located on the ground where the Kurds live. Geographically, this is almost the eastern point of Turkey.

The borders of the two countries are very close to the mountain: Iran and Armenia. Therefore, it is forbidden to fly by helicopter here, even if you are a very rich traveler. BUT rise to Ararat - The matter is not easy. Its height above sea level is as much as 5 kilometers. Travel agencies stretch a trip to Ararat for as many as 4 days, with night in tent camps.

On Mount Ararat, grapes are not growing, the terrain there is rocky, and the vegetation is only herbaceous. But the Kurds believe that the slopes of the mountain are great so that there are huge flocks of sheep. People who live in villages on the slopes of the mountain hold sheep, cows, and chickens. Some of them go to work in the cities.

If we talk about where the Kurds live, you need to recall their houses with very thick and hard as a stone with walls. Such houses are not a tribute to fashion, but a vital necessity. There are earthquakes in these places. Yes, and Mount Ararat itself is nothing more than a long -out volcano.

Some Kurds live in houses "on the mountain". These are houses that are attached directly to the rocks. The landscape in these places is mountainous and in many small settlements such houses are traditional. Some people consider such houses to be slums. But, in general, the Kurds - nationality is quite prosperous.

Houses on the mountain in the village of Kurdov

If you look out of the window of such a village house in the evening, in the area remote from the cities, then you can hear the Wojakov howl. They are typical representatives of the wild fauna. The Kurds are used to them, and they say that they do not like jackals, only because they steal chickens. And jackals can encroach on watermelons, melons and grapes from the sites. They eat it because they love sweets.

Lake van

This name is hardly familiar to tourists. Meanwhile, the inhabitants of Turkey are very fond of relaxing on the banks of this lake, despite the fact that their country washes two seas. Lake Van is very clean. There are many soda and salt in his water. But the most amazing is that Lake Van is actually a crater of an extinct volcano. And this volcano is five times larger than Ararat. The lake is very beautiful and simply huge, the Kurds call it the Van Sea.

What is the religion of the Kurds?

What religion of the Kurds becomes clear as soon as you enter some kind of Kurdish town. This is striking for a Russian person, but on the streets you will see a huge number of men, and you will almost not see women. Kurds are Muslims.The Turks are also Muslims, but they are more liberal, and do not adhere to strictly traditions. The farther east of Ankara, the more strictly the Muslim covenants are revered.
The people of the Kurds have a tradition, when men are massively going out to the street in the late afternoon. They communicate with each other, drink tea and idle. And women, go outside and walk - do not need to. A woman should sit at home and educate children. Is it necessary to make a marriage with the Kurd and go to his homeland - you should think carefully.
Kurds are a people who do not really like to marry foreigners. Although a foreign girl can cordially accept the family. But, it is very likely that the requirements will be made to you, to dress, and so that you go with your head covered. This is necessary so as not to discredit the family and avoid the oblique views of the neighbors.
Modestly dress for the Kurds, it means looking approximately like believers in Russia who come to temples. Skirt length to the middle of the lower leg, and preferably on the floor. A completely closed jacket or turtleneck with closed hands. And a scarf on the head. Kurdish women often choose whites with beautiful embroidery. Turkish women are also Muslim women, but in large cities they dress almost like Europeans.

Kurdish girls wear beautiful dresses from organza and a scarf on their heads. Although sometimes, the Kurds depart a little from traditions, and their women go without a headdress and even in trousers.

This is a everyday type of Kurdish girls, not festive outfits

Who are the Kurds now?

There are many expensive and new cars on the streets of Kurdish cities. To say who the Kurds are these days, you need to imagine a man with a modern smartphone and, most likely, in a good car. Kurdish women walk in long clothes and with their head covered. They, in the vast majority, also come to the market on the market.
The cities of Kurdistan are generally little adapted for pedestrians. On the streets there are often no sidewalks at all, and the distance between significant objects is huge. Maybe this is due to the fact that the Kurds are used to driving a car, or maybe, on the contrary, the Kurds go to the car because they have such cities.
The lands on which the Kurds live, and the countries in which they live are rich in oil fields. Probably because of this, the Kurds have a fairly high level of income.

The world community presses on the Kurds, trying to make them more democratic. For example, the Syrian Kurds, now every second government post is occupied by a woman. But religion of the Kurds still plays a huge role for them.

In the Iranian and Turkish Kurds, women work very little: they usually hold the positions of cosmetologists, teachers and lawyers. The vast majority of women are ordinary housewives that their husbands contain.
If you come to the cafe, then with a probability of 90% your waiter will be a man. And if you are a girl who wanted to come to a cafe in Iraqi Erbil, then you will probably be the only visitor-girl in this cafe.
Sellers in the markets and in stores of the Kurds are also in the majority - men.
Once in the traditions of the Kurds there was polygamy. Now it is prohibited by the laws of all countries where the Kurds live and is strictly punished.
The fact that for the people of the Kurds in a nutshell we can say this: they are very hospitable, welcoming and generous. There is no friend better than Kurd. But if you are not lucky enough to be at enmity with the Kurd, then there is no worse than the enemy. This is a very hot people.

Kurds and war

In recent years, the Kurds have been involved in many military conflicts. We do not want to delve into politics too much, but to tell what kind of people the Kurds are difficult without it. The Kurds participated in the war in Iraq. The war in Syria also did not pass their home.

On the territory of Iran, Kurdish settlements also suffered from the bombing of neighboring Turkey, who claimed to be trying to destroy ISIS fighters. The Kurds were forced to take part in all these military conflicts because they took place in their territories.

The Kurdish military detachments supported the governments of countries. In return, they asked for their people more freedoms as autonomy. Among the Kurdish military were both boys and girls.

To visit Kurds: Tourist attractions

Kurds are not very accustomed to tourists. Separate tourists can be found in Turkish Kurdistan. They want to conquer the top Ararat. But even here there are not many tourists. And if you arrive there, you can fully enjoy the local color.

Lake van - Another amazing place that the Turks know well, but the visiting tourists unfairly forgot. Prices here are an order of magnitude lower than in Turkish hotels on the seashore, and nature here is even more beautiful.
Iraqi Kurdistan - This is a country from which you expect a lot of things, but not the beauty of nature. And in vain! On these lands there are beautiful mountains and plains of Mesopotamia. Swift streams and rivers sometimes flow through deep canyons, and mountains enchant them with their grandeur.