Who are the Kurds?

In Central Asia, there are manypeoples with their culture, history, customs. One such people are the Kurds. Consider who Kurds are. Kurds are an ancient epic with a peculiar culture. About these tribes wrote in their writings still ancient Greek and Roman writers. Kurds are descendants of the ancient Median state, which was located on the territory of modern Iran (it existed from 670 BC to 550 BC). His state never existed among the Kurds, but they retained their ethnic identity, tk. have a powerful self-awareness.

The tribes of the Kurds value their traditions, they have their own Kurdish language (with many dialects), which is attributed to the Iranian branch of languages. Kurds live in tents or low stone houses with a flat roof.

The religion of the Kurds

Most of the Kurds are Muslims. This people is not committed to Islamic fanaticism, their worship consists in bowing and reading "Tevchida." Women enjoy greater freedom than other Eastern Muslim people, they do not cover their faces, they can wear trousers, go out and communicate with men.

Also, the Kurds have a peculiar religion of Yezidism (based on Zoroastrianism). The Yezidis highly appreciate the sun and worship it, therefore they are called the children of the sun and fire.

Country of Kurds

As already mentioned, this people does not have its owncountries. Throughout the history of their existence, they made attempts to create their own common state, but each time they ended in war and complete defeat of the Kurds. And to this day Kurds are creating armies and winning territories, fighting for their independence. Today, Kurdish tribes inhabit the territories of countries such as Turkey, Iraq, Syria and Iran - these territories are generally called Kurdistan.

The total number of Kurds is about 40 million. 48% of all Kurds live in Turkey, 25% - in Iran. A small number of Kurds live on the territory of the former USSR and in Russia.

The meanings of other little-known words can be found in the Definitions section.