CULTURE

Latest News

• Kurdish Berlin Film Festival celebrates its 10th anniversary 

  Like many other festivals around the world, the Kurdish Berlin Film Festival will also be online.
• Street theatre in Shengal: The tragedy and betrayal 

  The theatre group of Shengal Culture and Art Centre staged a street performance. The theme was the ISIS massacre of the Yazidi population in the region six years ago.
• Martyr Herekol Book Fair, a meeting point for different cultures 

  The fair gave good results in terms of organization. It was possible to find many cultural, political, historical and religious books.
• Afrin intellectuals open library in Tıl Rıfat 

  The library officially opened with a first collection of 400 books.
• Book fair in Qamishlo 

  Since Monday a book fair has been held in Qamishlo in Northern Syria. 39 publishers present 120,000 books in five languages. For the first time, children's books will also be exhibited at the fair. Seminars are offered in the supporting programme.
• Activists in Duisburg protest murder of women 

  Violence against women was protested in Duisburg, Germany.
• TEV-ÇAND: Hozan Serhat was an artist loyal to his people 

  In a statement released to mark the anniversary of Martyr Hozan Serhat, TEV-ÇAND said: "Hozan Serhat was a conscious and loyal artist. The artists who know the reality of the people express the truth of the society in their songs."
• Berbanga Rojava releases song for 33 Suruç martyrs 

  Berbanga Rojava music group released a song in memory of 33 martyrs of the Suruç massacre which was carried out by an ISIS suicide bomber on 20 July 2015.
• Digital GeoKino: “Stories of Destroyed Cities” 

  On Tuesday, the film "Çîrokê Bajarên wêrankirî - Stories of Destroyed Cities" by the Rojava Film Commune will be shown online. In addition, there will be an introduction to Rojava and a discussion with filmmakers from the Avakino film collective.
• YPJ graffiti in Vienna on the Rojava Revolutionary anniversary 

  Andrea Btoy painted the picture of a YPJ fighter on a wall of a house in Vienna on the anniversary of the Rojava revolution. The artist says: "International solidarity is important, that's why the Kurdish movement and Rojava are important to me."
• Rojava Intellectuals Union celebrates culture in Qamishlo 

  The festival this year was organised despite the great difficulties and resulted in the most successful to date with a rich programme including theatre, cinema, readings, music.
• London Kurdish Film Festival goes online 

  The 11th London Kurdish Film Festival has announced it will be going ahead with an Online Festival Edition.
• HDP: Hagia Sophia is a 15-century-old common heritage of humanity 

  Decisions on the common heritage of humanity cannot be made according to the political games of the government, says the HDP.
• World Council of Churches writes to Erdoğan on Hagia Sophia 

  WCC letter to President Erdogan to keep Hagia Sophia as the shared heritage of humanity.
• "Ev der Heftanîn e" - New song by guerrilla band Awazê Çiya 

  The music group Awazê Çiya, consisting of guerrilla fighters, continues with their artistic work even in times of the most severe attacks on the Medya Defense Zones.
• Turkish Court allows conversion of Hagia Sophia into mosque 

  The world-famous Hagia Sophia will again be used as a mosque. This was decided by the highest administrative court in Turkey. UNESCO had warned against it because of its world heritage title.
• New book on Kurdistan by French writer Franceschi 

  The 60-page book highlights the new Turkish state's invasion attacks against Rojava in October 2019.
• Turkish destruction of historical sites in Afrin must be punished 

  70 historical sites have been destroyed since the invasion of Afrin.
• Ji bo Azadiyê reaches cinemas in Switzerland 

  The film made its European premiere at the Rotterdam International Film Festival just before the coronavirus outbreak.
• "Nightingale of Amed" Seyidxanê Boyaxcî passes away 

  Kurdish dengbej Seyidxanê Boyaxcî died at the age of 87 years in Amed. The "Nightingale of Amed" last suffered from paralysis due to an infection.
• In open letter, academics warn over status of Hagia Sophia 

  “Hagia Sophia is too beautiful a monument and too precious a historical document to serve as a pawn in regional politics,” say academics.
• Guerilla band releases memorial clip for Hasret Gültekin 

  The guerrilla music group Awazê Çiya has released a clip in memory of the Kurdish-Alevite musician Hasret Gültekin, who was burnt to death 27 years ago in the Sivas massacre.
• Children's Peace Festival in Tabqa 

  The content of the festival was prepared in line with the demands of the children.
• Yerevan Radio publishes 4 books 

  A while ago, the 900-strong Kurdish songs archive belonging to Yerevan Radio went digital.
• Rojava filmmaker Şêro Hindê talks about his new documentary 

  Dengbêj are Kurdish poets, bards, those orally passing on to the new generation the traditional songs of different genres, without musical accompaniment.