Rojhelat — Eastern Kurdistan

Rojhelat is the eastern part of Kurdistan, inside the borders of Iran. This page covers its geography, history, main cities such as Mahabad and Sine, and its cultural landmarks.

Major Cities

  • Sine (Sanandaj) · Sine · Sanandaj — Rojhelat's cultural capital, a city of Kurdish poetry, music and maqams. Cradle of the arts and the center of Sorani Kurdish in Iran. · Culture · Poetry · Music
  • Kermanshah · Kirmaşan · Kermanshah — Capital of southern Kurdish lands — land of Darius, the Bisotun inscriptions and Taq-e Bostan. Imperial depth meets a living Kurdish identity. · History · Inscriptions · Imperial
  • Mahabad · Mehabad — Capital of the 1946 Kurdish Republic of Mahabad. The political and cultural symbol of Rojhelat and the compass of the modern Kurdish national dream. · Republic · Symbol · Memory
  • Saqqez · Seqiz · Saqqez — A city of mountains and snow and an ancient cultural hub. Known for its musical and literary figures and its resilient spirit. · Mountains · Literature · Identity
  • Bukan · Bokan · Bukan — Home of modern Sorani music, known for its concerts, artists and music schools — a constantly renewing young Kurdish pulse. · Music · Youth · Heritage
  • Ilam · Îlam — Rojhelat's southern gateway — land of the Zagros mountains and the Feyli tribes. Rugged nature, deep memory and a unique Kurdish dialect. · Zagros · Feyli · Nature

Nature & Places

  • Bisotun Inscriptions — Darius the Great's carvings on the Bisotun cliff — the longest royal inscription in the ancient world, on the UNESCO list.
  • Taq-e Bostan — Massive Sasanian reliefs in Kermanshah depicting kings and hunts, witness to the depth of ancient Kurdish civilization.
  • Lake Zrebar — A freshwater lake amid Marivan's forests, one of Rojhelat's most beautiful natural mirrors.
  • Zagros Mountains — Rojhelat's spine — peaks, rivers and oak forests stretching from Ilam to Urmia.
  • Karaftu Cave — A historic cliff-carved cave near Divandarreh, bearing ancient Greek and Persian inscriptions.
  • Lake Urmia — Iran's largest salt lake on Rojhelat's northern edge — a natural symbol threatened by drought.
  • Hawraman Forests — The legendary Hawraman valleys, terraced villages cascading down slopes, and the heritage Pir Shalyar rituals.
  • Mount Dalahu — A massive mountain bloc in Kermanshah, home to the Kalhor and Chaharlahor Kurdish tribes.

Culture & Heritage

  • Music & Maqam — Hawrami and Sorani maqams, the voices of Hasan Zirak, Nasser Razazi and Mazhar Khaliqi, and the tanbur and daf.
  • Poetry & Literature — Land of Nalî, Mehwî and Mawlawi Kurd — birthplace of the greatest Sorani and Hawrami Kurdish poems.
  • Traditional Dress — The elegant Hawraman dress, the jamadane and Sorani shal, and the distinctive Kurdish turban of Kermanshah.
  • Cuisine — Ash-e reshteh, Sanandaj kalaneh, dawine, and Kurdish tandoor bread baked by hand in every village.
  • Newroz & Pir Shalyar — Newroz ablaze on the peaks, and the Pir Shalyar ritual in Hawraman that gathers thousands of Kurds each winter around a pre-Islamic heritage.
  • Language & Customs — Sorani, Hawrami and Kalhori dialects, Helperke weddings, and a mountain hospitality every traveller knows.

History & Memory

  • Republic of Mahabad 1946 — The first recognised modern Kurdish state, declared by Qazi Muhammad in Mahabad. It lasted 11 months and left an indelible mark on Kurdish memory.
  • Figures of Rojhelat — Qazi Muhammad, Nalî, Mawlawi Kurd, Hasan Zirak, Sherko Bekas and Muhammad Mardukh — names that shaped Rojhelat's cultural and political conscience.
  • Historic Events — From Simko Shikak's revolts to the Mahabad and Sanandaj uprisings, Rojhelat is a long arena of peaceful, cultural and political struggle for identity.
  • Rojhelat's Role in Kurdish Culture — A stronghold of literary Sorani and schools of criticism and music. From here came the great maqams and poems Kurds recite across every region.