The Qaysari Bazaar is an absolute marvel. Nestled in the heart of old Erbil, this sprawling covered market sits in the shadow of the city’s ancient citadel, which is perhaps the oldest continuously inhabited place on earth.
The generous journalists of Erbil
So, I had made it to Erbil. I had dinars, I had a working phone, and I had meetings set up with sources for weeks to come. Now, I needed to get a real understanding of local politics. I needed to find a good translator or two. I needed to make some friends. In short, I needed to meet some local journalists.
Liquor stores and LED crosses
I spent my first few mornings in Erbil taking long walks, trying to explore my new neighborhood before the full heat of the day.
Welcome to the Classy Hotel Ankawa
In this first travelogue from WPLN’s Rose Gilbert, we arrive with her in Erbil, the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan, for her five-week reporting trip.
Connecting Nashville to its sister city, Erbil
Have you met Nashville’s sisters? Sister cities, that is. If you didn’t know, the long-running Sister Cities Nashville program has formal partnerships with 10 international cities.
Protests in Iran hit home for Nashville’s Iranian and Kurdish communities
In Nashville, the Iranian and Kurdish communities have held several demonstrations in solidarity with the protests in Iran in an effort to raise awareness of what’s going on. Many still have family in Iran and worry for their safety. In this episode, we’re joined by members of the local Iranian and Kurdish communities to hear about their concerns.
Curious Nashville: How the city became a destination for Kurdish families, and how the community is evolving
You may be aware that Nashville is home to the biggest population of Kurdish people in the United States — Kurds, who are considered the largest ethnic group in the world without a sovereign state. But one Curious Nashville listener asked how Nashville came to be such a destination for Kurds. The answer is multi-layered.
From Kurdistan to Nashville
In this episode, we’ll unpack how Nashville became a destination for Kurdish refugees starting in the late 1970s and then hear from local Kurds about their future hopes and ambitions for their community.
First Kurdish American wins top prize at Tennessee Craft for textile work that captures the immigrant experience
This year, for the first time, the top prize at a biennial exhibit of Tennessee Craft has gone to an artist from the state’s Kurdish community.
Nashville’s Large Kurdish Community To Rally For Independence From Iraq
They hope one day for Kurdistan to include parts of all four countries where Kurds currently live. But U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry recently urged them to remain part of Iraq.
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