HEWRAMAN

In the Land of Stones

“Upon whom Alexander wished wrath / Hawraman was their dungeon”

Some attribute these lines depicting the harsh geography of Hawraman, with a reference to Alexander the Great, to Ferdowsi. In fact, before Alexander the Great, the Ten Thousand of
Xenophon had tried to cross the Zagros Mountains, where Hawraman lays its back. It is said that
seventy years later, when Alexander the Great tried doing the same, he gave the Zagros Mountains
and the Corduene, who would later be called ‘Kurds’, the credit they deserved by saying “I have lost half of my troops in those mountains”.
Hawraman, primed for its geography and identity throughout history, is also named after these
characteristics: Land of the Sun, Land of Fire, Land of Stones, Sacred-Clean Place, Land of the
Median…
Before I share my observations on the Land of Stones, let me share some more information…
It is believed that the name Hawraman is rooted completely in Mesopotamia and originates from the
Assyrian word ‘Oromon’. There is a consensus around the fact that Hawraman or Oromon means
Land of the Median (Media)….
Media was founded following the fall of the Assyrian Empire in 612 BC by the Medes Confederation. Its borders at the time correspond to contemporary Kurdistan. Hawraman is a distinctive region that has preserved its name for centuries - just like it did its originality.
Hawraman is located within the borders of contemporary Iraq and Iran with a population of around
one and a half million. Geographically, it is divided into Eastern and Southern Kurdistan. The region that falls within the borders of the Islamic Republic of Iran is a mountainous region comprising
Hawramana Text (Sewlawa, with its center in Sinê), Hawramana Lihon (Pawe, with its center in
Kermanshah) and Hawramana Jawero (villages of Sinê, Merîwan and Kamyaran). Hawraman in
Kurdistan Region of the Federal State of Iraq comprises three districts, namely Tewêle, Bîyara and
Xurmal, and more than twenty villages.
In ancient times, Hawrami people used to practice Mithra religion. Then, they accepted
Zoroastrianism and Yarsanism until converting to Muslim faith with the rise of Islam in the region.
An important part of Kurdish language and culture, the Hawrami dialect (also known as Gorani
dialect), was the official language of the last Kurdish Principality Ardalan and the believers of Yarsan
faith. Mastoureh Ardalan, who was the first female historian in the Middle East, and the great
thinker, Baba Taher Oryan, penned their works in this language.

Dewaznav Village is located at the foot of Mount Shaho, the highest mountain in the steep Hewraman region. It is considered to be the center of the Mitra and then Zoroastrian faith.

Houses lined up on both sides of a valley in Palangan village, where the houses are lined up like stairs. The roof of one house was built as the garden of the other house. Right next to the village, there is a stream flowing into the Sirvan River.

Def players gathered in Palangan village to celebrate the “thousand defs” event.

Mountain goat figure carved on a rock near Hewraman Text.

Kamil Miradî carries freight with his mule in the narrow streets of Hewraman, where transportation by car is not possible.

Banî Alaya Square.
The roof of every house in Hewraman Text is considered a square. One refers to them using the family name of the owner of the house.

Hewramani chatting in front of the portrait of Sheikh Osman, an important character in Hewraman, imprinted/embroidered on a carpet.
Sheikh Muhammed Osman Siraceddin, an important leader of the Naqshbandi order, fought as a peshmerga in the mountains during the Iranian Revolution. He had to leave his country in the aftermath of the revolution. He stayed in Iraq and Lebanon until 1990 when he moved his dergah to Hadımköy in Istanbul. Following his death, he was buried in the garden of the dergah. His tomb is visited by his followers from Hewraman every year.

A couple watching Iraq over the border with Iran.
The Treaty of Qasr-e Shirin was signed in 1693. The accord drew the border between contemporary Iran and Iraq, and divided Kurdistan into two. While most of Gorani Kurds remained within the borders of Iran, a small portion of them stayed within the borders of Iraq.

Picnickers in Bilbêr Village taking a photo in front of the waterfall.

Nezîre Rezayî is harvesting walnuts with her daughter in law.

Ahsan Bahramî, Muhammed Fehîmî and Hemê Gulava spending time in a teahouse.

Youth have to migrate to big cities, primarily to Tehran, to find work. Almost every family has members who have illegally migrated to Europe in the past couple years.

Elî Muhammed Leylê has been manufacturing 'ferencî', a vest made of felt, for 55 years.
Most of the elderly people wear the local dress "ferencî".

Fatma Ezex peeling pomegranate. Extracted pomegranate juice will be boiled and sold. The villages of Bilbêr, Silên and Jîvar in the Hewraman region are famous for their pomegranate orchards.

Sadî and Star are studying at the madrasah. After completing their education, they will provide religious services in the Hewraman region.

A Hewramani prays after visiting the Pîr Xalo Tomb as part of the 'Tirbe' ceremony.
In this ceremony, the 'Gêtê Mejgê' bread prepared the day before is taken to all the shrines in the Hewraman Text, especially in Pir-e Shaliar, with the participation of one person from each house. These breads are distributed equally as a sign that no one is different or superior to the other. In Hewraman Text, every family is tied to a shrine, so after visiting Pir-e Shaliar Shrine, they have to visit their pîr.

Visitors to the P
3ir Xalo Tomb tie a piece of cloth to the tree to make their wishes and vows come true. This tradition, which has its origins in pre-Islamic beliefs, still exists today.

Ismail and Ednan take the garbage they collect to a garbage collection center outside Hewraman.

Dervishes and pirs from the Qadiri and Naqshbandi orders, mostly affiliated with the Shafi'i sect, gathering in front of Pir-e Shaliar's house and chanting.
The 'Pir-e Shaliar Wedding' ceremony has been held annually in Hewraman in January and February for nearly 950 years. According to the legend, Religious Scholar Pir-e Shaliar, who lived in the 11th century, healed Bahar Hatun, the sick daughter of the King of Bukhara, and married her. Everyone living in Hewraman attended the wedding of Pir-e Shaliar, who used to lead a reclusive life. These celebrations later became a tradition and turned into a ritual over time.

Mullah Hamît is preaching to the people gathered in Pir-e Shaliar's house. In the ceremony called 'Şewnîşt', a meal called 'Çaştê Tîşê' is eaten together with the congregation and dhikr is performed accompanied by daf.