The People

The total Kurdish population of northern Iraq is estimated at three million. They are the dominant ethnic group living there, although they have shared the area with Arabs, with Assyrian Christians who have lived there for centuries, and with Turkmens who have lived in the area around Kirkuk since they were moved there by the Ottoman Turks.

Kurds are considered a very handsome people. They typically have very black hair, dark brown eyes and olive complexions, but there are many Kurds with light brown or blond hair and blue—sometimes startlingly blue—eyes. They tend to be shorter and slighter than the average American.

Traditional Kurdish clothes for men consist of loose trousers with a shirt and jacket, cummerbund, and a skullcap over which is worn a turban folded from a large square of material. Colors of clothing are frequently symbolic of the tribe, alliance, or political party its wearer belongs to: Yellow is the color of the PUK, green the color of the KDP. Traditional dress for women consists of loose trousers (somewhat similar to old-fashioned pantaloons), a long loose overdress (sometimes two or three dresses are worn at the same time, for warmth), a vest, and a headscarf covering the hair. Some of the women's dresses and men's shirts have long, pointed sleeve extensions that are tied in the back or wrapped around the arms when working.

These days, many Kurds dress in western fashion, especially the younger generation, although the women avoid the more extreme or revealing fashions.

www.culturalorientation.net
For more information contact sanja@cal.org.
This site looks best when viewed using Netscape Navigator 3.0 or higher. Last Updated:02/18/04