70-year-old man keeps Kojarat Kurdish Heritage alive

In the village of Kallehi in the Kojarat area of the Dêrik countryside, 70-year-old Nazir Jweel continues to preserve the Kograt Kurdish heritage with remarkable authenticity. He does so by wearing traditional Kojarat attire and using his powerful voice to perform folk songs and dances, becoming a living symbol of the region’s cultural identity.

Jweel, a father of nine sons and four daughters, ranks among the prominent bearers of Kojarat’s oral heritage. The area is known for its rich pastoral traditions, associated with migration and sheep herding across mountains and plains. This heritage is rooted in traditional singing that relies on the strength of the human voice without musical instruments and has been passed down orally from one generation to another.

Despite the security challenges and changes the region has experienced during the years of the Rojava Revolution, preserving this heritage has remained an act of cultural resistance against attempts to erase it.

Journey of resilience after injury

Jweel’s journey has also been marked by pain. In 2022, he sustained serious injuries that resulted in the amputation of his leg when Turkish shelling targeted the nearby village of Taqel Baqel. The attack left people dead and wounded, with Jweel among those injured.

Despite his injury, he continued to participate actively in social and cultural life. He is now an active member of the Dicle Center for Culture and Arts in Dêrik, where he performs with the Kefna Shobi folklore troupe. He also regularly takes part in national and cultural events and activities in Rojava.

Jweel told ANHA Agency: “Since I was young, I raised sheep, and our livelihood depended on them. I spent my time between the plains and mountains, and we used to sing with our voices in the midst of nature. That is how we became accustomed to singing.”

He added: “Although we did not know how to read or write, we passed this art down from one generation to another until we mastered it. Today, I make sure to participate in every event to pass this heritage on.”

Jweel stressed the importance of Kurdish people holding on to their identity, culture and language and passing them on to future generations to prevent their assimilation. He also highlighted the key role of older generations in protecting the Kurdish language and culture.

Nazir Jweel’s story represents a form of determination that transcends physical pain, transforming his voice and traditional attire into a living cultural memory that helps preserve Kograt’s heritage from disappearing.

a.k

ANHA