A new Erbil center preserves Kurdish minstrelsy, showcasing music, crafts, and cuisine to tourists.
The Kurdistan Supreme Center for Minstrels has officially opened in Shanadhar Park, Erbil. The center highlights the art of Kurdish minstrelsy to all communities of Iraq and, at the international level, offers foreign tourists the opportunity to experience the richness of Kurdish art.
In a festive ceremony attended by Kurdish minstrels as well as Arab and Kurdish artists, the center was inaugurated at Shanadhar Park. The event underscored the importance of preserving national heritage while also fostering cultural exchange, as numerous Iraqi Arab artists and public figures took part.
The center aims to serve as a hub for preserving authentic traditions and presenting the Kurdish art of song to Arab citizens of Iraq, building stronger cultural ties between Kurds and Arabs.
It also provides an attraction for foreign visitors to Erbil, allowing them to witness how Kurdish music and art have evolved across different eras. The center brings together artists who gather to discuss ways of advancing Kurdish art in the modern day.
In addition to concerts and artistic gatherings, the center features a stage for displaying traditional Kurdish clothing, exhibitions of handicrafts—particularly household items handmade by Kurdish women—and showcases of traditional Kurdish cuisine.