Sulaimani celebrates 241st anniversary

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Kurdish leaders on Friday congratulated Sulaimani on its 241st anniversary. The city is known as the Kurdistan Region’s capital of culture.

“On the 241st anniversary of its founding, I warmly congratulate the city of courage, of sacrifice, the lovely city of Sulaimani, the capital of culture, the center of culture, literature, and art, and all the lovely residents of the city," Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani said on Friday.

He commended Sulaimani as an "influential name in the history of our culture and politics."

The second largest city in the Kurdistan Region, Sulaimani was founded by a Kurdish prince, Ibrahim Pasha, on November 14, 1784. He named the city after his father, Sulaiman Pasha. It is now the capital of the most populated province in the Region.

Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani pledged greater services for the city.

"As an important and prominent cultural center, a history full of achievements and struggle, Sulaimani deserves greater services," Barzani said, adding "the Kurdistan Regional Government will continue improving the state of services."

Celebrating the occasion, Bafel Talabani, the leader of the city’s ruling Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), said in a post on Facebook that Sulaimani "throughout history has shown it was a pioneer in making sacrifices, free opinions, culture and innovations."

"As always, serving Sulaimani has stayed our top priority. Together with its beloved residents, we are moving forward for a brighter future," Talabani said.

Sulaimani was the capital of the Baban emirate for nearly 70 years, until its collapse at the hands of the Ottoman Empire in 1850.

Many prominent pioneers of Kurdish poetry, ideas, and national struggle have roots in the city. The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) officially recognizes it as the “Capital of Culture” and many of the streets are named after poets, writers, and cultural and political figures.

In 2019, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) designated Sulaimani a Creative City of Literature.

Iraq’s current President Abdul Latif Rashid and former president Barham Salih are both from Sulaimani.