JOURNAL OF KURDISH STUDIES & RESEARCHSINCE 2005SEARCH ↗
KurmancîEnglishTürkçe
KOVARA BÎR.
Kovara Bîr.

FROM 1898 TO TODAY

Map of Kurdish press history

Kurdish journalism was often born not at home but in exile. Drag through the years to watch the press move from city to city. Tap a city to read what was published there.

Skip the story, explore the map →

The Kurdistan region is shown approximately.

11898

The first newspaper was born in exile

In April 1898 the first issue of Kurdistan appeared in Cairo. Begun by Mikdad Midhat Bey of the Bedirxan family, it marks the start of the Kurdish press; 22 April is still kept as Kurdish Journalism Day.

21898–1902

From Cairo to Geneva and London

Under pressure the paper moved to Geneva, returned briefly to Cairo, then was printed in London and Folkestone. The Kurdish press took its first steps beyond the borders.

31908

The constitution and Istanbul

In 1908 the brief freedom of the restored Ottoman constitution made Istanbul the centre of the Kurdish press. Kürd Teavün ve Terakki, Şark ve Kürdistan and Serbestî all began that year.

41913–1920

Students, reviews and Jîn

In 1913 the Kurdish students’ society Hêvî published Rojî Kurd, then Hetawî Kurd. After the 1918 armistice the review Jîn and a revived Serbestî brought the Kurdish question into Istanbul’s debates.

51926–1949

Sorani print from Rawanduz to Baghdad

In Rawanduz, Huznî Mukriyanî printed Zarî Kurmancî on his own press (1926–1932). In Baghdad, Gelawêj, founded in 1939, was for a decade the meeting place of Sorani literature.

61930

Rêya Teze in Yerevan

Founded in Soviet Armenia in 1930, Rêya Teze carried Kurmanji to its readers for decades, first in Latin and later in Cyrillic letters.

71932–1946

Hawar: Kurmanji in Latin letters

In 1932 Celadet Bedirxan launched Hawar in Damascus and established the Latin alphabet for Kurmanji. Ronahî in Damascus and his brother Kamuran’s Roja Nû in Beirut carried the work on.

81946

Mahabad, 1946

During the short life of the Kurdish Republic in Mahabad, the newspaper Kurdistan appeared in Sorani.

91983–1992

A new generation of reviews

In later decades Kurdish reviews again took root in exile: Hêvî in Paris, Nûdem in Stockholm. In Istanbul, Nûbihar has appeared in Kurmanji since 1992.

✦1898–2026

Now it is your turn

Drag or play through the years; tap a city to read what was published there.

1898

In print this year

1898

All titles, by year

22 titles · 13 cities · 1898–2026

  1. 1898 · 1900

    Kurdistan کوردستان

    Cairo, Egypt · Mikdad Midhat Bedirxan; sonra Abdurrahman Bedirxan · Kurmanji, Ottoman Turkish (Arabic script)

    The first Kurdish newspaper. Its first issue appeared in Cairo in April 1898; it later moved to Geneva, London and Folkestone.

    Sources
    • Seîd Veroj, “Kürd Basınında İlk Dönem: 1898-1925”, Kovara Bîr arşivi
  2. 1898–1899

    Kurdistan کوردستان

    Geneva, Switzerland · Abdurrahman Bedirxan · Kurmanji, Ottoman Turkish (Arabic script)

    After Cairo, Kurdistan was printed in Geneva; the archive source shows issue 18 published there.

    Sources
    • Seîd Veroj, “Kürd Basınında İlk Dönem: 1898-1925”, Kovara Bîr arşivi
  3. 1900–1902

    Kurdistan کوردستان

    London, England · Abdurrahman Bedirxan · Kurmanji, Ottoman Turkish (Arabic script)

    From issue 24 the paper appeared monthly in London; the last issues were printed in Folkestone.

    Sources
    • Seîd Veroj, “Kürd Basınında İlk Dönem: 1898-1925”, Kovara Bîr arşivi
  4. 1908–1909

    Kürd Teavün ve Terakki Gazetesi کرد تعاون و ترقی غزته‌سی

    Istanbul, Turkey · Kürd Teavün ve Terakki Cemiyeti · Ottoman Turkish, Kurmanji (Arabic script)

    The organ of the Kurdish Society for Mutual Aid and Progress, founded after the 1908 constitutional revolution.

    Sources
    • Seîd Veroj, “115 Yıl Önce Yayımlanmış Olan Bir Kürd Gazetesi”, Kovara Bîr arşivi
  5. 1908–09 · 1912 · 1919

    Serbestî سربستی

    Istanbul, Turkey · Mevlanzade Rıfat; başyazar Hasan Fehmi · Ottoman Turkish (Arabic script)

    The first daily paper owned and run by a Kurd. Its chief writer Hasan Fehmi was murdered in 1909; it reappeared in 1912 and after the 1918 armistice.

    Sources
    • Seîd Veroj, “Bir Kürdün Sahipliği ve Yönetiminde Çıkan İlk Günlük Gazete”, Kovara Bîr arşivi
  6. 1908

    Şark ve Kürdistan شرق و کردستان

    Istanbul, Turkey · Ottoman Turkish (Arabic script)

    First published in Istanbul on 20 November 1908, four pages twice a week; Said-i Kurdî wrote for it regularly.

    Sources
    • Occo Mahabad, “Şark ve Kürdistan Gazetesi”, Kovara Bîr arşivi
    • Seîd Veroj, “Rojnameya Şerq û Kurdistan”, Kovara Bîr arşivi
  7. 1913–1914

    Hetawî Kurd هه‌تاوی کورد

    Istanbul, Turkey · Kürd Talebe Hêvî Cemiyeti · Ottoman Turkish, Kurmanji (Arabic script)

    The Hêvî society’s magazine after Rojî Kurd; its second issue is dated December 1913.

    Sources
    • Seîd Veroj, “Kürd Basınında İlk Dönem: 1898-1925”, Kovara Bîr arşivi
  8. 1913

    Rojî Kurd ڕۆژی کورد

    Istanbul, Turkey · Kürd Talebe Hêvî Cemiyeti · Kurmanji, Sorani, Ottoman Turkish (Arabic script)

    The magazine of the Kurdish students’ society Hêvî; most of its writing was in Kurmanji and Sorani.

    Sources
    • Ayşe Hür, “Basın Tarihimizin Kör Noktası: Kürt Basını”, Kovara Bîr arşivi
  9. 1914

    Bangî Kurd بانگی کورد

    Baghdad, Iraq · Cemaleddin Baban · Ottoman Turkish, Kurdish (Arabic script)

    The first Kurdish magazine published in Baghdad before the First World War; four issues of 28 pages appeared between February and April 1914.

    Sources
    • Seîd Veroj, “Kürd Basınında İlk Dönem: 1898-1925”, Kovara Bîr arşivi
  10. 1918–1920

    Jîn ژین

    Istanbul, Turkey · Sorumlu müdür: Hamza (Müküslü), sonra Memduh Selim · Ottoman Turkish, Kurmanji, Sorani (Arabic script)

    First issued on 7 November 1918 by the circle of the Society for the Advancement of Kurdistan; issue 36 (June 1920) survives.

    Sources
    • Seîd Veroj, “Jîn Mecmua’sının Yayınlanması Üzerinden 104 Yıl Geçti”, Kovara Bîr arşivi
  11. 1922

    Kurd کورد

    Urmia, Iran · Mele Muhammed Turcani · Kurdish, Persian (Arabic script)

    A Kurdish and Persian newspaper printed in July 1922 at the Xîret press in Urmia; its masthead reads “a Kurd writes for all Kurds”.

    Sources
    • Seîd Veroj, “Kürd Basınında İlk Dönem: 1898-1925”, Kovara Bîr arşivi
  12. 1925–1926

    Dîyarî Kurdistan دیاری کوردستان

    Baghdad, Iraq · Sahibkıranzade Salih Zeki · Kurdish, Arabic, Turkish (Arabic script)

    A fortnightly in Kurdish, Arabic and Turkish published in Baghdad; 16 issues from 11 March 1925 to 11 May 1926, with a portrait of Saladin on the cover.

    Sources
    • Seîd Veroj, “Kürd Basınında İlk Dönem: 1898-1925”, Kovara Bîr arşivi
  13. 1926–1932

    Zarî Kurmancî زاری کرمانجی

    Rawanduz, Iraq · Huseyn Huznî Mukriyanî · Sorani (Arabic script)

    A Sorani magazine printed by Huznî Mukriyanî on his own press.

  14. 1930–

    Rêya Teze Рйа таза

    Yerevan, Armenia · Kurmanji (Latin script, Cyrillic script)

    A Kurmanji newspaper founded in Soviet Armenia in 1930, printed for decades in Latin and later Cyrillic letters.

    Sources
    • Berjin Haki, “Rêya Teze’nin Kitabı Yazıldı”, Kovara Bîr arşivi
  15. 1932–1943

    Hawar هاوار

    Damascus, Syria · Celadet Alî Bedirxan · Kurmanji (Latin script, Arabic script)

    The review that established the Latin alphabet for Kurmanji; its early issues were printed in both Latin and Arabic letters.

    Sources
    • Kovara Bîr arşivi: Hawar’ın 94. yılı haberi; Celadet Bedirxan üzerine yazılar
  16. 1939–1949

    Gelawêj گەلاوێژ

    Baghdad, Iraq · Îbrahîm Ehmed; Eladdîn Seccadî · Sorani (Arabic script)

    An influential Sorani literary and cultural review published in Baghdad.

  17. 1942–1945

    Ronahî

    Damascus, Syria · Celadet Alî Bedirxan · Kurmanji (Latin script)

    Hawar’s illustrated sister magazine, written in Kurmanji for a wider readership.

  18. 1943–1946

    Roja Nû

    Beirut, Lebanon · Kamuran Alî Bedirxan · Kurmanji (Latin script)

    Kamuran Bedirxan’s Kurmanji magazine in Beirut, carrying the Hawar tradition into Lebanon.

  19. 1946

    Kurdistan کوردستان

    Mahabad, Iran · Kürdistan Demokrat Partisi · Sorani (Arabic script)

    The Sorani newspaper of the Kurdistan Democratic Party during the Kurdish Republic of Mahabad.

  20. 1983

    Hêvî

    Paris, France · Paris Kürt Enstitüsü · Kurmanji, Sorani (Latin script, Arabic script)

    The cultural and literary review of the Kurdish Institute of Paris.

  21. 1992–

    Nûbihar

    Istanbul, Turkey · Kurmanji (Latin script)

    A Kurmanji cultural and literary magazine published in Istanbul since 1992.

  22. 1992–2001

    Nûdem

    Stockholm, Sweden · Firat Cewerî · Kurmanji (Latin script)

    A Kurmanji literary magazine in Sweden, a meeting place for Kurdish writers in exile.

The map draws on our archive and on studies of press history, and grows as further titles are verified. Write to us with corrections and suggestions.