Chaldoran

Throughout the history of the Middle East Kurdish people have been known for their bravery, honour and courage as warriors. Therefore, they have a prominent position in the region, which has led the kings, sultans and caliphates of that time to target and use the Kurds to protect and develop their borders and stabilize the entity of their empires.For that matter, they have often been exiled and forced to emigrate with many examples in the Ottoman and Iranian empires.

Four centuries ago, after the Chalderan war and the Safavi’s defeat against the Ottomans, the Kurds were gradually and forcibly displaced. More than 50,000 families from the Khurasan Kurmanji spearheaded to the eastern borders of Iran in order to protect the borders against the Uzbeks who then intended to occupy the area. After the end of the wars, the displaced Kurds were stuck in those borders and were not able to return to their territory, their descendants have been living in northern Iran and near the border of Turkmenistan ever since.

In this art project, I will study some of the consequences of this forced exodus that has been imposed on some Kurdish families by the Safavis in Iran. It has been a matter of reflection for me that throughout these centuries of forced migration, although many of their traditions have changed, they still speak Kurdish and Kurmanji and their clothes have changed in a way that does not look like Kurdish clothing. It is a mixture of Turkish clothing and Persian clothing. In general, they live an unstable and immigrant life and many of whom are engaged in husbandry. These Kurds still do not consider themselves as owners of any place and have a simple and difficult life, which is certainly the result of separation from their homeland.

In my opinion, this issue deserves to be investigated and worked on, so it is vital to examine more about them and make it one of my projects. I have now dedicated this artwork collection to this matter and this is part of a larger and wider incomplete project, which will be an attempt to introduce and demonstrate the suffering and sorrows of these Kurdish families and the effects of this exodus on their culture, language and traditions.

Hadi, dressed in a special cloak, is standing in the sheep pen at night while his mother is cleaning the place to get the herd back from grazing. Hadi or another member of his family must sleep among the sheep at night to protect them, and for this purpose they have prepared special cloak to keep them warm.
Hadi and his wife Asmar, are preparing hay and sheep food in the fodder barn.
Asmar and her daughter Faezeh are breastfeeding a newborn lamb that are kept separate and away from the mother sheep.
Mahdi and a number of family members are injecting medicine into the lambs, so far they have only been breastfed, and they are going to go out with the herd for grazing for the first time, and this medicine will help them digest the fodder.
Faezeh with her two youngest sister are looking into screen of a phone together and having fun.

Ali, The Hadi’s only son, with his youngest sister are studying their lessons inside their parents room using a lantern, because they don’t have electricity.
Amir, Hadi’s father, taking a pose for a portrait at Hadi’s house.
Hadi’s mother, taking a pose for a portrait with her traditional clothes at Hadi’s house.
Asmar is warming up and preparing the oven for baking traditional bread.
Hadi and his brother Mehdi are resting and talking after a busy and normal day at Hadi’s house.
Some of members of Hadi’s family, taking a pose for a portrait at Hadi’s house.
Hadi’s family are looking for mother and lactating sheep to breastfeeding newborn lambs that are kept separate and away from the herd.
Hadi and his family are breastfeeding newborn lambs that are kept separate and away from the herd.
Asmar is baking traditional bread.
their behaviors have completely changed and most of them do not even know where their original birthplace was.
Asmar is preparing and giving tea to the guests.
Asmar and her daughter, are injecting some medicine into the eyes of one of the sick lambs.
Faezeh puts the baked and prepared bread on her head and takes it home.
A handmade heart on the wall of the Hadi’s room. They do not have just this room and one more kitchen.
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