Winter is approaching in the Qandil region in southern Kurdistan (northern Iraq). As the valleys and slopes turn yellow, brown, and white, the impressive natural backdrop becomes a silent witness to a new annual cycle and a living reminder of a long history of resistance.
The region, characterized by its rugged mountain ridges and harsh climate, is part of the Medya Defense Zones. The landscapes there are considered not only geographical but also symbolic spaces: places of poetry, collective memory, and struggle. “The mountains have never betrayed the friendship of the Kurds,” says a traditional proverb, and hardly any region embodies this idea as clearly as Qandil.
The Qandil mountains, part of an extensive mountain range, symbolically and geographically connect the north, east, and south of Kurdistan. For decades, their rugged slopes and deep valleys have not only served as shelters for guerrilla groups, but also as a source of artistic inspiration.
From poems to photographs to songs, Qandil has become a catalyst for Kurdish identity. The region is a natural space where beauty and resistance intertwine.