Did You Know the First Kurdish Press Was Carried by Mule?

Printing in Iraq and Iraqi Kurdistan began under Ottoman and Mandate authorities, with Kurdish presses emerging in Sulaymania, Rawandiz, and Arbil in the early 20th century. While early Kurdish publications were largely produced outside Kurdistan due to censorship, figures like Husen Huzni Mukriyani and Piramerd pioneered local presses, shaping Kurdish identity, nationalism, and language codification. These presses played a crucial role in cultural reform, literacy, and the preservation of Kurdish history.