Erbil’s historic houses find new life as centre for Kurdish art and heritage

In Erbil's old quarter, Kurdish history is preserved through family manuscripts, artworks, and generations-old memories. Four historic houses near the city's ancient citadel are being restored to provide a home for these stories. The Kurdistan Centre for Arts and Culture (KCAC) is transforming the homes into spaces for safeguarding manuscripts, supporting contemporary artists, and documenting Kurdish cultural contributions.

One house will serve as a state-of-the-art, fireproof, waterproof, and bulletproof archive, while another will become a permanent exhibition space showcasing a Kurdish artist living in exile. The remaining two properties will host workshops and training programs in arts, heritage, and cultural sectors. This restoration builds upon KCAC's efforts to preserve vulnerable collections across Iraqi Kurdistan, including a mobile archiving project that digitised materials in conflict zones.

The collection includes political documents, religious manuscripts, personal journals, and modern works, many of which were hidden during conflicts. The project addresses the lack of resources for documenting and studying Kurdish history, which spans across Iraq, Turkey, Iran, and Syria. KCAC is working on initiatives in Sulaymaniyah with the British Library and the University of Exeter to make the oldest manuscripts in Kurdistan more accessible internationally.

By preserving manuscripts, artworks, and personal documents, KCAC aims to ensure Kurdish culture has a stronger presence in the region and help establish a tangible record of Kurdish contributions to history, culture, and literature.