ERBIL — Marking the 100 anniversary of the first theater performance in Erbil, Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani said the culture, history, and tragic stories of the Kurdish nation can be told through theater.
The Kurdish premier made the remarks during an event held in the Kurdistan Region’s capital, where he emphasized that “the tragic stories and genocides against the people of Kurdistan can be the theme for many theaters” to tell the hardship Kurds have gone through.
“It is important to mention multiple experiences in which theaters played a significant role in promoting patriotism and defending the legitimate rights of the people of Kurdistan during the [Kurdish] revolutions,” PM Barzani told the attendees.
“The Kurdistan Regional Government will remain committed to supporting and developing the cultural projects,” he added, explaining that his government believes that in parallel with extensive works to establish a strong economic infrastructure, the cultural aspects of the society need to progress as well.
PM Barzani also reminded that the first theater performance in Erbil in 1921 was important as it shed light on the life of Salahaddin Ayoubi, a Kurdish Muslim leader who began his journey from Dwini village near Erbil to become the Sultan of Egypt and Syria in the 12th century.