Galawezh Festival Opens in Sulaymaniyah, Celebrating Three Decades of Culture and Literature

PUKMEDIA

Galawezh Festival.

The opening ceremony of the 28th Galawizh International Festival, held annually by the Galawezh Literary and Cultural Centre, took place on Thursday evening, 20 November 2025, in Sulaymaniyah. The three-day festival drew a wide gathering of writers, authors and intellectuals from Kurdistan, Iraq, neighbouring countries and further afield.

The ceremony, attended by Dr Ahmed Fakak Al-Badrani, Minister of Culture in the Federal Government, Mohammed Hama Saeed, Minister of Culture in the Kurdistan Regional Government, and a number of political and governmental representatives, began with a welcoming address from Dr Ibtissam Ismail, President of the Galawizh Centre.

This was followed by a speech from the Iraqi Minister of Culture, Dr Ahmed Fakak Al-Badrani, who praised the festival, noting: “The fact that this festival has been held continuously in Sulaymaniyah for three decades shows that the city is of exceptional cultural and historical value; otherwise I would not be witnessing such a splendid and vibrant gathering.” He added, “The festival takes its name from the magazine published by the late Professor Ibrahim Ahmed eighty years ago, during the 1940s in Baghdad.” He went on to emphasise that “Sulaymaniyah is renowned as a city of profound intellectual and cultural importance – a city of beauty and spiritual passion, whose flame never fades. Its people are lively, engaged and deeply devoted to culture. It is one of the cultural capitals of our great Iraq.”

Mohammed Hama Saeed, Minister of Culture in the Kurdistan Regional Government, then delivered remarks in which he welcomed participants and highlighted the festival’s role in advancing Kurdish literature and culture. He commended the organisers and wished guests a successful and enjoyable stay in Sulaymaniyah.

A documentary film showcasing the history of the Galawezh Centre and its activities over the years was then screened, followed by poetry readings from Kurdish poet Yilmaz Odubashi, Armenian poet Seyran Jalad, Egyptian poet Ahmed El-Shahawy and Iranian poet Abdul Jabbar Kakai. The Galawezh Gold Prize was awarded to renowned Kurdish poet Latif Helmat, and the ceremony concluded with a celebratory event.

The festival’s second day will include a series of seminars, literary sessions and academic discussions. The third and final day will see the announcement of the winning works in poetry, short stories, and literary and intellectual research.

Founded in 1996 in Sulaymaniyah, the Galawezh Literary and Cultural Centre is a public cultural institution dedicated to literature, intellectual work and the preservation of cultural heritage. It is named in honour of the late Kurdish writer and journalist Professor Ibrahim Ahmed, who published the magazine Galawezh in Baghdad from 1939 to 1949.



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