Slemani, founded in 1784 by the Kurdish prince Ibrahim Pasha Baban, who named it after his father, Sleman Pasha, has always been the center of great historians, politicians, journalists, scholars, artists, singers, poets and writers such as Nali, Mahwi, Bekas and Piramerd. The city is the largest in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, with a population of 2,486,486 citizens and a total territory of 21,071 km2. Alongside
arts and culture, its primary industries are agriculture, education, healthcare,
and tourism, with developing fields of manufacturing and renewable energy.
Kashkul, with Slemani Governor, its Directorate of Culture, and major literary stakeholders in the city applied to designate Slemani as UNESCO’s Creative City of Literature. On October 31, 2019, UNESCO’s Creative Cities Network welcomed Slemani into a global network of 246 cities. The network covers seven creative fields: Crafts and Folk Arts, Media Arts, Film, Design, Gastronomy, Literature and Music. The Creative Cities are working together towards a common objective: placing creativity and cultural industries at the heart of their development plans at the local level and cooperating actively at the international level.
The Civil Development Organization (CDO) is one of the most prominent and influential non-governmental organizations in Slemani, dedicated to strengthening civil society and protecting the
The Zahaw Center for Intellectual Research is a prominent academic and cultural institution in the city of Slemani that focuses on Islamic thought and contemporary dialogue. Its
The Awkaf Library in Slemani is one of the most important and wealthiest cultural and religious centers in the Kurdistan Region and Iraq, possessing an ancient and
The Zhyar Organization for Education and Human Development is an independent volunteer organization in the Kurdistan Region. It works to raise the level of awareness
The Slemani International Book Fair is the most anticipated annual literary event in the Kurdistan Region. Held near Tasluja, the fair hosts hundreds of publishing
This is a non-profit cultural institution dedicated to the service of Kurdish culture and the realization of its cultural goals and objectives. Phone: 07702500000 Email: info@emr.krd
