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.
On October 21, 2026, the Office of Slemani UNESCO Creative City of Literature virtually participated in the 2026 Wonju International Literary Forum, hosted in the
Today, Dr. Haval Abubaker, the Governor of Slemani, received Mr. Daro Aziz, General Supervisor and Coordinator of the Birmingham Kurdish Film Festival in the United
Today, Dr. Haval Abubaker, the Governor of Slemani, attended the opening of the exhibition and project ‘Under 21 Rays of the Sun’ by the esteemed
Today, the Governor of Slemani, Dr. Haval Abubaker, received archaeological heritage activist Mr. Salar Mahmoud Ahmed. During the meeting, discussions focused on prioritizing the preservation,
Today, the Governor of Slemani, Dr. Haval Abubaker, received esteemed author, fiction writer, and researcher in children’s literature, Mr. Amin Muhammad. The visit took place
Nowadays, literature can be created anywhere – at a desk, on the road or even in the digital world. And literature from and in the
