Kurds Collection

Kurdish Gentlemen / Iran
Two Kurdish men in traditional costume

WW2 - A Kurdish Company of the Iraq Levies: these local men who accompanied the British forces and collaborated with them in their attack on Rashid Alis troops at Habanniya Aerodrome

Kara Fatima Khanum arrives in Constantinople
7301569 Kara Fatima Khanum arrives in Constantinople; Private Collection; (add.info.: Kara Fatima Khanum arrives in Constantinople with a large retinue of mounted warriors of her tribe)

Girls of Many Lands: Kurdistan (colour litho)
8659765 Girls of Many Lands: Kurdistan (colour litho) by English School, (20th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Kurdistan)

Kurdish riders, 19th century
7261246 Kurdish riders, 19th century; Private Collection; (add.info.: Kurdish riders, 19th century. From L'Univers Illustre, published Paris, 1859); Photo © Ken Welsh

Aux armees russes d'Asie; Un chef kurde vient au camp de l'etat-major russe, 1916. Creator: Unknown
Aux armees russes d'Asie; Un chef kurde vient au camp de l'etat-major russe faire un rapport sur la position des troupes turques

The People of Kurdistan, 1854. Creator: Unknown
The People of Kurdistan, 1854. From "Cassells Illustrated Family Paper; London Weekly 31/12/1853 - 30/12/1854"

Kara Fatima, the Heroine of Kurdistan at Constatinople, 1854. Creator: Unknown
Kara Fatima, the Heroine of Kurdistan at Constantinople, 1854. From "Cassells Illustrated Family Paper; London Weekly 31/12/1853 - 30/12/1854"

Girdi Kurds, c1906-1913, (1915). Creator: Mark Sykes
Girdi Kurds, c1906-1913, (1915). Kurdish men, possibly from Girdi Abdulaziz, (Erbil Governorate, Kurdistan Region of Iraq)

Map showing Approximate Distribution of Kurdish Tribes of the Ottoman Empire, c1915. Diagram by British writer, soldier and diplomatic advisor Mark Sykes (1879-1919)

WW2 - Paratroop Tribesmen of the Iraq Levies in their traditional tribal costumes before going on leave from the R.A.F. station where they are training

A Yazidi woman
People of the Caucasus series by Max Karl Tilke - A Yazidi woman (Yezidi). The Yazidis are an endogamous and mostly Kurmanji (Northern Kurdish) speaking minority, indigenous to the Kurdish regions

Kurdish Bandits; A Ramble in Persia, 1875. Creator: Armin Vambery
Kurdish Bandits; A Ramble in Persia, 1875. From, Illustrated Travels by H.W. Bates. [Cassell, Petter, and Galpin, c1880, London] Belle Sauvage Works.London E.C

Kurdish hunters on Ararat (litho)
7171091 Kurdish hunters on Ararat (litho) by American School, (20th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Kurdish hunters on Ararat)

The Riots in Constantinople, the Arrival of the Hamidieh Cavalry from Armenia (litho)
1050953 The Riots in Constantinople, the Arrival of the Hamidieh Cavalry from Armenia (litho) by Small, William (1843-1931) (after); Private Collection; (add.info.: The Riots in Constantinople)

The Armenian Crisis (litho)
1100378 The Armenian Crisis (litho) by Forestier, Amedee (1854-1930) (after); Private Collection; (add.info.: The Armenian Crisis)

Kurds, Georgian and Armenian
LLM456850 Kurds, Georgian and Armenian by Scarpelli, Tancredi (1866-1937); Private Collection; (add.info.: Kurds, Georgian and Armenian)

1943 Syria British military treat Kurdish on Turkey border
1943 Syria - British military office treats Kurdish people along the Syria Turkey border - many suffering from Trachoma Photograph by a British army recruitment officer stationed in East Africa

Costumes of the Gabr disciples, Armenians, Kurds
Costumes of the Gabr disciples of Zoroastrianism, Armenians, Kurds. Abiti di Guebri, degli Armeni de Curdi. Handcoloured copperplate engraving by Giovanni Antonio Sasso from Giulio Ferrarios Costumes

Ancient Persian musical instruments
Baglama or tanbur 1, sciehizdeh 2, kemancheh or rebab 3, setar 4, scienk 5, 7, psalter 6, nefir 8, carhana 9, sciak-nefir or horn 10, sorna 11, musicar 12, dembal 13, dohol drum 14

Kurdish and Tatar Warriors at Sadar Abbat, Armenia, plate 15 from a book on the Caucasus
STC92684 Kurdish and Tatar Warriors at Sadar Abbat, Armenia, plate 15 from a book on the Caucasus, Rayot and Jacottet, published by Alfred Leon Lemercier, Paris, 1847 (colour litho) by Gagarin

A Family of Kurdish Nomads, from Voyage en Perse by Gaspard Drouville
TRV228968 A Family of Kurdish Nomads, from Voyage en Perse by Gaspard Drouville, published 1825 (litho) (b/w photo) by French School, (19th century); Private Collection; eTravellers Club; French

Kurdish Cavalry on the March (colour photogravure)
3657079 Kurdish Cavalry on the March (colour photogravure) by Brandt, Jozef (1841-1915); Private Collection; (add.info.: Kurdish Cavalry on the March)

With the Turks and Ismail Pasha in Asia (engraving)
1049741 With the Turks and Ismail Pasha in Asia (engraving) by Nash, Joseph (d.1922); Private Collection; (add.info.: With the Turks and Ismail Pasha in Asia)

The adventure of an aviator from Rome-Tokyo (colour litho)
2808889 The adventure of an aviator from Rome-Tokyo (colour litho) by Beltrame, Achille (1871-1945); Private Collection; (add.info.: The adventure of a Rome-Tokyo aviator)

Cavalier kurde de l escorte pendant la chasse (engraving)
2789842 Cavalier kurde de l escorte pendant la chasse (engraving) by French School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Cavalier kurde de l escorte pendant la chasse)

Fauconnier kurde (engraving)
2789843 Fauconnier kurde (engraving) by French School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Fauconnier kurde. Illustration for Le Tour Du Monde (Hachette, 1862)

Kara Fatma, la princesse kurde (engraving)
2814540 Kara Fatma, la princesse kurde (engraving) by French School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Kara Fatma, la princesse kurde)

Young Eeliaut of the plains of Veramine (engraving)
967215 Young Eeliaut of the plains of Veramine (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Young Eeliaut of the plains of Veramine)

Kara Fatima, Kurdish Chieftainess, and her Suite (engraving)
967214 Kara Fatima, Kurdish Chieftainess, and her Suite (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Kara Fatima, Kurdish Chieftainess, and her Suite)

Caucasian Race, Kurds, Persians (coloured engraving)
3650051 Caucasian Race, Kurds, Persians (coloured engraving) by Williams, J.L. (c.1815-77) (after); Private Collection; (add.info.: Caucasian Race, Kurds, Persians)

Lisa Stansfield performing during "The Simple Truth"
Lisa Stansfield performing during " The Simple Truth", concert for Kurdish refugees at Wembley Arena, London. 12th May 1991

Alexander O Neal performing during "The Simple Truth"
Alexander O Neal performing during " The Simple Truth", concert for Kurdish refugees at Wembley Arena, London. 12th May 1991

Chris De Burgh and Jeffrey Archer pictured during "The Simple Truth"
Chris De Burgh and Jeffrey Archer pictured during " The Simple Truth", concert for Kurdish refugees at Wembley Arena, London. 12th May 1991

Alison Moyet performing during "The Simple Truth"
Alison Moyet performing during " The Simple Truth", concert for Kurdish refugees at Wembley Arena, London. 12th May 1991

Jeffrey Archer, pictured at a press event for the charity the Simple Truth. 25th April 1991

Chris De Burgh performing during "The Simple Truth"
Chris De Burgh performing during " The Simple Truth", concert for Kurdish refugees at Wembley Arena, London. 12th May 1991

Lisa Stansfield performing during "The Simple Truth"
Lisa Stansfield performing during " The Simple Truth", concert for Kurdish refugees at Wembley Arena, London. 12th May 1991

Tom Jones performing during "The Simple Truth"
Tom Jones performing during " The Simple Truth", concert for Kurdish refugees at Wembley Arena, London. 12th May 1991

Soldiers in a mountainous region of Northern Iraq April 1991

Ahmed Agha, c1906-1913, (1915). Creator: Mark Sykes
Ahmed Agha, c1906-1913, (1915). Kurdish men with rifles and bullet belts, Shirwan, (eastern Turkey). A little further on we met Ahmed Agha and fifty gunmen

Kurds of Shaykh Sadiks Army, c1906-1913, (1915). Creator: Mark Sykes
Kurds of Shaykh Sadiks Army, c1906-1913, (1915). Kurdish men with rifles and bullet belts, Khatuna, (eastern Turkey). From " The Caliphs Last Heritage

Two Kurdish Men. Date: 1821

Soviet Armenia - Kurdish Girls - Traditional Dance Date: circa 1930s

Kurdish soldiers in Turkish army, WW1
Kurdish soldiers in the Turkish army, defenders of Trabzon (Trebizond) on the Black Sea during the First World War. Date: 1914-1918

Trabzon, Turkey - Kurdish Costumes
Kurdish costumes from Trabzon on the Black Sea coast in north-eastern Turkey. The capital of Trabzon Province. Trabzon was located on the historic silk road route and during the Ottoman period

KURDISH HUNTER. Kurdistan refers to parts of eastern Turkey (Turkish Kurdistan), northern Iraq (Iraqi Kurdistan), northwestern Iran (Iranian Kurdistan) and northern Syria (Western Kurdistan)

TURKISH BEY, OF BITLESS, KURDISTAN. Kurdistan refers to parts of eastern Turkey (Turkish Kurdistan), northern Iraq (Iraqi Kurdistan)

All Professionally Made to Order for Quick Shipping

The Kurds, known as Kurdish gentlemen, have a rich and diverse history that spans across various regions. In Iran, they have long been an integral part of the cultural fabric. During World War II, a Kurdish company of the Iraq Levies played a crucial role in defending their homeland. Amidst this historical tapestry, we find glimpses of remarkable individuals like a Yazidi woman who embodies resilience and strength. Additionally, paratroop tribesmen of the Iraq Levies showcased their bravery during WWII. However, not all chapters in Kurdish history are filled with valorous tales. The presence of Kurdish bandits is documented in Armin Vambery's account titled "A Ramble in Persia" from 1875. Tragically, there are darker episodes too - such as the massacre of Armenians by Kurds in Turkey - depicted vividly through engravings and lithographs. Riots in Stamboul further highlight the involvement of police forces alongside softas and Kurds in these atrocities. Yet amidst turmoil and violence emerge moments that showcase everyday life for Kurds: hunting expeditions on Mount Ararat or even their interactions with other communities like Georgians and Armenians. In more recent times, during World War II when Syria was under British military control; treaties were established to ensure peace along the Turkish border where Kurds resided. The story of the Kurds is one marked by both triumphs and tragedies; it serves as a reminder that understanding their complex heritage is essential to appreciate their present struggles for recognition and autonomy.