Kurdish Names of Cities and Towns
Across Türkiye, Iran, Iraq and Syria, Kurdish place names preserve language, geography and cultural memory. This Kurmanji–English reference includes 86 selected place names, 25 geographical vocabulary terms and four cultural-geographical regional sections.
Geographical vocabulary — Ferhenga erdnîgariyê
Welat — Country; Bajar — City; Bajarok — Town; Navçe — District; Gund — Village; Tax — Neighbourhood; Herêm — Region; Parêzgeh — Province / governorate; Şaredarî — Municipality; Paytext — Capital; Sînor — Border; Nexşe — Map; Erdnîgarî — Geography. Administrative equivalences vary by state.
Four regions — Her çar parçeyên Kurdistanê
Bakur / Bakurê Kurdistanê — Northern Kurdistan (Türkiye); Rojhilat / Rojhilatê Kurdistanê — Eastern Kurdistan (Iran); Başûr / Başûrê Kurdistanê — Southern Kurdistan (Iraq); Rojava / Rojavayê Kurdistanê — Western Kurdistan (Syria). These are cultural-geographical labels, not identical political or administrative jurisdictions.
Bakur — Northern Kurdistan
30 entries. Examples: Amed — Diyarbakır; Wan — Van; Mêrdîn — Mardin; Dêrsim — Tunceli; Riha — Şanlıurfa; Cizîra Botan — Cizre; Colemêrg — Hakkâri; Agirî — Ağrı; Sêrt — Siirt. The Kurdish and current official names may differ.
Rojhilat — Eastern Kurdistan
22 entries. Examples: Sine — Sanandaj; Kirmaşan — Kermanshah; Mehabad — Mahabad; Merîwan — Marivan; Seqiz — Saqqez; Bokan — Bukan; Şino — Oshnavieh; Îlam — Ilam; Wirmê — Urmia.
Başûr — Southern Kurdistan
21 entries. Examples: Hewlêr — Erbil; Silêmanî — Sulaymaniyah; Dihok — Duhok; Zaxo — Zakho; Helebce — Halabja; Amêdî — Amadiya; Şingal — Sinjar; Kerkûk — Kirkuk. Some places, including Kirkuk, have disputed territorial or administrative status.
Rojava — Western Kurdistan
13 entries. Examples: Qamişlo — Qamishli; Kobanê — Kobani / Ayn al-Arab; Efrîn — Afrin; Serê Kaniyê — Ras al-Ayn; Dêrik — Al-Malikiyah; Amûdê — Amuda; Til Temir — Tell Tamer; Girkê Legê — Al-Muabbada.
Understanding the bilingual list
The PDF gives a Kurdish name, an English or commonly used official name, and a settlement type for each entry. These are selected places, not a complete list of all Kurdish villages or districts. Spelling differs among Kurmanji, Sorani, Zazaki and other communities; a historical Kurdish name does not establish the ethnicity of all residents.
Practice sentences — Nimûneyên hevokan
Kurmancî: Amed bajarekî dîrokî ye. English: Amed is a historic city. Kurmancî: Gund li nêzî bajarê ye. English: The village is near the city. Kurmancî: Hewlêr li Başûrê Kurdistanê ye. English: Erbil is in Southern Kurdistan.
Sources and editorial notes
Comparison resources: Kurdish City Names of Kurdistan (NLKA), Kurdish geographical names (KNAB), VejînLex, and Kurdata. These are reference starting points rather than proof of each individual spelling. Administrative terms are approximate and some entries may have regional variants.
Download the free Kurdish Cities, Towns and Geographical Vocabulary PDF — 86 place names and 25 geographical terms. See also Books & Resources → PDF Resources.
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