Celebrations were held in the Kurdistan Region as people in Erbil marked the Kurdish New Year Newroz on Wednesday.
Bonfires are lit to represent the passing of winter and the beginning of spring.
In Sulaimani, bonfires were lit on Mama Yara Hill and at Chavi Land Amusement Park and Duhok’s celebration will take place in Newroz Park. While in Halabja, the Newroz activities were held on the Anab heights.
Newroz bonfires were also lit at the Kirkuk citadel.
Newroz is the traditional Kurdish new year. The year 2019 corresponds to the Kurdish year 2719, as the Kurdish calendar starts at 612 BC. It’s usually celebrated in March by Kurds across the Greater Kurdistan (Iraq, Syria, Turkey and Iran)