Gewirk (tribe)

Gewirk (Persian: گورک, Sorani Kurdish: گەورک), also known as the "Gawerk" or "Gewrek", are a Kurdish tribe inhabiting areas of modern-day Iran, Iraq and Turkey.^[1]

Geographical distribution

The people of the Gewirk tribe mainly inhabit the following cities of Iran: Urmia, Sardasht , Rabat , Mahabad, Saqez, Boukan, Salmas and Shepiran.^[1] In Turkey, they mainly inhabit the following provinces and cities: Van, Başkale and Gürpınar.^[1] In Iraq, they mainly inhabit the following Shaqlawa district of Erbil.^[1]

Background

 

Gawerk lords of Urmia and Sardasht, early 1900s

The historical center of the Gewirk tribe is Rabat, a city in the West Azerbaijan province of Iran.^[2]

 

Gawerk, Mahabad, house of lords - Osman Agha & Ghader Agha Gewirk

 

Gawerk, Rabat, Hasan Agha Gewirk, c. 1900

The tribe is a part of the Billbas Tribal Federation^[3] and with the members of the tribe speaking the Mokryan accent of the Kurdish language.

 

Urmia, Rabat house of Rashid Agha, c. 1900

References

1. Vali, Abbas (2011). Kurds and the State in Iran: The Making of Kurdish Identity. Vol. 36 of International Library of Iranian Studies. London: I.B.Tauris. pp. 168, 180. ISBN 9781848857889.
2. "صفحه نخست". rabatcity.ir. Retrieved 2019-02-17.
3. "ایل بلباس - گورک".

• Gewirk Tribe in history of Kurdistan, written by Mohsen Rashidi Gewirk