IRAQ: Federal Ministry of Education hosts first multilingual literary festival in Erbil

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq — In collaboration with the General Directorate of Education in Kerkeslokh (Kirkuk), the Federal Ministry of Education organized the inaugural Literary Festival for Mother Languages over a three-day period at the school activity hall in the Ministry of Education’s representative office in Erbil, Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI). The event, sponsored by Education Minister Ibrahim Namis al-Jubouri, aimed to celebrate the Syriac, Kurdish, and Turkmen languages.

The festival’s conclusion was marked by the presence of intellectuals and officials from the Ministry of Education. The closing ceremony, held on the third day, featured speeches commemorating the occasion, along with artistic performances and traditional dances. Certificates of appreciation were distributed to participants, followed by the announcement of winners in the literary competition by the jury.

The literary festival hosted a competition among schools teaching mother languages, overseen by a panel of judges. From among the 45 students representing education directorates in Kerkeslokh, Nineveh, Salah al-Din, and Diyala governorates, the jury selected the most outstanding contributors to be honored as winners of the competition.