Mzkhwty Hajji Yhbwbhkry Sywhyly)shhhydan(

Honouring the martyrs of Sulaymaniyah, this mosque known as Mizgewti Haji Abubakri Siweyli carries in its dedication the Kurdish word shehidan, meaning those who gave their lives in sacrifice, and offers a place of remembrance and communal worship in the cultural capital of Iraqi Kurdistan. Sulaymaniyah was founded in 1784 by Ibrahim Pasha Baban and grew rapidly into a centre of Kurdish poetry, music, scholarship, and political life. Its people have endured repeated hardships across the twentieth century and into the present, and the city's mosques frequently carry names that commemorate those lost during the struggles of modern Kurdish history. Kurdish religious architecture often combines local stone masonry, timber beamed prayer halls, and modest domes or pitched tile roofs suited to the mountain climate. This mosque follows that regional idiom, with thick walls that keep the interior cool in summer and warm in winter, small windows with deep reveals, and a carpeted prayer hall opening onto a paved courtyard. Five daily prayers gather a steady core of worshippers from the surrounding lanes, and Jumu'ah fills the hall with men arriving from across the quarter. Sermons are delivered in Kurdish, with Qur'anic passages recited in Arabic and then reflected upon in the local tongue. Ramadan brings extensive communal programmes, with iftar meals of rice, lamb stews, dolma, and seasonal salads prepared from produce contributed by local farms. Taraweeh prayers fill the evenings, and qiyam during the final ten nights continues long into the night. Qur'anic memorisation classes serve neighbourhood children year round, and older students engage with classical Arabic grammar, tafsir, and hadith studies. Women worship in a dedicated section with its own entry, and sisters circles meet regularly for study and social exchange. Eid celebrations draw extended families, with children receiving small gifts and sweets. Nearby attractions include the Azmar mountain trails, the Slemani Museum with its rich Kurdish archaeological collections, the Amna Suraka memorial, and the cultural bazaars where traditional Kurdish clothing and foods remain central to daily life. Poetry recitations in Kurdish still accompany significant community events, and the mosque participates in preserving these cultural expressions alongside its religious mission across every changing season in the wider Sulaymaniyah region.