Seven Centuries of Verse: Erbil’s Hidden Literary Vault

In the tranquil town of Shaqlawa, Iraq, the Hiran Tekke—a 400-year-old Sufi lodge—safeguards a remarkable collection of rare manuscripts, including a surviving page from a 1297 divan by Seljuk poet Enveri and Ottoman-era texts printed for Sultan Abdulaziz. Despite enduring wartime devastation in 1961 and 1987, this spiritual sanctuary continues to preserve fragments of Persian, Turkish, and Arabic literary heritage. The lodge's enduring commitment to conservation underscores the resilience of cultural memory amid adversity.

A poignant testament to the enduring power of poetry and the sanctity of manuscript preservation.

(Source: Türkiye Today)