Barzan

Barzan is a mountain area of Erbil governorate in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, on the northern bank of the Great Zab River near the Turkish border.

A long-standing hunting prohibition makes wild goats relatively easy to see.

The main habitats are mountain oak forest and mountain riverine forest.

The reserve covers mountains and valleys above the Great Zab River.

The area is mountainous, with oak woodland on its slopes.

Barzan was the home of the Barzani tribe and became a central site of the Kurdish national movement after Mustafa Barzani launched the Kurdish national liberation struggle on 19 September 1961. In July and August 1983 more than 8,000 men and boys of the Barzani tribe were killed.

The Barzani tribe established a tribal reserve here in the early 20th century, with strict tribal and religious prohibitions on hunting and deforestation.

The oak-covered mountains and valleys are the main feature; the Barzani National Memorial opened in 2023.

The village of Barzan lies on the Great Zab River in Erbil governorate.

Century-old tribal prohibitions on hunting and tree cutting have preserved the oak forests, and the area has often been proposed as a national park.