ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – Erbil on Thursday hosted the first authentic Kurdish book exhibition, with the seven-day event’s organizers saying it is expected to become “the largest cultural event of 2026” in the city.  

A Kurdish book exhibition opened in Erbil on Thursday with the participation of more than 100 publishing houses and centers, marking the first and largest exhibition dedicated exclusively to Kurdish publications. 

The exhibition is set to run for seven consecutive days.

“This project is an important and strategic step, and it is the first time an experience of this scale has been implemented at the Kurdistan Region level,” Rebin Fatah, one of the exhibition’s organizers, told The New Region.

“Although there has been rich prior experience with international book exhibitions, this is the first time Kurdish books have been placed at the heart of an independent exhibition,” Fatah added.

“It is expected to become the largest cultural event of 2026,” the organizer of the Authentic Kurdish Book Exhibition stressed.

The book exhibition, hosted at Erbil International Exhibition Hall, features thousands of diverse titles spanning intellectual, literary, historical, social and scientific works.

Throughout the seven days of the exhibition, several panels, seminars and various intellectual, cultural and awareness programs will be organized for writers and visitors.

The Kurdistan Region hosts annual international and regional book exhibitions that are welcomed by the public and attract tourists by featuring books in Kurdish, Arabic, Turkish, Farsi, and English.