ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – Erbil’s first authentic Kurdish book exhibition was welcomed by more than 7,000 visitors on its first day alone, an organizer told The New Region on Saturday, adding that the crowds included atendees from across the Kurdistan Region.

On Thursday, a Kurdish book exhibition opened in Erbil 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.

Event organizers say it is expected to become “the largest cultural event of 2026” in the city.  

“On the very first day of the first-ever Kurdish Book Fair, more than 7,000 people visited,” Rebin Fattah, one of the fair’s organizers, told The New Region.

He added that “crowds from all different parts of the Kurdistan Region participated with great enthusiasm.”

Fattah stressed that the fair represents the first collective effort to bring together various fields of Kurdish books and publications under one roof.

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.

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.