Gewirk (tribe)

Gewirk (Persian: گورک, Sorani Kurdish: گەورک), also known as the "Gawerk" or "Gewrek", are a Kurdish tribe inhabiting areas of modern-day Iran, Iraq and Turkey.^[1]

Geographical distribution

The people of the Gewirk tribe mainly inhabit the following cities of Iran: Urmia, Sardasht, Rabat, Mahabad, Saqez, Boukan, Salmas and Shepiran.^[1] In Turkey, they mainly inhabit the following provinces and cities: Van, Başkale and Gürpınar.^[1] In Iraq, they mainly inhabit the following Shaqlawa district of Erbil.^[1]

Background

Gawerk lords of Urmia and Sardasht, early 1900s

The historical center of the Gewirk tribe is Rabat, a city in the West Azerbaijan province of Iran.^[2]

Gawerk, Mahabad, house of lords - Osman Agha & Ghader Agha Gewirk

Gawerk, Rabat, Hasan Agha Gewirk, c. 1900

The tribe is a part of the Billbas Tribal Federation^[3] and with the members of the tribe speaking the Mokryan accent of the Kurdish language.

Urmia, Rabat house of Rashid Agha, c. 1900