Organised by the Kurdish Democratic Council (CDK-F) in partnership with the Institute for Thought and Research on Kurdistan (IREK), the Kurdistan Cultural Association (ACK), and the Danielle Mitterrand Foundation in Paris, the Kurdish Culture Festival saw a special event on Thursday, a panel on Kurdish folklore.

The panel held at the Paris Democratic Kurdish Community Center, was attended by lecturer İbrahim Seydo and President of the Institute of Thought and Research (IREK) Hevi Çelik.

Celik said: "It is important to talk about the richness of Kurdish culture" and gave information on the history of Govend while explaining the meaning of folklore in literature. Stating that Govend is a collective dance and shows a figure change according to regions, Çelik explained the different types of Govend according to regions on the Kurdistan map.

Çelik, who is also a Govend teacher, talked about the foot figures in Simsimê, Varkuşka, Elo dino, Xelef, Sê gavî, Caravan and Navincî govends and the cultural texture of the regions.

Çelik talked about the regional changes in Kurdish local clothes. Çelik stated that the clothes vary according to geographical and socio-economic conditions. Expressing that the colors of Koçgiri clothes, which were floral in the past, darkened and turned black after the massacres, he said that black scarf now means mourning for Kurds.

İbrahim Seydo started his speech with the story of Mem û Zin. Drawing attention to how history, love and emotions are embedded in Kurdish culture and songs, Seydo made a journey into cultural history through Mem û Zîn.

Seydo said that the cultural texture and stories of the Kurdish people, due to the lack of a written culture, have become a part of both the world and the Kurdish geography today through songs.

After the speeches about national clothes, dengbêj tradition, folkloric figures, songs and dances and the richness of Kurdistan culture, there was a buffet for the guests.

Today and tomorrow are the final days of the Paris Kurdish Culture Festival. As part of the festival, a photography exhibition opens today while a final concert will be held on Saturday.