Inside Iraq’s Baderkhania Library: A treasure of rare books

Duhok’s Baderkhania Library, one of the oldest and most prestigious libraries in the Kurdistan Region and Iraq, continues to serve as a destination for students, researchers, and literature enthusiasts. Established in 1962, the library is now a cultural landmark that offers an extensive collection of books and manuscripts across different fields.

Named after the Badirkkhan Family, known for their fight for the Kurdish cause, the library houses over 160,000 books and manuscripts in Kurdish, Arabic, and other foreign languages. Its collection includes newspapers dating back a hundred years and rare books over 250 years old.

Beyond its historical significance, the library contains modern advancements with a digital archive of one million books. Recent inventories revealed more than 80,000 Arabic books and over 60,000 Kurdish books alongside a large number of English publications.

The library’s archiving and classification system ensures easy access for visitors, making it an essential resource for academic and literary research. Despite the presence of digital libraries, its wide collection of rare and historical texts remains a unique and irreplaceable source of knowledge and research.

With its commitment to preserving heritage, history, and culture, Badirkhania Library continues to link the past with the present, standing as a beacon of culture and intellectual growth in the region.