Iranian president receives historic Kurdish novel from Barzani during Erbil visit

Shafaq News/ Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian received a symbolic gift from Kurdish leader Masoud Barzani on Thursday, as the two met during the former's visit to the Kurdistan Region's capital, Erbil.

According to Iran’s Mehr News Agency, Barzani presented Pezeshkian with a copy of Mem û Zîn, a renowned Kurdish epic written in 1692 by poet Ahmad Khani. The novel, a landmark in Kurdish literature, tells the tragic love story of Mem, a commoner, and Zîn, a princess, whose romance is doomed by class divides.

"Mem û Zîn reflects the Kurdish people's history, culture, and deep-rooted identity," Barzani said during the meeting, according to the report.

The novel has also been translated into Arabic by Islamic scholar Sheikh Muhammad Said Ramadan al-Bouti.