Mona Liza of Kurdistan (Kchi Kafrosh)

Portrait of the Beautiful Kurdish lady

The drawing is portrait of a very attractive and beautiful Kurdish girl which there is a controversy about that who has drawn this drawing and exactly when, because many Arab, Fars and even European artistes have drawn it during 1930 to 1950s. And it’s been re-drawn by many artists in different shapes.

But some historical sources say that it was first drawn by a Kurdish artist.

 

Her real name is ( Khadeeja Jomaa Mawlood Shikak). She is known by ( KCHI KAFROSH ).

“ kafrosh is the name of her tribe or village which was located in Koya District – East of Hawler - in Iraqi Kurdistan Region.”

In 1934, when Iraq was colonized by Britain. One of the high ranked British officer saw the beauty of this lady and he asks her hand several times and after her father refuses, the British officer kidnaps her and takes her by plane to Britain. Some sources say that she throws herself from the plane and dies.

The drawing of ( KCHI KAFROSH ) the beautiful Kurdish lady has the same importance to Kurds as Mona Liza has for European. That’s why it was called ( Mona Liza of Kurdistan).

She was very beautiful and attractive and her picture was hanged on the walls in almost all Kurdish

houses. And she was the symbol of beauty at that time.

 

This peice of writing was presented as a presentation at Reading course in Feb 2011