Little Kurdistan Nashville

Experience Kurdish Culture in Nashville

Nashville’s Kurdish community is the largest in North America, with a population of more than 15,000. Kurdish refugees first arrived in Nashville in 1976 and have since established a vibrant community in Music City. In South Nashville, discover Little Kurdistan off Elysian Fields Court, and shop for black tea, baklava, and giant stacks of fresh flat bread or treat yourself to an authentic Kurdish meal.

Kuridsh-Owned Businesses and Experiences

Azadi International Food Market near Elysian Fields serves a variety of food.

Kurdish-owned, Greek and Middle Eastern dishes, and a buffet-style salad bar.

House of Kebab

House of Kabob is one of the oldest Kurdish restaurants in Nashville, serving authentic dishes made with high-quality ingredients.

Offers customers a variety of Mediterranean foods, fresh bread, and meat (HALAL Prepared) every day.

Hearty Greek comfort food and soft drinks are offered at this simple, Kurdish-owned counter-serve cafe.

Get a taste of authentic Kurdish food.

What was once a small community center, it is now one of the largest Muslim community centers in the Nashville area, it serves South Nashville, and towns to the south of Nashville, such as Antioch, Smyrna, La Vergne, and Nolensville.

StrikeOut Wingz is owned and operated by husband and wife duo Faraji and Chinar Tucker. Chinar is originally from Northern Iraq and her roots are from Kurdistan.

Halal meats, groceries, fresh bread, Shawarma, fresh sweets from homemade Baklava, and more!

More Kurdish-Owned Businesses & Experiences

Support local Kurdish-owned businesses and experiences in Nashville.

Artists

Areen
A self-taught Kurdish artist in Nashville.

Beizar Aradini
The Nashville artist’s painterly embroidered portraits are an act of resistance against cultural erasure

Nuveen Barwari
Nuveen Barwari is a visual artist who employs collage to reflect on the fragmented state of diasporic living and membership in a stateless community.

Musicians

Arkan Muhammed (Arkan Doski)
Arkan Muhammed, of Murfreesboro, is one of the most sought-after Kurdish musicians in Tennessee. Arkan began learning music from his father when he was a child and has since fallen in love with the keyboard.

Heaja Tahir
A local Nashvillian, Heaja Tahir provides the music at Nashville Predators games, weddings, and more showing just how awesome Kurdish music can be.

Authors

Zaid Brifkani
Dr. Zaid Brifkani is an American physician of Iraqi Kurdish descent. He specializes in dialysis and kidney transplantation with a lifelong passion for writing. His debut novel "The Mountains We Carry" was released in November 2021. He lives in Nashville with his wife and three children. Growing up in Iraq, Brifkani witnessed many traumatic experiences of war, migration, and political turmoil, which have highlighted his dedication to writing about the negative impact of wars and political struggles.