Kurdish Nashvillle

Little Kurdistan 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.

Edessa Restaurant
Food & Beverage
Edessa Restaurant

Enjoy the delicious authenticity of Kurdish and Turkish cuisines, without going to Turkey. At Edessa, you can savor a variety of kebabs and many other traditional dishes including Turkish coffee and desserts. All dishes are prepared the authentic way with daily fresh veggies and halal/Kosher meat products. Experience the taste of Edessa and learn why these dishes are still around for centuries to come!

Go to Edessa
Kurdish-Owned Businesses & Experiences

Support local Kurdish-owned businesses and experiences in Nashville.

More Kurdish-Owned Businesses & Experiences
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.

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For more information, visit:
 effendifoundation.org
facebook.com/kurdishprofessionals

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