Fractured Geographies

What is it about?

This article explores how modern state borders and road systems reshaped Kurdistan in the early 20th century. For centuries, the Kurdish region was part of a vibrant network of trade and pilgrimage routes connecting cities across the Middle East. But after World War I, new national borders—especially in Iran and Iraq—began to cut across these traditional routes. Governments built roads that centered on their capitals (like Tehran and Baghdad), not on regional needs. These roads often bypassed Kurdish towns or ended at tightly controlled borders, breaking the centuries-old links that once made the region economically and culturally connected. Using detailed historical documents and reconstructed GIS maps, the article shows how Kurdistan’s marginalization wasn’t accidental—it was built into the very roads and borders of the modern nation-state. This change turned once-thriving Kurdish towns into enclosed and isolated spaces, with lasting political and economic consequences.

Featured Image

Photo by Jack Anstey on Unsplash

Photo by Jack Anstey on Unsplash