NORŞAN EBDÎ

Kobanê- The village of Boraz is located on the banks of the Euphrates River in the Euphrates Region of North and East Syria. Being an ancient village, Boraz is named after a woman, Boraz Oglî.

The city of Kobanê in the Euphrates Region of North and East Syria has gone through many historical processes. The villages of Kobanê are named after well-known figures. That is why many villages of Kobanê have been known by the names of women for centuries. The names of some villages are: Boraz, Dîk Madaş, Aşiqan, Til Xezal, Xan Mamed and Xanik. Each village has its own history and story. The village of Boraz located on 40 km west of Kobanê, on the banks of the Euphrates River. According to one of the stories, Mihemed Axa Fincan Bûk’s family escaped from the Ottoman Empire and settled in Kobanê. They met some tribes in Kobanê and these tribes gave the family a piece of land on the Euphrates to the west of the city. Although it was said that the land was not suitable for agriculture, Boraz Ogli and her family lived there and the village was named after her.

 ‘Our village was submerged’

Gulê Ehmed, one of the villagers, told us that the villagers were forcibly displaced after their village was submerged. “When we were children, we asked our parents to tell us the story of the village. According to the story that our parents told us, a hundred years ago, Boraz Ogli escaped from Ottoman oppression with her parents and settled in a village on the Syrian border. The tribes of the region gave them a piece of land and Boraz Ogli married and stayed here. Since then, the name of the village is known as Boraz. The village of Boraz is located on the banks of the Euphrates River. There were more than 200 families in the village. However, the villagers were forced to leave the village after the agreement between Turkey and Syria on water of the Euphrates River. The village of Boraz was submerged. The villagers were forcibly displaced to some village of Kobanê, Manbij, Aleppo and Damascus.”

Village women preserve their culture

Most of villagers built houses near the village of Boraz after the village was submerged. Their new settlement is also named after Boraz. Kewser Xelîl, one of the women living in the rebuilt Boraz village, said, “Each village has its own customs and traditions. Each village has different characteristics. The village of Boraz is known for its wheat, barley and sesame bread. The villagers make their living from animal husbandry. The women living in the village preserve their culture and language.”