Ereba

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=efoV3j86EUo

Village History and Origins

The village of Ereba, located in the Afrin region, has a distinct history regarding its name and settlement. According to elder Îbrahîm Xelîl Cimkî, the village was not originally founded by Arab settlers despite its name. The ancestors of the current residents, identified as the lineage of Mala Hesenî Medîne, originally lived at a nearby location called Qitroniyê. They eventually migrated and settled at the current site. The name Ereba was bestowed upon the location because nomadic Arab herders (koçer) frequently visited the area to graze their livestock on its lush pastures. Over time, locals began referring to the spot as "the place of the Arabs," and the name persisted even though the permanent inhabitants were Kurds. The village has a history of hospitality; Îbrahîm Xelîl Cimkî notes that his father, a former mukhtar, would invite travelers on the road to stay, eat, and sleep at their home.

Social Structure and Life

The village social structure is comprised of several distinct families. The most prominent family discussed in the documentary is Cimkî (or Malê Cimkî), to which several speakers belong. Another significant group mentioned is Mala Hesenî Medîne, representing the ancestral core of the village. The elder Arif Cimkî also notes that in the past, the Cefo family was very numerous in the village, though their numbers have since dwindled. Other residents interviewed bear the family names Sîdo and Hesen.

Daily life in the past was deeply communal and agricultural. Arif Cimkî describes how men and women worked together in the fields during the harvest (pehle), using animals to thresh wheat on the threshing floors (bider). Henîfe Sîdo recounts that weddings were grand events held on these threshing floors, lasting anywhere from three to seven days. These celebrations involved traditional drumming (def û zirne) and communal meals featuring dishes like savar (bulgur), germê rizê (rice soup), and îxniyê fasûla (bean stew).

Natural Resources and Landmarks

The village environs are rich in natural resources. Residents like Fîdan still practice the tradition of foraging for wild edible plants, specifically gathering derzink and çukî (types of greens/thistle). In terms of landmarks, the documentary highlights Deşta Dûrimê (the Dûrimê Plain) and a significant water source known as Kaniya Dûrimê. Located in a lower lying area, Kaniya Dûrimê is a popular spot for locals, marked by a large tree where visitors often carve their names or take photographs.

Cultural Expressions

The village maintains a strong connection to Kurdish music and oral history. A young musician, Mihemed Cimkî, plays the tembûr (a stringed instrument), a skill he learned by watching his father. He preserves regional cultural heritage by performing songs by the renowned Afrin artist Elî Cemîl Horo, specifically a song titled "Bejna Rindê," which references "Efrîn" and expresses deep longing and love. The host of the documentary, identified as being from the neighboring village of Baedîna, emphasizes the close ties and shared culture between the villages in the region.

Ereb Ûşaxî is an agricultural village situated twenty kilometers west of Efrîn. It is bordered by the neighboring villages of Xaziyana Jêrîn, Xaziyana Jorîn, Qenterê, and the subdistrict center of Mabeta. The name of the village translates to Sons of the Arabs, reflecting its unique historical origins and demographic makeup.

According to local historian Umer Camo, the village was founded 400 to 450 years ago by nomadic Arabs from Çiyayê His in the southern countryside of Heleb. Three brothers arrived in the area seeking pastures for their sheep. A conflict soon arose with the local Kurds, resulting in the death of one of the brothers. To resolve the blood feud, the Kurds offered a woman in marriage to one of the surviving brothers. Following this reconciliation, the brothers decided to stay rather than return to their homeland. One brother founded Ereb Ûşaxî, while the other settled directly to the north in Hemşelek. The local Neyîm tribe traces its lineage back to these original founders.

Over time, Kurdish families migrated to the village and integrated with the Arab inhabitants. The Hesenelo family arrived from Turkey and built their homes opposite the founders. Later, the Bîlal and Ebû Silêman families also settled in the village to establish mutual protection against regional bandits. Today, the village is fully integrated, with Arab and Kurdish residents intermarrying and sharing all social duties. The villagers also maintain peaceful and cooperative relations with nearby Mabeta, whose population is predominantly Alevi.

The residents of Ereb Ûşaxî preserve several unique cultural traditions. They continue to recognize the Kirîv bond, an ancient form of blood brotherhood established when a man holds another man's son during circumcision. This sacred bond strictly prohibits future intermarriage between the two families. A similar sisterhood bond for women is known as Destik. During local funerals, all villagers halt their work, including shutting down the olive presses, for the entire duration of the burial as a sign of respect. Weddings feature vibrant traditional dances such as Hovî Giran, Çiftetêlî, Hovî Sivik, Hesen Doxle, and Eşî Doxle. A highly esteemed dance called Hovî Xatûnî is performed at the beginning and end of the celebration, traditionally led by a prominent community matriarch.

Economically, the village relies heavily on cultivating its fifty thousand olive trees, specifically the Zeytî and Xilxalî varieties. It also features a historical primary school built around the Islamic year 1354 alongside the local mosque. Traditional craftsmanship survives through elders like Mistefa Mirad, who continues the family trade of blacksmithing and knife making which he has practiced for thirty years. He distinguishes his locally forged blades, which are carefully quenched in oil for hardness, from ordinary Qerbat knives, thus preserving a rare and highly skilled rural craft.