General Information
Nahiya (Subdistrict)
Cindires
Also Known As
Kanî Gewrkê, Kanîgewrkê, كعنكورك, كعني كورك
Families, Clans, etc.
Mala Elîkênê, Mala Hec Mihemedê Rîhaniyan, Mala Hemko, Mala Hesenê Mamedê, Mala Midewer, Mala Seydo, Mala bavê Hanî, Mala Îbiş, Malbata Şêx Rabo, Xêla Xaşikê
Photos
Basic Information about Kanî Gewrkê
Source: Ax û Welat
Etymology: Kanî Gewrikê derives from the presence of seven springs (kanî) in grayish or ashy soil (axa gewr).
Foundation Date/Period: Between 1800 and 1850
Springs: Kaniya Mîraza, Kaniya Biniya Malê, Sêvara, Kaniya Gund
Shrines: Şêx Ebdurehman, Şêx Berkêt, Ziyareta Hanên, Cemo Zaretê
Ruins: xanek
Other Landmarks: Geliyê Kanî Gewrikê, Geliyê Şêx Ebdurehman
Summaries
I. Summary from TirejAfrin Site (English) of Kanî Gewrkê
II. Summary of Kanî Gewrkê from Ax û Welat
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIpw_lJ8waw
The documentary explores the village of Kanî Gewrikê, located on the main road connecting Efrîn and Cindirês. The village name refers to the original seven springs that flowed through the grayish soil of the area. Although the Syrian regime officially changed the name to Şêx Ebdurehman, the residents continue to use the historical Kurdish name. The first person to establish a home there was an emir named Mihemed Axa yê Xelîlê Seydê who moved from the village of Çolaqan.
Today, the village contains about seventy houses and is home to six primary lineages. These include Mala Îbiş and Mala Seydo from Çolaqa, Mala Midewer from Qeregul, Mala Elîkênê from Kîmar in Şêrawa, Mala Hemko from the Hemqê plain, and Mala Hesenê Mamedê from Entab. Approximately two centuries ago, the area featured a caravanserai owned by Seydo Mamo of Xêla Xaşikê, acting as a resting station for merchants traveling between Kilis and the Hemqê plain. During the French mandate period, soldiers built a bridge near the village. Community disputes were historically settled by respected elders such as Hecî Ebdê, Eynetaxa, Evdê Çeqelî, Evdê Îbiş, and Cemîlê Hacanê.
The village is highly notable for the Şêx Ebdurehman shrine, marking the location where the Islamic figure Ebdurehman bin Ewf purportedly shed blood in battle, although his actual tomb is in Medîna. The shrine serves as a major pilgrimage site for people of different faiths, including Êzîdî, Sunni, and Arab populations, who bring offerings and seek healing. For instance, an Êzîdî woman from Faqîro is interviewed visiting the site because armed groups had blocked her access to Şêx Berkêt. The Malbata Şêx Rabo, originally from Çolaqa, has cared for the shrine for over a century, tracing their lineage of caretakers through Mihemedê Şêx Heyder, Şêx Rabo, Şêx Mihemed, and Şêx Mehmûd. Local folklore also references other sacred sites like Ziyareta Hanên and Cemo Zaretê.
Water sources have historically defined the social fabric of the village. Springs such as Kaniya Mîraza, Kaniya Biniya Malê, Sêvara, and Kaniya Gund were central gathering points where women would wash clothes, clean dishes, and socialize. The local economy is based on agriculture, with residents cultivating wheat, barley, olives, and pomegranates. A local farmer named Ebdûyê Kumo mentions that Arab laborers from eastern Şêrawa often assist with the pomegranate harvest. Finally, the village honors its fallen martyrs through community structures, naming the local commune after Şehîd Rojvan Efrîn and the school after Şehîd Navîn, while also remembering figures like Şehîd Serbilind.
II. Ax û Walat Book 2
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GAZÊ
1.5.2017
[Image of the village of Gazê]
Ax û Welat
Gazê
The village of Gazê is affiliated with the Cindirêsê district of the Efrîn canton, located 15 km northeast of the city of Cindirêsê and 15 km west of the city of Efrîn. The village's elevation is 670 meters above sea level.
The name of the village of Gazê means ((High and long)) because it was built on Heştiya mountain; this mountain starts from the village of Çolaqa and ends at the village of Xerza.
There is a village with the same name in the Reco district near the villages of Meydana, but they have no connection to each other.
Hesen Efendî was the first person to settle in the village, and he is from the Heştiyan tribe, and it is said that they are connected to the Bedirxaniyan
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e. Afterward, other families came. Hesen Efendî himself was a ruler or an Ottoman governor in the surrounding region.
It is worth remembering that Hesen Efendî's properties are around the village of Tilifê, and some people from Hesen Efendî's family settled in the village of Tilifê in 1945.
To the north of the village are the Bîrê valley and the village of Mezin; to the east, the Çetê valley and the village of Maratê; to the south, Bîra Keferdelê and the village of Keferdelê; to the west, the well of Hec Murad, the Hemedê shrine, the Ekûrê valley, and Şêx Mîrê mountain, where there is a water well, a cave, and old ruined houses.
There are 7 families in the village:
The families of Ebdê Gênco, Îbo, Ehmedê Îbiş, Mihemedê Ebdik are all from one root, from the family of Hesen Efendî; the family of Birîmê Hecî, Ukêş who are nomads, and the family of Birîmo came from the village of Dargirê.
33 houses and nearly 900 people live in the village, but around 30 families live in the city of Efrîn.
The people of the village make their living from agriculture, from olive groves, vineyards, apricots, walnuts, almonds, and sumac. In addition to agriculture, nearly 10 people work in various factories in Efrîn, and around 5 people work in the institutions and bodies of the Autonomous Administration. Some families raise sheep.
There is one martyr from the village named Martyr Şêro, and the village's commune is named after Martyr Şêro. There is no school in the village due to a lack of students.
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Ehmedê Îbiş was a rebel against the French. In 1938, along with his friends, he worked extensively against the French and was imprisoned for 4 years in Aleppo and Beirut with Mihemed Ukaş Weqas.
Cemîlê Osê was the mukhtar of the village and provided many services to the village.
Xelîlê Hemdo, Muradê Hec Murad, and Xelîlê Hafiz were elders of the village and provided many services to the village, encouraging people to pursue education and resolving social problems.
Ferîde Hisko delivered all the children of the village.
The literacy rate in the village is high, and nearly 40 people have graduated from university, 10 of whom are doctors and pharmacists.
The first Newroz fire was lit in 1961 on the mountains of Gazê village, and the people who lit the fire were subjected to torture and imprisonment by the Syrian state.
Dr. Mihemed Ebdo, as an agricultural engineer who has obtained a Doctorate in agricultural engineering, also practices the art of being a dengbêj (bard).
Transcriptions and Subtitles
| Source | Video | Subtitles | Transcript |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ax û Welat 1 | Watch Video | Download SRT | View Transcript |
Possible Village Name Meaning of Kanî Gewrkê
Kanî Kawrk means "the white spring". Sheikh Abdulrahman is the name of the shrine near it, known by the name of the companion Abdulrahman ibn Awf.
Source: TirejAfrin Site
V. Links
- Ax û Welat:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIpw_lJ8waw