Questions
What Tevn is, where its pages come from and how you can take part. If your question isn’t here, send it to the editors.
About Tevn
What is Tevn?
Tevn is an open archive of Kurdish history: its realms and dynasties, its places and people, its language, songs and crafts, gathered in one place to read, hear and explore. It is free for everyone.
What does the name Tevn mean?
Tevn is Kurmanji for a loom, and also for a web, as in tevna pîrê, the spider’s web. The archive weaves the many threads of Kurdish history into one cloth.
Who makes Tevn?
Tevn is made by enzziro, in partnership with Median Library. Every page names the people whose work is on it, and the Contributors page lists them all.
What is Median Library?
Median Library is a Discord server where members share writing and sources on Kurdish history. Tevn began with its channels and is made in partnership with it.
Is Tevn free?
Yes. Tevn has no ads, no accounts and no paywall. Everything on it is free to read, hear and explore.
What’s on the site
Where does the information come from?
Most of it so far was written and gathered by members of Median Library, and every post is credited to the person who wrote it or found its source. Where the posts leave a gap, such as a realm’s borders or a ruler’s dates, Tevn fills it from a widely used public source, like Wikipedia or Wikimedia Commons, credits it, and marks it as not from the Median Library channels.
How can I check what I read?
Each post is published as its writer wrote it, with the sources they gave, so you can follow them yourself. If you find a mistake, send a correction and the editors will fix the page.
Why does Tevn say Bakur, Başûr, Rojhilat and Rojava?
Tevn names every place inside Kurdistan as Kurdistan, in its four parts: Bakur (north), Başûr (south), Rojhilat (east) and Rojava (west). Kurdish towns go by their Kurdish names, such as Amed, Hewlêr, Mehabad and Qamişlo. Places outside Kurdistan keep their country’s name.
Are the pictures real?
Most are photos, paintings, manuscripts and maps, credited on each page. Some posts include pictures made with AI. Those are marked “AI illustration”, so you can always tell them apart.
Why can’t I download some of the books?
Tevn hosts books that are free or out of copyright. Books still in print are cited by title, author and publisher instead, so you can find a copy at a library or bookshop.
Taking part
How can I add something to Tevn?
Press “Contribute or send a correction” at the foot of any page. You can send a new entry or story, or a source, photo or recording. The editors read every message, and what they approve appears under “From readers” on that page, with your name.
I found a mistake. What do I do?
Send it with the same form and pick “A correction”. Corrections aren’t posted on the page: the editors fix the page itself.
Will my email be shown?
No. Only the editors see your email. It is used only to reply to you and never appears on the site.
A post of mine is on Tevn. Can I change it or have it taken down?
Yes. Send a message with the Contribute form, say which page and post, and the editors will change how you’re credited or take the post down.
Why is a post credited to “Median Library contributor”?
Its writer has since deleted their Discord account, so the post is credited to the server instead.
How can I help Tevn?
Send what you know: a source, a photo, a recording, a family story or a correction. And share Tevn with someone who’d like it.
Using Tevn
How do I cite Tevn?
Give the page’s title, Tevn, its address and the day you read it. For example: “Medes”, Tevn, https://tevn.net/medes, read 2 November 2026. If you quote a post, name its writer too.
Can I reuse pictures or text from Tevn?
Each picture’s source and licence is in the page’s credits, so follow that licence. Posts belong to the people who wrote them: credit them and Tevn, and link back to the page.
Is Tevn in Kurdish?
Not yet. Tevn is a volunteer project by enzziro. We give our time and skills to build and look after the site, but we aren’t professional translators, and history this important deserves better than a machine translation. If you can translate into Kurmanji or Sorani, we’d love to work with you: write to us with the Contribute form.
How do I get in touch?
Use “Contribute or send a correction” at the foot of any page, or write to tevn (at) enzziro.com. Both go straight to the editors.
What does the season switch do?
Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter change the site’s colours. Tevn remembers your pick on this device.