My town, Qasre Shirin, stands on the river Hallwan, or Allwan which means stream.
It is beautifully surrounded by palms and fruit gardens. The city, which is on the Iran/Iraq border in southern Kurdistan,
has long been a resting-place for travelers from the East and West.
The mild winter and wet climate has made it possible for a wide variety of green to grow in the area.
Sweet lemons, oranges, pecons, dates, water and honey melons, grapes, grapefruits and grant apples are just a small sample of the gifts of nature in Qasre Shirin. After a warm rain in May you could smell wet earth mixed with the scent of eucalyptus trees . . . The harmony of the life could not have been better for the people of Qasre Shirin.
My grandmother used to say that the palms are the song of God's good will to the people of our town.