On October 24, the Erbil Citadel will host TEDxQalat St — the first event of its kind to be held inside its walls. The event’s media sponsor is Kurdistan Chronicle. Erbil’s Citadel has been continuously inhabited for roughly 6,000 years and was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2014, which makes it an appropriate place to hold a conversation about where Kurdistan goes next, the organizers said.

“That conversation has a name: From Roots to Reach. The organizers’ premise is a simple one, and a confident one — that the foundations here are already deep, already strong, and that the question worth asking is not whether Kurdistan has a past worth claiming but what kind of future that past can carry. The day is built to connect the two,” TEDxQalat said.

The program brings together international speakers alongside local voices rooted in Erbil. During the event, the Institut Français Erbil is presenting two performances, including a traditional Kurdish folklore ensemble and a contemporary music group.