ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Joyce Blau, a renowned expert on Kurdish language and literature, passed away at the age of 92.
Blau was born in the Egyptian capital Cairo in 1932. Her passion for the Kurdish cause led her to study Kurdish, Persian, and Arabic in France during the 1950s. She obtained a doctorate in the Kurdish language from the Sorbonne University.
The French Consulate General in Erbil expressed their condolences in a statement on Friday, describing Blau’s passing as leaving them “orphaned,” and underscoring her significant role in strengthening French-Kurdish relations.
“She was such a strong link between France and the Kurds,” it said.
Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani also made a statement.
“I extend my sincere condolences to the family and friends of Professor Joyce Blau, a friend of the Kurds, writer, and expert in Kurdish language and literature, and to her colleagues at the Kurdish Institute of Paris. I share their grief and would like to express my solidarity with them,” he said in Kurdish and French on X.
The Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) representation in France paid tribute to the esteemed linguist, referring to her as “a passionate advocate for our cause,” in a post on X.
Safeen Dizayee, head of the KRG’s Department of Foreign Relations, also acknowledged Blau’s support for the Kurdish cause and praised her as a dedicated and influential advocate in his message on X.
Throughout her life, Blau contributed significantly to her field by serving as editor of the Kurdish Studies journal at the National Institute of Oriental Languages and Civilizations and as a founding member of the Kurdish Institute of Paris.
She authored numerous studies on the language and literature of the Kurds. Among her most notable literary works is a Kurdish-French-English dictionary.
Some of her other works are The Jews in Kurdistan (1985), Reform of Kurdish (1990), and The Kurds and the Kurdistan (1992).
On May 2, 2023, the Joyce Blau Library was opened at the French Institute for the Middle East in Erbil. Prominent officials and academics attended in honor of Blau.
The Joyce Blau Library also has branches in Beirut, Damascus, and Amman.
Updated at 3:47 pm.
