Saman teaches both Danish and Kurdish, and he himself has a Kurdish background. Saman says: “I grew up with Feylî (Southern Kurdish), which is closely related to Kurmanji (Northern Kurdish). At a young age, I listened to the popular Kurdish folk singer Şivan Perwer and his interpretations of Kurdish folk songs and protest songs. This made me more interested in my own Kurdish background and in modern Kurdish history. I began learning Kurmanji Kurdish in 2000 and have since used it for speaking and writing in Kurdish in my work and in opinion pieces.”

If you are learning Kurdish, you can read Saman’s recommendations here. If you are learning Danish, scroll further down to see his recommendations.

Places
“If you want to experience breathtaking Kurdish nature, the presence of history and the region’s many religions all in one place, you should visit the town of Amêdî (Amediye), one of my favourite Kurdish towns. It is located in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, on top of a 1,200-metre-high mountain overlooking a magnificent green mountain landscape and the nearby Sulav Waterfall. In addition to several mosques, Amêdî has a church and is home to some ruins from a synagogue. One of the mosques was originally a Mithraic temple. Mithraism is a pre-Islamic Iranian religion that shares several similarities with Yazidism, such as belief in the soul’s rebirth, bull sacrifice and seven divine angels/beings.”

Food
“My favourite Kurdish dish is kebab, which is minced beef and lamb on skewers, as well as pieces of lamb on skewers. If you prefer vegetarian food, Kurdish dolma (steamed or boiled onions, peppers and vine leaves filled with rice and herbs) is recommended.”

Music
“My favourite genre within Kurdish music is the dengbêj genre. It is a form of folk singing with very ancient roots. Dengbêj singers perform in a very high register, and their emotional singing style never fails to move me deeply. The most famous singers in the genre are Şakiro, Karapetê Xaço, and Evdalê Zeynikê, and you can find their works on YouTube.”

Here are Saman's recommendations for Danish:

Do you have a favourite place in Copenhagen?
”’Strøget’ is the name of Copenhagen’s pedestrian and shopping street located in the old part of the city. Strøget is my favourite place because it is a street that contains the past as well as the present, Denmark as well as the whole world. I am particularly fond of strolling down Strøget on warm, sunny days, when it is filled with people from all over the world. Seeing this long chain of different nationalities from all continents is part of the the reason why I am constantly curious about investigating new countries and go on adventurous trips in the whole wide world during my holidays.”

Do you have a favourite place in the rest of Denmark?
”When I get tired of the traffic and noise of Copenhagen, then I prefer the charming rock island of Bornholm, located to the east of Skåne (the southernmost part of Sweden). I like sailing along the impressive rocks that are located along parts of Bornholm’s coastline, such as its northwestern tip, and eating the speciality of the island – smoked herring. I also enjoy visiting the so-called ‘rundkirker’ (round churches) that function as churches but also have very thick walls and used to be fortresses! They are almost the only ones of their kind in Denmark. It is precisely the combination of different nature and unique church architecture that makes Bornholm my favourite place outside of Copenhagen.”

Tilo recommends:
Do you have a favourite place in Copenhagen?
”In Copenhagen I am most fond of Amager, the island I also live on. This is where you will find Grønlandske Handels Plads (Greenland Dock), from where, in the old days, ships would to sail out toward Greenland in spring. Today you’ll find the cultural center Nordatlantens Brygge (North Atlantic House) in this location, a place where you can get a whiff of the Arctic.
On Amager, you’ll also find Copenhagen Airport from where you can travel out into the whole wide world. I often bike out there and watch the planes taking off and landing.”

How about outside of Copenhagen?
”Outside of Copenhagen, I like Gedser the best – it’s Denmark’s southernmost town. From here, ferries sail to Germany and there is a small and cosy museum where you can look at old train carriages. The old train station in Gedser also appears in Denmark’s most famous TV show, ’Matador’, as Korsbæk Station.”

What Danish musician are you fond of?
”My favourite Danish musician – hmmm, perhaps Carl Nielsen? Everyone in Denmark is familiar with his songs, but I am most fond of his symphonies. Especially his fifth, in which the snare drum runs amok and tries to disrupt the music. But in the end, it doesn’t succeed – the orchestra is victorious!”