The Kurds were once pure nomads, driving their flocks between the Mesopotamian plains and the highlands of Turkey and Iran, but today they prefer to live in one place for considerable periods.

A Kurd encampment, known as a kissia, usually consists of four or five tents. The tents are made of goatskin sewn together and held up by wooden poles. The site of the encampment is chosen by the sheikh or leader. Life in the encampments follows the rhythm of the daily tasks connected with the breeding of sheep and cattle.

The men come out of their tents early in the morning to take the animals to the grazing grounds which are located in nearby hollows. The animals are left there until the evening. During the day the men make leather goods which they sell to local markets. The women weave carpets with which to decorate their homes and cloth for their own use.

The main duty of the women is to milk the animals. From the milk they make, cheese, butter and yogurt which, mixed with water, produces ayran, their main drink.