Over 85 Years Old and Never Left Their Village: The Story of Mestan and Gustan in Taq Taq District

 In the isolated village of Bakhazner, located in the Taq Taq district of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, two sisters—Mestan Rasul Muhiddin and Gustan Rasul Muhiddin, both aged over 85—continue to embody a vanishing way of life. Born and raised in the same village, the sisters have spent their entire lives on their ancestral land, witnessing decades of regional transformation without ever leaving. Living independently and alone, they dedicate their daily lives to the arduous task of livestock farming and shepherding, a tradition passed down through generations. Their self-sufficiency and deep-rooted connection to the rugged landscape of the Zagros foothills provide a rare glimpse into a traditional Kurdish pastoral existence that is increasingly threatened by modernization and rural-to-urban migration. Despite their advanced age, the Rasul Muhiddin sisters remain the primary caretakers of their flock, serving as the living memory of their community.