Sana Mahmoud crowned as Miss Iraqi Kurdistan 2018

SocalDinar · December 21, 2018

Sana Mahmoud crowned as Miss Iraqi Kurdistan 2018

Posted on December 21, 2018 by Editorial Staff in Lifestyle, Women

Sana Mahmoud (C) crowned as Miss Kurdistan 2018, Erbil, Iraqi Kurdistan Region, December 20, 2018. Photo: Rudaw

HEWLÊR-Erbil, Iraq’s Kurdistan region,— Sana Mahmoud of Halabja was crowned as Miss Kurdistan 2018 in a ceremony at the Babylon Hotel in Erbil, the capital city of Iraqi Kurdistan, on Thursday night.

She beat out thirteen other finalists who were evaluated by a ten-person committee. The committee also took into account votes submitted by the public through Viber.

The finalists were selected from an initial group of 107 candidates.

Both Kareiz, from Erbil, and Merian, from Sulaimani, were nominated as the first and second runner-ups.

This is the fourth iteration of the pageant. Shene Aziz Ako was crowned Miss Kurdistan in 2012, Fênik Mohammad Abdul Karim in 2013, and Zhalia Sirwan in 2016.

At the height of the financial crisis and the fight against the Islamic State (IS) in 2014 and 2015, the contest was also postponed.

In 2017, the contest was not held in Iraqi Kurdistan Region because of political instability following the October 16 military takeover by Iraqi forces and Shia militias on disputed territories after the ill-fated independence referendum of Massoud Barzani.

Sana Mahmoud (C) crowned as Miss Kurdistan 2018, Erbil, Iraqi Kurdistan, December 20, 2018. Photo: Rudaw

The type of competition is relatively new in the region, with traditional norms often acting as barriers for girls attempting to take part in such events.

Bikinis are banned at Kurdistan beauty pageant.

https://ekurd.net/sana-mahmoud-miss-kurdistan-2018-12-21