In Pictures: Koolbars, The grueling lives of human load carriers in Kurdistan
Independent Aggregator of Iran-related News/Events, Kodoom.com: Koolbar means "Back Carriers" in Persian and it refers to human carriers transporting heavy loads of legal or contraband merchandise, such as alcohol, across hard-to-pass mountainous regions of Kurdistan sprawled between Iran and Iraq. Some Koolbars accompany mules which also carry loads to the same destinations.
Being a Koolbar is an extremely dangerous job as load carriers face border land mines, severe weather, rebels and armed militants as well as natural hazards associated with the rugged natural terrain. Many Koolbars choose the exhausting job due to high unemployment rates in border regions.
An estimated $7 billion worth of merchandise is smuggled into Iran annually through Koolbars and other cross-border passengers.
Pictures shown here are from Koolbars in the Hooraman region of Iran.
In his 2000 film "A Time for Drunken Horses," exiled Iranian director Bahman Ghobadi masterfully captured the nomadic and grueling lives of some Koolbars in Kurdistan.
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