Gereban is one of the most beautiful villages in Kurdistan located in the Kermashan (Kermanshah) province in the East part of Kurdistan. This village which is in the Hersin city region is one of the holy places for the Yarsani religion followers. This village is 62 kilometers far away from Kermashan City.
According to archeological studies, a number of historical antiquities like stone axes as old as two hundred thousand years have been found in this area. This indicates that people have inhabited in this area for such a long time. Gereban residents belong to the Atash Baigi or Mosh’sha’ clan, an eminent branch of the Yarsani followers.
The fertile lands of this area are suitable to harvest any kind of plants and flowers which has made Gereban one of the most important centers of rose water and other kinds of herbal distillates like mint distillate. These products are exported to many parts of the world from Gereban especially to Europe and America.
Gereban is also very popular for its famous architecture and being clean. The buildings of this village are made in Russian and East European styles. There is no small house made of stone and clay-like other parts of Kurdistan in this village. These buildings have all been made by the Yarsan religion followers’ efforts. The head of the Mosha’sha’i clan from the Yarsan religion is inhabiting in this village.
Since Wajakhi Hazrati Aghabakhsh has built this village for Yarsani followers, it has become a sacred place for the Mosha’sha’i followers to carry on their religious rituals here. One of these religious rituals is the Shahi celebration being carried on in winter. This celebration which is a happy event takes place in five days and nights. It is a celebration in honor of five significant Yarsani figures. The first night in honor of Pir Dawoud, the second night in honor of Pir Benyamin, the third night in honor of Hazarat Mawla, the fourth night in honor of Pir Mousa, and the fifth night in honor of Khatoo Rezbar.
The beautiful scenery and the well-built architecture on the one hand and the residence of “Wajakhi Hazrati Aghabakhsh” on the other hand have turned Gereban into an important tourist spot in the East part of Kurdistan with thousands of visitors annually. Another unique characteristic of this village is that tourists who visit this village, just like followers of the Yarsani religion, receive free food from the people every day except for Fridays which shows the hospitality of the people of Gereban.
Gereban’s villagers’ main occupations are agriculture, gardening, farming, and producing rose water, essences, and herbal distillates from the natural herbs and flowers that grow in the area. “Gereban rose water and mint distillate” is an international brand now which is exported to different countries by this title. A special kind of Gereban’s rose water is used as a base in French perfumes.
