The Wire

Kirkuk is an ancient city in the north of Iraq – it has archaeological treasures and ten percent of the world’s oil reserves but it’s neither rich or happy. Instead it’s a city ruined by war. Many Kirkuk residents now live like refugees in their own city. It’s where South Australian photographer Adnan Karkuki was born. In 2007 he returned to Kirkuk to document what the crisis in Iraq was doing to his home city. His exhibition Kirkuk, Ancient and Modern has been shown in Iraq and Germany and now begins an Australian tour in Adelaide. ***this script has been edited – apologies to anyone who took offence at the former one – the mistake in the former script in no way reflected what Adnan had said in the interview.