A group of over 500 local and foreign cyclists gathered in Erbil on Friday to attend a bikeathon organized by the International Organization for Migration.
The Ride On Erbil bike marathon began at 2pm near Sami Abdulrahman Park and ended one hour later in downtown Erbil. The length of the ride was seven kilometers.
The event “aims to promote cleaner transportation alternatives, and a different (fun!) approach to the daily commute,” read a tweet from the IOM.
After the ride ended, a group of prominent artists, activists, Kurdish politicians and foreign diplomats participated in a panel discussion about sport as a social equalizer with a focus on women's empowerment.
Dashni Morad, a Kurdish artist and one of the panelists at the event, believes that sport is important to breaking down gender barriers in the Kurdistan Region.
“I think sport can play a critical role in empowering women by breaking down barriers,” she tweeted.
Photos by Blind Tahir / Rudaw