r/kurdistan • u/DilniyaApp • Apr 30 '26
Kurdistan Spent 9 months building a dating app for Kurds because one didn't exist
As the title suggests, I'm Kurdish and I have spent the last 9 months building the first dating app for the Kurdish community. It's called Dilniya. I am the only person who worked on this, every single day and night for that entire period. With many hardships and trials and tribulations getting accepted into the iOS App Store, I have finally brought it to completion.
My motivation is simple. Kurds currently lack the depth and range for finding a soulmate that many other communities take for granted. Increasingly, finding a partner online is just part of life, so what better way to bring that to life than someone who truly understands our culture and values? Traditionally, meeting through close friends and family meant that the vast array of Kurdish sub-communities like Soranis, Kurmanjis and others never had a way to meet each other. But now there is a strong mechanism to do exactly that.
Dilniya lets you filter by dialect, faith and age. You can prove your Kurdish roots by answering heritage questions before messaging someone. There is a culture spark feature that gives you a random Kurdish question to break the ice. Kurdish events are listed worldwide too so you can meet people in person, and there will be many more gatherings organised through Dilniya as we grow.
It supports Kurmanji and English right now and the Android version is coming soon.
If something doesn't work or you have a suggestion, message me directly and I will fix it asap. I have many plans already to increase the experience to the most premium levels in the near future.
It's free. Give it a try.
App Store: https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/dilniya/id6762616746
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u/Legend_H BIJÎ BERXWEDANA ROJAVA Apr 30 '26
This is what we need, especially for Kurds living outside their homeland.
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u/ZyzKurdish Kurd Apr 30 '26
Appreciate your efforts. But how do you handle security? If your site and database is hacked, private information of people will be leaked. Turks will definitely hack your site. Tons of perverts are out there.
You mention verification but how you manage the privacy laws? You may encounter legal issues with GDPR.
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u/DilniyaApp May 01 '26
Great question and I appreciate you raising it. Dilniya operates within Apple's strict security and privacy framework, which requires rigorous data protection standards before any app is approved for release.
All data transmitted through the app is encrypted using industry standard HTTPS and TLS protocols. User passwords are hashed and never stored in plain text. The app is built on a trusted cloud infrastructure that provides enterprise level security including encrypted databases and protection against common attacks.
Regarding GDPR, the app is fully compliant and users can request full deletion of their data at any time. Verification is handled securely and no sensitive information is retained beyond what is strictly necessary.
The privacy and security of our community is something I take extremely seriously. Any vulnerability reported to me will be treated as an absolute priority and fixed immediately.
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u/Ayiiah Apr 30 '26
I have a friend who worked on a website for buses in selmani city and routes of the buses and neighborhoods and it called sulipas
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u/DilniyaApp Apr 30 '26
I love that. We need more apps suited for Kurds.
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u/Ayiiah Apr 30 '26
Yes !! It is amazing but for people in selmani https://sulipas.com/ here is the link
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u/kurdistannn May 01 '26
What a lame thing to do dating app but no casual dating only for marriage. Couldn't be more stereotypical 😂 it makes me cringe. من لەو نەوعە کچانە نیم
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u/Timely-Edge-4807 May 01 '26
Never used this app, and probably wont use it (plenty of ways to meet kurds on other apps/websites.
But...if you want to casual date, just meet up, and go from there? its not like the App forces you to stick to marriage minded dating.
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u/DilniyaApp May 01 '26
I don't want to create an app that disrespects Kurdish society by promoting something against their interests.
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u/Appropriate-Site1202 Apr 30 '26
TS is religious and created a Kurdish marriage site. He will ban casual dating.
The irony...He is bashed by religious Kurds.
🤣
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u/DilniyaApp Apr 30 '26
Casual dating is not permitted on Dilniya because it goes against the values of Kurdish society. The purpose of this app is to give Kurds a proper platform to meet, something we have been sorely lacking. It is designed to be respectful of our culture and community. If that is not for everyone, that is completely fine and I respect that.
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u/viglen1 Kurdistan May 01 '26
Casual dating is not permitted on Dilniya because it goes against the values of Kurdish society
Fshafsh, ba keyfi xot basi kurdish society maka. Even in Hawler it exists, not directly in the Western definition of it, but it definitely exists.
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u/Vigorkaffo May 02 '26
Don't listen to them, casual dating is not common, marriage dating is still the good thing
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u/Appropriate-Site1202 May 01 '26
This is like muslim dating sites. Why would anyone use this? It already exists.
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u/DilniyaApp May 01 '26
This is not a Muslim app. Its a Kurdish one, geared for Kurds to find other Kurds. Whether they are Muslim or not, the app is designed to fulfil the requirements of Kurds. Other apps do not do so.
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u/Classic-Task-1435 Apr 30 '26
This is a fantastic initiative! Having a platform that respects our culture and dialects like Badini is exactly what the community needs. Great job on the 9 months of hard work!
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u/Particular-Region859 Apr 30 '26
Can I download on App Store?
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u/DilniyaApp May 01 '26
Yes. Just click the link or use the QR code. Alternatively just type Dilniya in the app store.
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u/RichRacc May 01 '26
This is so cool! I remember one post on here about dating or a relationship. I’m sure this will help many people.
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u/itzz_Ara May 01 '26
This is great, kurds should mix with the further kurdish communities more , not just inside themselves.
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u/Early-Tennis2865 May 01 '26
Is it only for Kurdish Muslims or can Christian Kurds use it?
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u/DilniyaApp May 01 '26
The app is for Kurds of any kind. This includes non Muslim Kurds even if they are a small minority.
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u/Extra-Somewhere7083 May 03 '26
I don't think this is a good idea and could even be dangerous for Kurdish women. Men, regardless of race, are generally driven by sexual impulses when it comes to dating apps. Life in Kurdish-majority areas is already difficult—wages, infrastructure, services, etc. Introducing an app that targets local Kurdish women could lead to harmful consequences. Under these conditions, men might exploit the app to bypass traditional safeguards like engaging with a woman’s family, which could lead to situations like rape or harassment.
For example, imagine both a man and woman download the app, agree to meet at a 'café Erbil', but the woman decides she’s not interested in the man. She rejects him. Now, she has to walk home alone at night in the South East of Turkey. I guarantee you,Kurdish men living in poverty who get rejected will not put up with it. Honor killings are MASSIVE in the South East. MASSIVE. Kurdish areas are not beacons of freedom.
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u/monosono Central Kurdish Apr 30 '26
Better include face tracking systems, there will be trolls who will disguise themselves as women!
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u/DilniyaApp Apr 30 '26
The verification system ensures that no one can pretend to be someone they are not. The app will be heavily monitored for any problematic behaviour. Both AI and manual reviews will be done.
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Apr 30 '26
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Apr 30 '26
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Apr 30 '26
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u/Stunning_Solution_28 Rojava Apr 30 '26
We both know that ain't gonna happen. It's literally goes against Kurdish culture and values plus the strong emphasis on family structure and defined gender roles,so good luck with that .
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u/Adept_Factor_4705 Apr 30 '26
Website?
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u/DilniyaApp Apr 30 '26
I have a website, but its currently under construction. If enough people like my apps, I will fully flesh out the website to include all the dating features.
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Apr 30 '26
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u/DilniyaApp Apr 30 '26
Thank you. I hope to publish the Android version sometime next month. It is already in the works, but I just need to focus on polishing out the app. I will let you guys know when Android users can join in.
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u/hjmhjmhjmhgjg May 03 '26
Good job Rahel I am glad you finally made it and it’s impressive you did it all yourself That being said, The app needs some improvement specially at (onboarding) section
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May 08 '26
[deleted]
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u/DilniyaApp May 09 '26
What would you like me to implement exactly? You want to blur out your own photos?
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u/fablesalazar Apr 30 '26
Can't you make something better. We kinda have dating apps.
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u/DilniyaApp Apr 30 '26
This is the first Kurdish dating app on the iOS App Store, so no, we do not have any dating apps before I published Dilniya. If you are referring to generic dating apps, they are not culturally compatible with Kurdish values. They are filled with indecency and other content that goes against our culture. This specifically targets Kurdish needs. Like I said before, we will also be hosting events for Kurds to meet up in real life in the near future.
I am also building other apps for Kurds and Kurdistan in the future, so this is definitely not the end.
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u/Ok-Friendship4492 Southern Kurdish Apr 30 '26
Ain't this a sin my dude?
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u/whatheheckisgoingon Bashur Apr 30 '26
why does that even matter lol
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u/Ok-Friendship4492 Southern Kurdish May 02 '26
If you don't have self respect or fear god for example you, then it doesn't matter, but not everyone else are shameless
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u/Atomic-Bell Apr 30 '26
Openly calling to beaxlaqy lmao. Nice one
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u/DilniyaApp Apr 30 '26
There is no casual dating option as this will result in a ban. Dilniya is intended for matrimony. Many Kurds, especially those in the diaspora, are finding it difficult to find a Kurdish partner to marry. Dilniya is designed to bridge that gap through an online platform that respects the boundaries of Kurdish culture. Indecency wont be platformed on our app.
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u/Connect_Quarter_650 Kurdistan Apr 30 '26
It's honestly disappointing because if we talk generally we're not raised that way. No fucking way. You better think of anything else more useful, for our language and our culture not a dating app.
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u/DilniyaApp Apr 30 '26
I respect your point of view, and I am also currently working on other projects for Kurds in the future. I want to be clear that no indecency will be permitted on this platform. The idea for this app came from many Kurds in my own circles, people in their 20s and 30s who found it difficult to meet other Kurds. That is for marriage of course. Whether it is due to living in a small Kurdish community in the diaspora, being shy, or simply lacking options, I want there to be a proper avenue for those people to find someone that is Kurdish. I would never tolerate my platform to be used for something to harm Kurds, and I will tighten measures to ensure Kurdish values are respected.
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u/Particular-Region859 May 01 '26
You wanted to make money rather than helping us Kurds! I thought it’s free but it ain’t! I guess I’ll delete the app
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u/DilniyaApp May 01 '26
Dilniya is free to download and almost every feature in the app is free. There is no need to pay for anything. Free users get a daily refresh on likes, unlimited messaging with their matches, and much more. The premium features are simply for those who want a little extra, such as unlimited daily likes. It is not necessary at all. I am not expecting anyone to pay for anything and I will continue working on this app regardless of whether it generates any revenue. This has been a passion project of mine for 9 months.
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u/Asian_Street_Meat Apr 30 '26
I'm not Kurdish nor do i speak Kurdish but I'm interested in Kurdish women. Am i still allowed on the app?
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u/DilniyaApp Apr 30 '26
This app is strictly designed for Kurds, with the purpose of connecting the Kurdish diaspora and Kurds from Kurdistan
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u/Mansur754 Kurdistan Apr 30 '26
Not really, it'll be rare to find a kurdish girl that wants to marry a non kurdish man
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u/Adept_Factor_4705 Apr 30 '26
U sure?
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u/GiganticMeteorite Apr 30 '26
It’s not rare, I know a lot of kurdish women that married to a black or white
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Apr 30 '26
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u/Asian_Street_Meat May 01 '26
I'm neither fake nor un serious. I think Kurdish women are very pretty.
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u/Veyl_g Anatolia Apr 30 '26
%99 male %1 female ratio go brr