kurds have a long and extensive history in lebanon. the first kurds arrived in lebanon many centuries ago, beginning with the arrival of the ayyubids, a kurdish dynasty led by saladin, in the 12th century. in addition, thousands of kurds were sent to lebanon by muslim leaders and leaders of the ottoman empire to maintain order in specific regions and parts of the empire.
the next wave of kurds did not arrive in lebanon until the mid 1920s, with a second wave arriving between the 1940s and the 1960s. most lebanese kurds come from the mêrdîn region, though a significant number of kurds from the second wave were from syria/western kurdistan. those who had arrived from syria/western kurdistan had been escaping poor economic conditions, persecution, and had been stripped of their syrian citizenship.