Yazidis are one of the most fascinating ethno-religious groups that can be found in the vast regions of Turkish Mesopotamia. In the distant past, they were much more numerous here. Unfortunately, only a few Yazidi villages remain in these areas today, which are still inhabited.
Who are the Yazidis?
In essence, Yazidis are Kurds who practice a distinct religion—Yazidism. This is a monotheistic faith: its followers believe in one God and his seven angels, the most important of which is Malak Ta’us. Yazidism contains elements of Islam, Judaism, Christianity, and even Zoroastrianism.
There was once a theory that the Yazidi religion was a development of Zoroastrianism. However, scholars now lean toward the view that Yazidism traces back to pre-Zoroastrian Iranian traditions, which may have roots deep in the history of Indo-Iranian peoples before their separation at the turn of the Bronze and Iron Ages.
The main symbol of the Yazidi religion is the “Peacock Angel” Malak Ta’us, symbolizing wisdom and greatness. His image can be found in Kurdish homes and places of worship. Yazidi temples are quite intriguing as well. For example, there is an abandoned cave shrine in Ahlat, carved inside a tuff rock.
The word “Yazidi” translates to “servant of the Creator.” Some scholars derive it from the ancient Iranian “yazata” and Middle Persian “yazad” (“divine being”). Another possible origin is “Ez dā,” meaning “He created me.” Yazidis themselves often say “Xwedê ez dam” (“God created me”). Another version is “Em miletê ezdaîn” (“We are the people of Ezdayi”).
An important point: one cannot become a Yazidi; one can only be born as one. In this regard, Yazidism resembles the religion of the Druze. Although Yazidis speak the Kurdish Kurmanji dialect, most of them do not consider themselves Kurds. Moreover, about half of the Yazidis do not identify with any nationality. Some even consider themselves Arabs.
What does science say about them?
Recent genetic research has shown that Yazidis are, indeed, Kurds. As for their religion, it is relatively young. Its founder is considered to be Adi ibn Musafir (Sheikh Adi), who lived in the 11th–12th centuries and is revered by Yazidis as a prophet. Yazidism initially arose as a Sufi movement, which over time completely broke away from Islam.
In this sense, Yazidis differ from Kurdish Alevis, who still retain many elements of Islamic tradition and are recognized as Muslims, for example, among Shiites. In general, exotic mystical movements such as Ahl-e Haqq (“People of Truth”) are common among Kurds, a syncretic doctrine combining Islam and Gnosticism.
Sometimes Ahl-e Haqq, Yazidism, and Alevi teachings are grouped together under the term “Yazdanism.” It is believed that all these religious movements stem from ancient pre-Islamic beliefs of Iranian peoples. There is a theory that Kurds themselves only converted to Islam between the 10th and 16th centuries.
Yazidi society
Similar to Hindus, Yazidi society has a caste system. According to the rules of their religion, a Yazidi cannot marry outside their faith, nor even outside their caste. However, in recent decades, a “liberal” form of Yazidism has been gaining strength among Kurds, which even allows for the possibility of converting non-believers.
Around the 14th century, the Yazidis created a unique internal political and religious administrative apparatus, which operated on their territories and functioned parallel to the state apparatus of the rulers who officially controlled them.
Yazidi territory was divided into seven administrative districts with centers of governance. Each district had its own “sinqak” (banner, flag, province, region), known among Yazidis as “tavus.” A sinqak is a sacred bronze statue depicting a bird or peacock—Malak Ta’us.
Yazidis in Turkey
Long ago, Yazidis were widely represented in the eastern part of modern Turkey. There were three informal administrative districts here, as mentioned above:
- Tavisa Hekkare (sometimes Tavisa Zozan): the historic area of Hakkari (provinces of Hakkari, Şırnak, Van, and Duhok in Iraq).
- Tavisa Velate Xalta: the region around Siirt, Batman, Diyarbakır, Mardin, etc.
- Tavisa Serhed: a region covering the cities of Kars, Ardahan, Erzurum, Ağrı, Van, Bitlis, and Muş.
Currently, Tavisa Serhed is called Tavisa Miskofo (i.e., Moscow) because Yazidis from these areas once moved to the territory of the Russian Empire.
The most significant monument of Yazidism in the vicinity of Mardin is the now-abandoned village of Magaraköy (Kiveh in Kurdish), located on the border with the province of Şırnak. There, a Yazidi temple and monumental Yazidi cemetery have been preserved, which have now become tourist attractions.