Yezidis in Syria
Yezidis in Syria

Author(s): Sebastian Maisel
Subject(s): Ethnic Minorities Studies, Sociology of Religion, Politics and Identity, Identity of Collectives
Published by: Transnational Press London
Keywords: Yezidis; Kurdish; ethno-religious community; historically lived; northern Mesopotamia; stretching; Aleppo; Mosul; northern Iraq; Armenia; Germany; Syria; Georgia; history;
Summary/Abstract: Yezidis, a Kurdish-speaking ethno-religious community, have historically lived in northern Mesopotamia stretching from Aleppo to Mosul. Today,they mainly live in northern Iraq. Smaller groups are found in Armenia,Germany, Syria, and Georgia. The community’s religious centre is Lalish in the Sheikhan District west of Mosul, Iraq. The leaders of the Yezidis, MirTahsin Beg and the religious authority of the Baba Sheikh Ba’dhra, reside in a small town close to Lalish. Other significant religious sites such as temples,shrines, and centres of religious learning had been established in Efrîn (Syria), Achnalik (Armenia) and Tbilisi (Georgia). This chapter gives an overview of the Yezidi community in Syria, its origins, history, and current situation.

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