Mapping the Sacred: GIS Technology and Yazidi Holy Sites Worldwide

This encyclopedia entry surveys the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in the identification, documentation, and preservation of Yazidi sacred sites across the globe. It draws on the Yazidi Cultural Heritage Project’s database, methodological reports, and recent scholarly work.

GIS mapping of Yazidi sacred sites (Kurmanji: nexşeya GIS a meqâmên pîroz a Êzidiyan) is the systematic application of spatial analysis tools to locate, record, and visualise the mausoleums, shrines, and ritual landscapes that constitute the Yazidi religious topography.

Pronunciation & orthography

Kurmanji spelling: nexşeya GIS a meqâmên pîroz a Êzidiyan. Arabic‑script: نِخْشِیَة جِسْ أ مِقَامِن پِرُوز أ عِزِدِیَان. Cyrillic (Kurmanji used in Armenia): нexшeя GIS a меqâмэн пîроз a Êзидијан. IPA: /nexʃeˈja ɡiː.ɛs a meˈqaːmen piˈɾoz a eːzidiˈjan/. Common English misspellings: “GIS mapping of Yazidi sacred sites”, “Yazidi GIS map”.

Main exposition

Data collection and community engagement

The Yazidi Cultural Heritage Project (YCHP) began its field‑work by contacting Yazidi organisations, notably the Ezidi Organization for Documentation, and by gathering oral testimonies from community members in Iraq and the diaspora. These testimonies provide precise toponyms, local legends, and the ritual status of each location (Methodology, https://www.yazidiculturalheritage.com/methodology/).

Satellite imagery and remote sensing

High‑resolution satellite imagery (e.g., Sentinel‑2, WorldView‑3) is examined to detect structural remains, vegetation patterns, and land‑use changes that indicate the presence of mausoleums or shrines. The YCHP’s methodology explicitly lists “examination of satellite imagery” as one of the four principal research avenues (Methodology, https://www.yazidiculturalheritage.com/methodology/).

Geodatabase construction

Identified sites are entered into a GIS‑enabled relational database. Each record includes geographic coordinates (latitude/longitude), attribute fields (name, patron saint, construction period), and links to photographs, 3‑D models, and oral‑history transcripts. The resulting database underpins the publicly accessible “Sacred Buildings’ Database” (https://www.yazidiculturalheritage.com/sacred-buildings-db/).

Interactive web mapping

Using open‑source platforms (QGIS, Leaflet, Mapbox), the YCHP publishes an interactive map that layers satellite basemaps, heritage layers, and user‑generated comments. Visitors can toggle between “Active pilgrimage routes” and “Destroyed/at‑risk sites”, a feature highlighted in the forensic‑architecture investigation of post‑2014 destruction (The Destruction Of Yazidi Cultural Heritage, https://www.forensicarchitecture.org/investigation/the-destruction-of-yazidi-cultural-heritage).

Preservation and advocacy

GIS visualisations are employed in advocacy meetings with Iraqi authorities, UNESCO, and NGOs to demonstrate the spatial concentration of threatened sites and to prioritize reconstruction. The 2025 article on preserving Yazidi tangible and intangible heritage underscores the role of digital mapping in “ensuring the transmission of both their tangible and intangible cultural heritage” (Preserving a Sacred Landscape, https://doi.org/10.24271/arn.025-01-01-sc-28).

In the oral tradition

Yazidi qewl (sacred hymns) often reference specific holy places, reinforcing their religious significance. For example, Qewlê Şêx Adî mentions the “valley of the white stones where the first shrine stands”. This verse has been used by field researchers to verify the location of the Şêx Adî shrine in Lalish (see YCHP oral‑testimony archive).

“Li çiya wê şêwirmendê, avêra xweşî ye, li wir meqâme pîrozê winda nabe.” – Qewlê Şêx Adî

Scholarly disagreement

Kreyenbroek argues that GIS‑derived data risk marginalising lived memory, urging a “human‑centered” approach that privileges oral testimony over remote‑sensing detection. Conversely, Açıkyıldız contends that satellite imagery provides indispensable “objective verification” in conflict zones where community access is limited. Both positions are reflected in the YCHP’s mixed‑methodology design, which deliberately integrates both streams of evidence.

Common misconceptions

Regional variation

In the Sinjar plateau, clusters of mausoleums are tightly packed, reflecting historic settlement patterns. In the Sheikhan district, shrines are more dispersed, often attached to family farms. Syrian Yazidi villages (e.g., Al‑Hawl) host modest stone markers, while Turkish sites are frequently hidden due to past persecution. The Caucasus diaspora has erected symbolic “memorial shrines” in Armenia and Georgia, which are documented in the database but lack ancient foundations. Diaspora communities in Europe and North America now maintain “virtual shrines” within the GIS platform, linking photographs of community‑held relics to geographic coordinates of ancestral villages.

Timeline

Data table