Sacred Sites & Communities Map

An interactive map and directory of 37 Yazidi sacred sites and communities — the sanctuary of Lalish, the shrines of Sinjar, the temples of the Caucasus, and the global diaspora. Explore the markers or search the directory; each place opens a sourced page on the full map tool.

Lalish — SanctuarySheikhan (Ain Sifni) — Community townBa'adre — Community townBashiqa — Community townBahzani — Community townSinjar (Shingal) — Community townMount Sinjar — Sacred mountainShrine of Şerfedîn — Shrine / mazarSnûne — Community townKocho — Memorial placeTil Ezêr (Qahtaniyah) — Memorial placeDuhok — Community townKhanke — Displacement siteSharya — Displacement siteAfrin — Community townJazira (Amuda) — Community townBatman — Community townBeşiri — Community townMidyat — Community townMardin — Community townViranşehir — Community townAknalich Temples (Ziarat & Quba Mêrê Dîwanê) — Diaspora templeAragatsotn Yazidi villages — Community townSultan Ezid Temple, Tbilisi — Diaspora temple

Sacred places

Communities

Diaspora markers sit off the regional frame — find them in the directory.

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37 places shown

37 places shown.

The Iraqi homeland

Sheikhan, the Nineveh Plain, Sinjar, and the displacement belt around Duhok.

Sheikhan & Lalish The religious heartland around the sanctuary of Lalish.

Sanctuary Lalish Laliş The holiest place in Yazidism: a mountain valley temple complex and the goal of every Yazidi pilgrimage. Community town Ba'adre Baʼedrê The traditional residence of the Mîr, the hereditary prince and temporal head of the Yazidi community. Community town Sheikhan (Ain Sifni) Şêxan The district town nearest Lalish and a historic centre of Yazidi religious and communal life.

Nineveh Plain The twin towns of Bashiqa and Bahzani north-east of Mosul.

Community town Bahzani Behzanî The twin town of Bashiqa, sharing its Yazidi religious heritage and its qewal tradition. Community town Bashiqa Başîqe A historic Yazidi town on the Nineveh Plain, long associated with the qewals who transmit sacred hymns.

Sinjar (Shingal) The western heartland and its sacred mountain.

Community town Snûne Sinûnê A town on the northern side of Mount Sinjar and one of the larger return points in the district. Community town Sinjar (Shingal) Şingal The principal town of the Sinjar region and the heartland of Yazidi life in western Nineveh. Memorial place Kocho Koço A village south of Sinjar that has become a memorial to the 2014 genocide. Memorial place Til Ezêr (Qahtaniyah) Til Ezêr A Ba'ath-era collective town south of Sinjar and the site of the deadliest bombing of the Iraq war in 2007. Shrine / mazar Shrine of Şerfedîn Şerfedîn The most important sanctuary on Mount Sinjar, second only to Lalish for the Yazidis of Shingal. Sacred mountain Mount Sinjar Çiyayê Şingalê The sacred massif above the Sinjar plain, dotted with shrines and a place of refuge during the 2014 siege.

Duhok & displacement The Kurdistan Region city and the camps that host the displaced.

Community town Duhok Dihok A city of the Kurdistan Region that became the main hub for Yazidis displaced from Sinjar. Displacement site Sharya Şarya A Yazidi town south-west of Duhok whose camp has sheltered displaced families from Sinjar. Displacement site Khanke Xankê A town near Duhok whose camp has housed thousands of displaced Yazidi families since 2014.

Syria & Turkey

The communities of the wider homeland across two modern borders.

Syria Yazidi communities of Afrin and the Jazira.

Community town Jazira (Amuda) Amûdê Yazidi communities of the Jazira region of north-eastern Syria, around towns such as Amuda. Community town Afrin Efrîn A district of north-western Syria with a cluster of historic Yazidi villages.

Turkey Historic villages of the south-east, most now emigrated.

Community town Midyat Midyad A town of the Tur Abdin plateau near historic Yazidi villages, in a region shared with Syriac Christians. Community town Beşiri Bêşîrî A district of Batman province historically dense with Yazidi villages, focus of a small return movement. Community town Batman Êlih A province of south-eastern Turkey with historic Yazidi villages, most of whose people emigrated to Europe. Community town Mardin Mêrdîn A historic city of south-eastern Turkey within the wider region of former Yazidi settlement. Community town Viranşehir Wêranşar A district of Şanlıurfa province historically home to Yazidi villages on the Harran plain.

The Caucasus

Armenia and Georgia, settled by Yazidis fleeing persecution for two centuries.

Armenia The Caucasus core, with the country's largest ethnic minority.

Diaspora temple Aknalich Temples (Ziarat & Quba Mêrê Dîwanê) Ziyaret / Quba Mêrê Dîwanê A temple complex in Armenia including Quba Mêrê Dîwanê, among the largest Yazidi temples in the world. Community town Aragatsotn Yazidi villages Aragatsotn The cluster of Yazidi farming villages on the slopes of Mount Aragats, long the core of Yazidi Armenia.

Georgia The community of Tbilisi and its temple.

Diaspora temple Sultan Ezid Temple, Tbilisi Sultan Êzîd A purpose-built Yazidi temple in the Georgian capital, serving the community of the southern Caucasus.

The global diaspora

Germany and the wider world beyond the homeland and the Caucasus.

Germany The world's largest Yazidi diaspora.

Diaspora community Baden-Württemberg The German state whose special quota programme brought over a thousand Yazidi women and children survivors to safety. Diaspora community Celle A town in Lower Saxony that is one of the best-known centres of Yazidi life in Germany. Diaspora community Hanover The Lower Saxony capital, home to Yazidi institutions and a large community. Diaspora community Bielefeld A city in North Rhine-Westphalia that is a focal point for Yazidi organisations in Germany. Diaspora community Oldenburg A city in north-western Germany with a long-established Yazidi community and cultural institutions.

Wider Europe Communities across Sweden, the Netherlands, and Belgium.

Diaspora community Sweden An established Yazidi diaspora in Sweden, with communities around Örebro and other cities. Diaspora community Netherlands A Yazidi diaspora community in the Netherlands, part of the wider western-European presence. Diaspora community Belgium A smaller western-European Yazidi community, linked closely to those in Germany and the Netherlands.

North America Resettlement communities in the United States and Canada.

Diaspora community Canada (Winnipeg & beyond) Yazidi communities established through Canadian resettlement, notably in Winnipeg. Diaspora community Lincoln, Nebraska The city widely described as home to the largest Yazidi community in the United States. Diaspora community Houston, Texas A Yazidi community in Houston, one of several across the United States beyond Nebraska.

Australia Recently established communities in regional cities.

Diaspora community Australia (Toowoomba & Wagga Wagga) Yazidi communities resettled in regional Australian cities such as Toowoomba and Wagga Wagga.

Russia & N. Caucasus Caucasus-rooted communities in southern Russia.

Diaspora community Russia (Krasnodar Krai) Yazidi communities in southern Russia, largely descended from Caucasus migration.

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