The Baba Sheikh is the supreme spiritual authority of the Yazidi faith, overseeing key rituals, guiding the community’s moral framework, and embodying symbolic links to the tradition of Sheikh ‘Adī. This article examines his hierarchical position, ritual responsibilities, and the symbolic meanings attached to his role.
Following the 2014 ISIS genocide, a suite of international and local initiatives—led by Nadia’s Initiative, German‑BMZ, the Global Resilience Partnership, and Islamic Relief—have targeted agricultural revival, small‑business support, infrastructure reconstruction, and youth empowerment to restore livelihoods for Yazidis in Sinjar.
Since the early 2010s Yazidi communities in the diaspora have increasingly replaced the traditional Arabic script with a Latin orthography. The change, driven by education reforms, migration patterns, and cultural renewal, reflects broader aspirations toward Europe and the preservation of Kurdish identity.
Since the 2014 destruction by Daesh, several international and local initiatives have been restoring Yazidi sacred shrines on Mount Sinjar. Key projects include the Mam Rashan Shrine reconstruction, the Pirafat Temple restoration, and the rehabilitation of the Malack Sheikh Hassan Temple.
The 2014 Islamic State genocide devastated Yazidi tangible and intangible heritage, destroying shrines, disrupting rituals, and prompting resilient reconstruction efforts. Scholarly reports document the scale of loss, the cultural trauma, and the community’s ongoing preservation initiatives.
Qewl poetry, the sung hymns of the Yazidi tradition, permeates everyday routines, religious ceremonies, and communal gatherings. Transmitted orally by hereditary reciters, these verses encode theology, moral instruction, and collective memory, linking the faithful to their sacred past.
The Sheikhan District of northern Iraq follows a distinctive Yazidi calendar of seasonal festivities, centring on the annual Jama (Feast of the Assembly) and Sere Sal (Yazidi New Year). These rituals blend pilgrimage, communal meals, and symbolic rites that reinforce Yazidi identity across the region.
The article surveys how Yazidi liturgical terms shift in pronunciation, morphology, and semantics across Sinjar, neighboring Kurdish areas, and diaspora communities. It draws on fieldwork, manuscript studies, and oral‑tradition analyses to map these dialectal patterns.
The Yazidi caste system divides the community into three hereditary groups—Mirîd (lay), Şêx (priestly), and Pîr (intermediary). It regulates religious authority, marriage, and communal duties, while contemporary displacement and diaspora have prompted significant transformations.
Yazidi Qewls are sung using distinct regional melodic idioms known as kubrî. The primary styles—Sinjar, Sheikhan, Syrian, Turkish, and diaspora—differ in tempo, ornamentation, and instrumental accompaniment, reflecting local traditions and historical contacts.