The Seven Mysteries (Heft Sirr) occupy a central place in Yazidi theology and are repeatedly visualised in manuscripts, textiles, and ritual objects. This article surveys the iconographic motifs, their Late Antique roots, and the ways modern scholarship interprets their artistic transmission.
The Yazidi sacred hymns, known as qewls, serve as living repositories of collective memory, including the 19th‑century Bedirxan attacks on Yazidi communities. Transmitted orally by hereditary qewwals, these hymns recount historic persecution and are central to Yazidi religious identity.
Yazidi liturgical dates are anchored in an ancient astronomical framework that blends lunar‑solar cycles, celestial symbolism, and the sanctity of Wednesday. The most prominent example, Çarşema Sor (Red Wednesday), is fixed to the first Wednesday on or after 14 April, a rule that reflects the community’s historic use of the Julian and Seleucid calendars and a cosmology that venerates the sun, moon, and planetary movements.
German non‑governmental organisations have become key actors in assisting Yazidi survivors of the Islamic State genocide, offering psychosocial care, shelter, advocacy and capacity‑building programmes across northern Iraq and the diaspora.
Yazidi communities employ informal caregiving practices known as “neighbour‑by‑choice” to protect children, especially those born of ISIS captivity. The article examines these customs, their ambiguous legal standing under Iraqi law, and the social attitudes that shape their acceptance or rejection.
Çarşema Serê Salê, also called Çarşema Sor or Red Wednesday, marks the Yazidi New Year. Celebrated on the first Wednesday of April, the festival blends ancient cosmology, communal rites at Lalish, and vibrant folk customs.
The Kitêba Cilwe, also known as Kitēba jilwe, is a central Yazidi sacred text whose usage varies across regions. This article explores how Yazidi communities in Iraq, Syria, Turkey, the Caucasus and the diaspora employ the text differently, reflecting local religious, social and linguistic contexts.
Yazidism is an ancient Kurdish‑speaking monotheistic faith centered on the worship of the Peacock Angel, Tawûsê Melek. Its rich oral tradition, syncretic origins, and distinctive rituals have survived despite centuries of persecution.
In August 2014, the Islamic State launched a coordinated assault on Yazidi communities in Sinjar, resulting in mass killings, enslavement, and displacement. International courts, national tribunals, and reparations programs have since sought accountability, though challenges remain. This article details the events, the legal aftermath, and ongoing efforts for justice.
This encyclopedia entry traces the development of the Yazidi tradition from the 12th‑century reforms of Sheikh Adi ibn Musafir to the codification of the 72 divine emanations, or fermans, that structure contemporary Yazidi theology. It combines textual sources, oral tradition, and modern scholarship to present a nuanced historical narrative.