Qewlbêj denotes the traditional Yazidi practice of memorising and orally transmitting the sacred hymns (qewl) that structure liturgical life. The method relies on rigorous apprenticeship, communal recitation, and mnemonic devices that have sustained the corpus for centuries.
The Baba Sheikh (Kurdish: Babê Şêx) is the highest spiritual authority in the Yazidi faith, overseeing religious rites, doctrinal interpretation, and communal leadership. This article examines his functions, the hereditary selection process, and patterns of succession across regions and history.
Yazidis in Turkey constitute a distinct community that historically inhabited the Batman region and now engages in a return movement to ancestral villages.
Yazidi asylum claims surged after the 2014 ISIS genocide, prompting a series of country‑specific guidance decisions. Yazidis.info documents these developments, offering a scholarly‑verified overview of legal pathways, host‑nation policies, and ongoing challenges for displaced Yazidis.
The Sinjar Agreement, signed in 2021 between the Iraqi state and Yazidi representatives, aimed to rebuild Sinjar and secure Yazidi autonomy. Its vague implementation mechanisms have generated a governance vacuum, leaving Yazidis dependent on overlapping authorities. Scholarly analyses assess both the agreement’s promises and its shortcomings.
Yazidi oral tradition, comprising qewl, beyts, and other poetic forms, is recognised by scholars as an endangered repertoire facing rapid erosion. The digital platform Yazidis.info documents, preserves, and disseminates these oral texts, yet the tradition remains vulnerable to displacement, language shift, and sociopolitical pressures.
Kochek are revered Yazidi visionaries who act as intermediaries between the faithful and the divine, embodying the community’s esoteric knowledge and ritual authority. Their traditional function includes delivering revelations, safeguarding sacred texts, and guiding communal rites, a role documented in both oral poetry and ethnographic fieldwork.
This entry presents a scholarly glossary of the most frequently encountered Yazidi religious terms in Kurmanji, drawing on primary liturgical texts and peer‑reviewed research. It explains pronunciation, orthography, oral usage, and regional variation, while addressing common misconceptions and scholarly debates.
Bashiqa and Bahzani are neighboring Yazidi settlements in the Aleppo Governorate of Syria, known for their historic shrines and communal resilience. The towns have endured displacement during the Syrian civil war and are central to contemporary Yazidi diaspora narratives.
Sinjar, also known as Shingal, is the historic and cultural heartland of the Yazidi people, located in north‑western Iraq. Its rugged plateau, ancient shrines, and turbulent recent history make it central to Yazidi identity and scholarship.