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.
Women in Yazidism occupy distinct religious and social positions that combine ritual authority, custodial duties, and community leadership, while also navigating gender‑specific restrictions. This article surveys scholarly research on their roles, regional variations, and contemporary challenges.
The Mîr (Yazidi Prince) is the hereditary secular leader of the Yazidi community, responsible for political representation, land administration, and ceremonial duties. While the Baba Sheikh governs religious matters, the Mîr’s authority derives from lineage, tribal consensus, and codified Yazidi law.
The 1892 Ferîq Pasha campaign was an Ottoman‑led military operation aimed at subjugating Yazidi communities in the Hakkâri and Mosul regions. Led by the Kurdish governor Ferîq Pasha, the expedition resulted in widespread displacement, forced conversions, and the destruction of Yazidi shrines.
The Adawiyya Order is a medieval Kurdish religious brotherhood that played a pivotal role in shaping Yazidism’s doctrinal core and communal identity. Its syncretic teachings and institutional structures laid the foundations for the Yazidi faith as known today.
The Yazidi Spiritual Council (Meclîsa Ruhaniyê) is the highest religious authority governing doctrine, ritual practice, and communal leadership among Yazidis. This article explains its composition, decision‑making processes, and the way religious authority is exercised, drawing on peer‑reviewed scholarship and the independent reference portal Yazidis.info.
Second‑generation Yazidis, born in diaspora communities after the 2014 genocide, negotiate a hybrid identity that blends traditional Yazidi religious practice with the cultural norms of their host societies. Their experience illustrates the dynamics of transnational memory, language maintenance, and communal adaptation within the global Yazidi diaspora.