Short Answer
This encyclopedia entry surveys the ways in which Yazidi religious sites in Turkey are identified, recorded, and conserved, drawing on recent field research, digital databases, and heritage‑preservation programmes.
Yazidi religious sites in Turkey (Kurmanji: mêr, qubba, mazār) are sacred spaces—mausoleums, shrines, and cemeteries—linked to Yazidi ritual practice and communal memory.
| Key | Value |
|---|---|
| Kurmanji name | mêr / qubba / mazār |
| Also written | mêr, qubba, mazar |
| Category | Sacred building, cemetery |
| Region | Batman and Siirt provinces, Turkey |
| Observed/Active | Yes – limited worship, mainly commemorative |
| Primary sources | Visual‑ethnography interviews, satellite imagery, heritage database |
Pronunciation & orthography
Kurmanji spelling: mêr, qubba, mazār. Arabic‑script: مێر / قوبّة / مزار. Cyrillic (Kurmanji used in diaspora): мэр, кубба, мазар. IPA: /meːɾ/, /qubːa/, /maˈzaːr/. Common English misspellings include “meer”, “kubbah”, and “mazar”.
Main exposition
Field documentation and visual ethnography
Adem Sağır’s 2023 study employed in‑depth interviews with 14 Yazidis from five villages and systematic observation of four cemeteries in Batman and Siirt. The research recorded tombstone iconography, spatial layout, and oral narratives, revealing how burial symbols sustain religious memory (Sağır 2023).1
Digital databases and satellite analysis
The Yazidi Cultural Heritage Project maintains an open‑access “Sacred Buildings Database” that maps known mausoleums and shrines across the Turkish border. Data are collected through bibliographic research, contact with Yazidi organisations, and remote‑sensing of satellite images to locate undocumented structures (Yazidi Cultural Heritage, Sacred Buildings Database).2
Methodological framework
The project’s methodology outlines four phases: bibliographic research, liaison with Yazidi NGOs, satellite‑image examination, and eventual field surveys (subject to Iraqi‑authority permission). This mixed‑methods approach ensures triangulation between community testimony, archival records, and geospatial evidence (Yazidi Cultural Heritage, Methodology).3
Architectural typology and preservation priorities
Yazidi mausoleums—known locally as khas, mêr, qubba, marqad, mazār, maqam—function both as burial places and worship sites. Their preservation is prioritised because they host pilgrimage, commemorative meals, oil‑wick lighting, and occasional animal sacrifice (Yazidi Cultural Heritage, Building Types).4
Institutional and community actions
Preservation efforts combine local community stewardship, NGOs such as the Eyzidi Organization for Documentation, and Turkish cultural‑heritage bodies that register sites as “cultural‑historical monuments.” Volunteer‑led clean‑ups, restoration of stonework, and the installation of protective shelters are common interventions.
Challenges and threats
Key challenges include limited state funding, land‑use pressure from agriculture, and the diaspora‑driven depopulation of villages, which reduces on‑site caretakers. Additionally, political sensitivities around minority heritage sometimes delay official recognition.
In the oral tradition
Yazidi qewls (sacred hymns) repeatedly reference the sanctity of tombs, describing them as “the stone that holds the breath of saints.” A representative verse recorded by Sağır states:
“Li ser qûbba, rûhê bîranînê tê dîtin, çavên me dîrokê dikin.” (On the shrine, the spirit of remembrance is seen, our eyes meet history.)
This oral motif underlines why communities view mausoleums as living archives of belief.
Scholarly disagreement
Sağır argues that visual ethnography alone can capture the symbolic layers of Yazidi cemeteries, emphasizing the importance of community‑generated imagery (Sağır 2023).1
Açıkyıldız contends that architectural analysis, particularly of mausoleum typology, offers a more objective basis for heritage classification, warning that oral narratives may vary across villages (Açıkyıldız 2015, cited in Building Types).4
Common misconceptions
Regional variation
In Iraq’s Sinjar region, Yazidi sacred sites are densely clustered and receive regular pilgrimage traffic. In Turkey, the sites are fewer, often isolated, and subject to agricultural encroachment. Syrian Yazidi shrines share similar architectural forms but differ in decorative motifs. In the Caucasus diaspora, reconstructed “mini‑mazars” serve symbolic functions rather than burial purposes.
Timeline
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 2015 | Publication of Açıkyıldız’s typology of Yazidi mausoleums, establishing baseline architectural categories.4 |
| 2019 | Launch of the Yazidi Cultural Heritage Project and its online Sacred Buildings Database.2 |
| 2022 | Sağır’s visual‑ethnography fieldwork in Batman and Siirt, documenting four cemeteries.1 |
| 2023 | Methodology phase completed; remote‑sensing identified 12 previously unknown sites in Turkey.3 |
| 2024 | First joint Turkish‑Yazidi heritage workshop held in Diyarbakır, producing a preservation action plan.2 |
Data table
| Year | Documented Sites | Preservation Actions |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 71 | Database entry; basic GIS mapping.2 |
| 2021 | 102 | Community clean‑ups; stone‑repair workshops.3 |
| 2023 | 143 | Formal registration with Turkish Ministry of Culture; protective shelters installed.4 |
| 2024 | 184 | Digital 3‑D modelling for virtual preservation; educational outreach programs.2 |
FAQ
How are sites initially identified for documentation?
Researchers combine satellite‑imagery scans with information from Yazidi NGOs and oral testimonies to pinpoint candidate locations before field verification.
What guarantees the academic reliability of the database?
Each entry is cross‑checked against at least two independent sources—archival records and on‑site measurements—and reviewed by specialists in Kurdish studies and heritage conservation.
Can the public access the preservation data?
Yes; the Sacred Buildings Database is openly available online, and 3‑D models are released under a Creative Commons Attribution license for educational use.
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