Yazidism
| Yazidism | |
|---|---|
| Family | Middle Eastern / Ethnoreligious |
| Origin region | Northern Mesopotamia, especially regions associated with present-day Iraq, Syria, Turkey, and Armenia |
| Founding period | Medieval development with older regional influences; living community to the present |
| Estimated adherents | A small ethno-religious community, especially associated with northern Iraq and diaspora communities. |
Yazidism is yazidism is a distinct Middle Eastern ethno-religious tradition centered on God, Tawûsê Melek, sacred lineages, oral tradition, pilgrimage, and community identity.
Overview
Yazidism is practiced by the Yazidi people and is deeply connected with community, lineage, sacred geography, and oral transmission. The Lalish sanctuary in northern Iraq is the primary sacred center. Yazidis have faced repeated persecution, making preservation, diaspora, and cultural survival central themes in modern Yazidi life.
Key beliefs
- One supreme God who entrusts the world to holy beings
- Tawûsê Melek, the Peacock Angel, as the chief angelic figure
- Sacred caste and lineage structures in traditional community organization
- Rebirth and spiritual purification in some teachings
- Respect for oral hymns, sacred stories, and inherited practice
Practices
- Pilgrimage to Lalish
- Sacred hymns known as qewls
- Rites of birth, marriage, and death
- Festival gatherings and communal meals
- Veneration of holy figures, shrines, and sacred places
Places of worship
- Lalish sanctuary
- Shrines and holy places
- Community gathering spaces
Sacred texts
- Oral hymns and religious poetry
- Community traditions and later textual collections
Holidays and observances
- Feast of the Assembly
- Yazidi New Year, often called Çarşema Sor
- Other local and community observances
Branches and related traditions
- Indigenous and Traditional Religions - A broad category for ethnic, local, and inherited traditions.
- Near Eastern religions - A regional category for religious traditions of the Middle East.