The Yezidis: The History of a Community, Culture and Religion Birgül Açıkyıldız I.B. Tauris
Yezidism is a fascinating part of the rich cultural mosaic of the Middle East. The Yezidi faith emerged for the first time in the twelfth century in the Kurdish mountains of northern Iraq. The religion, which has become notorious for its associations with 'devil worship', is in fact an intricate syncretic system of belief, incorporating elements from proto-Indo-European religions, early Iranian faiths like Zoroastrianism and Manichaeism, Sufism and regional paganism like Mithraism. Birgül Acıkyıldız here offers a comprehensive appraisal of Yezidi religion, society and culture. Written without presupposing any prior knowledge about Yezidism, and in an accessible and readable style, her book examines Yezidis not only from a religious point of view but as a historical and social phenomenon. She throws light on the origins of Yezidism, and charts its development and changing fortunes - from its beginnings to the present - as part of the general history of the Kurds. Her book is the first to place Yezidism in its complete geographical setting in Northern Iraq, Turkey, Syria and Transcaucasia. The author describes the Yezidi belief system (which considers Tawusi Melek - the 'Peacock Angel' - to be ruler of the earth) and its religious practices and observances, analysing the most important facets of Yezidi religious art and architecture (including funerary monuments and zoomorphic tombstones) and their relationship to their neighbours throughout the Middle East. Acikyildiz also explores the often misunderstood connections between Yezidism and the Satan/ Sheitan of Christian and Muslim tradition. Richly illustrated, with accompanying maps, photographs and illustrations, this pioneering book will have strong appeal to all those with an interest in the culture of the Kurds, as well as the wider region.
Birgül Açıkyıldız studied art history at the universities of Hacettepe and Paris I Pantheon-Sorbonne. She was then appointed to a Barakat Trust Postdoctoral Fellowship at the Khalili Research Centre for the Art and Material Culture of the Middle East, Faculty of Oriental Studies, University of Oxford where she also worked as a Research Fellow. She taught at the Department of Islamic Art and Archaeology of the University of Paris I Pantheon-Sorbonne and the Faculties Communication and Fine Arts of the University of Hacettepe. Currently, she is chair of the Art History Department of Mardin Artuklu University in Turkey. birgul@acikyildiz.com
Contents
List of Illustrations / ix Acknowledgements / xv List of Abbreviations / xvii
Introduction / 1 Meeting the Yezidis / 5 Geographical Location and Distribution / 33
1 Origins, History and Development / 35 Yezidis in Mesopotamia and Anatolia / 37 Yezidis in Syria / 63 Yezidis in Transcaucasia / 66
2 Religious Belief System / 71 God, Angels and the Trinity / 71 God (Xwede) / 71 Angels / 72 The Peacock Angel (Tawusi Melek) / 73 Sultan Êzi / 81 Sheikh Adi / 82 Yezidi Mythology / 86 The Creation of the Cosmos and the Universe / 86 The Creation of Human Beings / 87 The Flood / 88 Holy Books / 88 Religious Hierarchy / 91
3 Religious Practices, Observances and Rituals / 99 Haircut, Baptism, Circumcision, Brother of the Hereafter, Marriage, Death / 99 Prayer / 103 Fasting / 104 Pilgrimage / 104 Festivals and Ceremonies / 108 Taboos / 112
4 Material Culture / 115 Homeland, Landscape, Sacred Places / 115 Places of Worship / 130 The Sanctuary / 131 Mausoleums / 146 Shrines / 175 The Baptistery / 177 Caves 180 Tombstones / 182
5 Conclusion / 197
Appendices / 205 Appendix I: Yezidi Saints / 205 Appendix II: Genealogy of the Umayyads and Sheikh ‘Adi’s Family / 211 Appendix III: Genealogy of the Early Shamsani Family / 212 Appendix IV: Yezidi Mausoleums in Northern Iraq / 213 Appendix V: Typology of Mausoleums in Northern Iraq / 216 Appendix VI: Typology of Mausoleums in the Republic of Armenia / 217
Glossary / 219
Notes / 225
Interviews / 249
Bibliography / 251
Index / 269
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The origins of this book lie substantially in my Ph.D. thesis completed in the Institute of Art and Archaeology at the University of Paris I Pantheon-Sorbonne in October 2006. The composition of this book has been realised with the help and advice of many people, but nobody is responsible for its errors and weakness except myself. My thanks are particularly due to Professor Alastair Northedge, who supervised the original thesis. I am grateful to Professor Jeremy Johns who supported this work with his precious criticisms and to Dr. Mamo Farhan Othman who supplied me with a great deal of information on Tezidi history and culture. 1 would also like to thank Prof. Dr. Asker Kartan, Associate Professor Christine Allison and Dr. Pierre Simon for their contribution.
Acknowledgements are also due to the Barakat Trust, the National Higher Education and Research Ministry ot fiance, and the Shivan Perwer International Cultural Foundation for their generous financial support. I would like to express my gratitude to the Kurdish Institute ot Paris for its support during my doctoral studies in Paris, to the Cultural Centre ot Lalish in Dohuk, Ba’shiqe and Sinjar for their assistance in my fieldwork, and to the Khalili Research Centre of Oxford University and the Department ot Communication Sciences of Hacettepe University for providing me with facilities necessary for the redaction of this book.
The translation and transcription ot the inscriptions were carried out by Dr. Luai Jaff, Muhammad Hussein, and Zeinab Zaza. The latter also helped me with the translation of the Arabic sources. The translation ot the Ottoman archives was made in collaboration with Yavuz Aykan. Natalia Tari, Paul Grey and Arezou Azad helped me with corrections in the English texts. Arzu Karahan helped me to give the final shape to the line drawings. I thank them greatly. Amongst the Yezidis, my thanks go to Mir Kamuran Beg, Khidir Dimili, Kheyri Bozan, Suleiman Havend, Heci Katari, Heci Ali Suleiman, Ismail Hasan Said, Khidir Kh. Behzani, Sozan Hajee Samw, Sagvan Mirad, Said Kasim Hason, Dexil Kasim Hason, Karina Usabian, Feqir Tayar Keleshi, Torina Torin, Kibar, Rustem and Siyabend Hudeda for their support. Moreover, I would like to thank the people who helped me in organising transport and accommodation as well as in establishing contacts during my fieldwork. In particular, I would like to thank the many local residents who welcomed me generously as a guest and guided me during my research. These include Devrim Karaoba, Huda, Macid, and Zubeida Berwari, and Shehnaz Zebari in Dohuk, the family of Pir§eng Budak in Diyarbakir, the family of Fatma Akdogan in Midyat and Nusaybin, family of Ozcan Ayboga in Tunceli, and M. Ali Hanger and Eyiip Bur<; in Viran§ehir, Dr. Vardan Vaskanian and §ilan Aras in Yerevan, Ibrahim Bilal, Hamide and Said Bilal in Afrin and Zekeria Mustafa in Damascus. I thank Dr. Saywan Barzani, who facilitated my trips in northern Iraq. Finally, I would like to thank my family and Marlyse Lescot, who supported me throughout this work.
Introduction
The Yezidis are a fascinating people who form part of the rich cultural mosaic of the Middle East. They first appeared on the historical scene as an isolated community in the Kurdish mountains of northern Iraq in the twelfth century. Originally the heirs to a variety of cultural and religious beliefs, including Zoroastrianism, they became the supporters and followers of the Sufi Sheikh ‘Adi. Thus, a syncretic belief system and unique religious belief system grew up. Eventually, the Yezidis acquired the label of‘devil-worshippers’ for their love of the Peacock Angel.
This book aims to give a comprehensive and comprehensible introduction to Yezidi culture, religion and society. It examines Yezidism not only as a religion but also as a historical and social phenomenon. This is a fresh approach to the subject. Previous scholars focused mainly on the origins, early history and religious practices of the modern Yezidis of northern Iraq.' In this book, the full historical and geographic range of Yezidism is examined for the first time, not just in northern Iraq but also in Turkey, Syria and Transcaucasia. Thus, the book throws light on the origins of Yezidism and documents its historical development as part of the general history of the Kurds. It traces the changing fortunes of Yezidism and examines the role of the Yezidis in Kurdish history over time and in the different Kurdish regions.2 The Yezidi community emerged in a small area, known as Sheikhan, and spread rapidly amongst the Kurdish tribes. However, this rapid expansion disturbed their Muslim neighbours, and from the thirteenth century onwards, Yezidis suffered repression and massacre. As a result, the Yezidis remain a small, oppressed community, but one that has stubbornly survived to this day.
This book explores what makes Yezidism a separate and unique religion. It principally focuses on the Peacock Angel (Tawusi Melek), the main character in Yezidism, and explores his relation with the Creator and the Yezidi people. Yezidis believe in one eternal God (Xwedc) who is the creator of the universe. He is Good and …
Birgül Açıkyıldız
The Yezidis The History of a Community, Culture and Religion
I.B. Tauris
I.B.Tauris & Co Ltd The Yezidis The History of a Community, Culture and Religion Birgül Açıkyıldız
I.B.Tauris Lowpon - New Yowk
Published in 2010 by I.B.Tauris & Co Ltd 6 Salem Road, London W2 4BU 175 Fifth Avenue, New York NY 10010 www.ibtauris.com
Distributed in the United States and in Canada Exclusively by Palgrave Macmillan 175 Fifth Avenue, New York NY 10010
The right of Birgül Açıkyıldız to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 All rights reserved. Except for brief quotations in a review, this book, or any part thereof, may not be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher.
Library of Modern Religion, Vol 17
ISBN: 978 1 84885 274 7
A full CIP record for this book is available from the British Library A full CIP record is available from the Library of Congress
Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: available Printed and bound in India by Replika Press Pvt. Ltd.
Front and back cover: Image of the peacocks, Ba'adrd, northern Iraq, (photo by the author) Author’s photo by Engin Gelibolu
