Mustafa Dawan: The Angel of Death in the Yarsani Faith
Mustafa Dawan, one of the Yarsani Haft Tan, is the angel of death and transformation, identified with Azrael and bound to the soul's journey. Discover him.
Read article →Kurdish History Journal
Kurdish Art and Culture
Articles filed under Kurdish Art and Culture.
Dawud: The Divine Guide of the Yarsani Faith
Dawud, the Dalil of the Yarsani Haft Tan, is the divine guide who in one tradition refused to bow to Adam and appeared as al-Hallaj and Kawa. Discover him.
Read article →Pir Musi: The Divine Scribe of the Yarsani Faith
Pir Musi is the recording angel of the Yarsani Haft Tan, who set down the Kalam-e Saranjam with his Golden Pen. Discover the divine scribe of the Ahl-e Haqq.
Read article →Pir Benjamin: The Master of Masters in the Yarsani Faith
Pir Benjamin, the Pir of the Pirs, is one of the Yarsani Haft Tan and the archetype of every spiritual master. Discover the master of masters of the Ahl-e Haqq.
Read article →Khatun-e Razbar: The Divine Mother of the Yarsani Faith
Khatun-e Razbar is the only female being of the Yarsani Haft Tan and the virgin mother of Sultan Sahak. Discover the divine mother of the Ahl-e Haqq faith.
Read article →The Haft Tan: The Seven Holy Beings of the Yarsani Faith
The Haft Tan are the seven holy beings of the Yarsani (Ahl-e Haqq) faith, the divine companions of Sultan Sahak who govern the world. Discover the Seven Persons.
Read article →The Tanbur: The Sacred Lute of the Yarsani Faith
The tanbur is the sacred lute of the Yarsani (Ahl-e Haqq), the only instrument venerated as holy and the voice of the 72 sacred maqams. Discover its story.
Read article →Baba Yadgar: The Beloved Yarsani Saint and His Mountain Shrine
Baba Yadgar is one of the most revered Yarsani holy figures, and his mountain shrine near Dohab is a great Ahl-e Haqq pilgrimage site. Discover his story.
Read article →Sultan Sahak: The Founder of the Yarsani Faith
Sultan Sahak founded the Yarsani (Ahl-e Haqq) faith and is revered as a manifestation of God. Discover the Kurdish mystic and the religion he shaped.
Read article →Sheikh Shems: The Sun Angel of Yazidism
Sheikh Shems (Sex Sems) is the Yazidi sun angel, one of the Seven Holy Beings and the divine light of God. Discover the sun veneration at the heart of Yazidism.
Read article →The Seven Angels of Yazidism: The Heft Sirr Explained
The Heft Sirr, the Seven Angels of Yazidism, are the holy beings who govern the world, led by Tawuse Melek. Discover the Seven Mysteries of the Yazidi faith.
Read article →Sheikh Adi ibn Musafir: The Saint at the Heart of Yazidism
Sheikh Adi ibn Musafir, a 12th-century Sufi, became the central saint of Yazidism, revered as an avatar of the Peacock Angel. Discover his life and legacy.
Read article →Carsema Sor: The Yazidi New Year and Day of Creation
Carsema Sor, Red Wednesday, is the Yazidi New Year and Day of Creation, when Tawuse Melek descended to earth. Discover its rituals and how it differs from Newroz.
Read article →Lalish: The Sacred Heart of the Yazidi Faith
Lalish, in northern Iraq, is the holiest sacred valley of the Yazidi faith and home to the tomb of Sheikh Adi. Discover the spiritual heart of Yazidism.
Read article →Qewls: The Sacred Hymns of the Yazidi Faith
Qewls are the sacred hymns of the Yazidi faith, sung by hereditary qewwals and carrying its oldest teachings. Discover the Yazidi tradition of the holy word.
Read article →The Yazidi Creation Myth: The Pearl, the Bird and the Making of the World
The Yazidi creation myth begins with a white pearl and a primordial bird. Discover how God, the Seven Angels and Tawuse Melek shaped the world.
Read article →Tawuse Melek: The Peacock Angel in Yazidi Kurdish Mythology
Tawuse Melek, the Peacock Angel, is the foremost holy being of the Yazidi faith. Discover the truth behind the Peacock Angel and the false devil-worship myth.
Read article →Meme Alan: The Oral Legend Behind Mem u Zin
Meme Alan is the oral Kurdish epic behind Mem u Zin, sung by dengbej for centuries. Discover the folk legend of fairies, a magic horse and star-crossed love.
Read article →Mem u Zin: The Greatest Kurdish Love Epic Explained
Mem u Zin, Ehmede Xani's 17th-century epic, is the great Kurdish love story and national allegory. Discover the tale of the lovers parted even in death.
Read article →Sahmaran: The Kurdish Serpent Queen of Wisdom and Betrayal
Sahmaran, the half-woman half-snake queen of Kurdish folklore, is a symbol of wisdom, healing and betrayal. Discover the legend of the serpent queen of Mardin.
Read article →Zahhak: The Serpent-Tyrant in Kurdish and Iranic Mythology
Zahhak, the snake-shouldered tyrant of Kurdish and Iranic myth, fed human brains to the serpents on his shoulders until Kawa and Fereydun overthrew him.
Read article →Newroz and Kurdish Mythology: Fire, Freedom and the Defeat of Tyranny
Newroz, the Kurdish New Year, marks Kawa's defeat of the tyrant Zahhak. Discover the fire, the legend and why it became a symbol of Kurdish freedom.
Read article →Kawa the Blacksmith: The Kurdish Hero Who Defeated Zahhak
Kawa the Blacksmith led the revolt against the tyrant Zahhak and lit the first Newroz fire. Meet the Kurdish hero behind the New Year and his legend.
Read article →Kurdistan: The Mountain That Fed the World
The Kurdish mountains (Taurus and Zagros) are at the centre of the Fertile Crescent — the origin zone of wheat, olive, fig, grape, and the pistachio genus. 151 articles documenting the Kurdish kitchen: the oldest continuous food culture in the Fertile Crescent zone. The mountain that fed the world.
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