Yezidi (Agri) Cultural Heritage and Practices

Abstract

Yezidis are a unique ethnic and religious group with a distinctive cultural and religious background.  The Yezidi religion is one of the oldest religions in the world. The Yezidi community is originally agricultural in nature as they, throughout their history, have depended on agriculture for their livelihood. This paper investigates the (agricultural )cultural heritage and practices of the Yezidi community in Iraq. It also introduces how the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) destroyed Yezidi cultural heritage and agriculture. In order to achieve these aims, a literature review has been conducted to gather existing knowledge and findings related to this topic. The paper has found that Yezidis have a distinctive cultural background, and many of their religious practices and rituals have been linked with agriculture. Finally, ISIS has wrought destruction on their culture, agriculture practice, and religious symbols