The ethno-religious Yarsan community, primarily based in western Iran and eastern Iraq, has gathered to celebrate Khavandan (also known as Xawandkar or Xawenkar), an annual festival held from late October to mid-November. This significant religious ceremony unites Yarsanis, predominantly Kurds, from the provinces of Kermanshah (Kirmansah), Lorestan, and Ilam in Iranian Kurdistan, as well as from Kirkuk (Kerkûk) in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI).
Khavandan, also known as the Festival of Friends, serves as both a spiritual and communal event where followers honour Khavandagar (comparable to the concept of God) and Sultan Sahak, a Kurdish mystic considered an incarnation of Khavandagar. According to Sar Anjam, the Yarsani Holy Book, the festival commemorates the release of Sultan Sahak and his companions from prison, marking a turning point in Yarsan history and a time of renewed devotion and unity.
The Yarsan faith, also known as Ahl-e Haqq (People of Truth), is one of the oldest in the Middle East, with an estimated three million followers in Iran, mainly in the western, predominantly Kurdish provinces. A further 120,000 to 150,000 Yarsanis, commonly known as Kaka’i, live in Iraq.
Identifying primarily with the Kurdish ethnicity, the Yarsan have preserved their distinctive cultural and spiritual practices over the centuries, with music deeply woven into their identity. Both women and men play central roles in these traditions, often performing with the tanbour and daf – sacred instruments – in Yarsan rituals.
During Khavandan, the resonant sounds of the tanbour and the rhythmic beats of the daf fill the air with hymns that tell the stories of their faith, celebrating their heritage in music that is at once mournful and uplifting.
The Yarsan community has long faced marginalisation due to their unique religious beliefs and culture. In Iran, where the government does not officially recognise the Yarsan religion, many Yarsanis have been prevented from openly practising their faith, making them vulnerable to discrimination. Yet the Yarsan community perseveres, holding on to their music, rituals and festivals as powerful expressions of their identity and heritage.
For the Yarsan, the Khavandan festival is not only a spiritual celebration, but also an affirmation of cultural pride and resilience. The vibrant, traditional dress of Yarsan women and men, combined with the sounds of the tanbour and daf, highlight a culture that, though often suppressed, thrives in its vitality and endurance.
