With less than one week to go before Çarşema Sor, the Yazidi’s New Year known as ‘Red Wednesday’, the Yazidi community are congregating in Burç, a small village in southeast Turkey’s Urfa province. Yazidis in Iraq and Syria are also preparing for what is one of their most important annual cultural celebrations.
Historically, Kurdish-majority regions of Turkey had a large Yazidi population. Due to persecution and economic hardship, much of the community has emigrated to European countries in the previous decades, accompanied by the disappearance of Yazidi traditions and their associated colourful festivities.
Yazidis who emigrated decades ago are now turning the tide by returning for Çarşema Sor, which is celebrated on the third Wednesday in April. Burç will be at the centre of events held this year on the 17th.
The largest remaining Yazidi community lives in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Following the genocide against the Yazidis, carried out by ISIS in 2014, much of the community was forced to flee their homeland in Sinjar (Shengal) and settle in camps for internally displaced persons.
There are signs, however, that families are returning to their ancestral homelands, so this year Çarşema Sor is also expected to be more visible in Sinjar. The Yazidis most revered holy temple, Lalish, is also preparing to welcome visitors for Çarşema Sor.