Towards the Institutionalization of Yezidism

Abstract This article is based on extensive field research and intends to offer a nuanced and sympathetic understanding of the Yezidi diaspora in Georgia and its efforts at revival and reform of Yezidism—a subject that has been largely neglected in Western Kurdological scholarship. The pioneering endeavours undertaken by the Yezidi diaspora in Georgia are having a global impact, influencing not only other Yezidi diaspora communities but also those of the Yezidi homeland in Iraq. The principal focus is on the most recent initiatives towards the institutionalization and reform of the Yezidi religion and community. The article discusses, inter alia , the efforts to formulate a Constitution for all Yezidis, the construction of a Yezidi temple in Tbilisi, as well as the establishment of the Akhtiarate ( Extiyargeh ) of Georgia and Sarhad Yezdikhan, and the International Yezidi Theological Academy in Tbilisi.