Shengal Culture and Art Festival, 1st edition

The three-day festival, held in the Chilmera area of Shengal, began with a sun worshipping ritual

Dressed in white clothing, Yezidis flocked there before sunrise in the morning and gathered around the holy Qub. Raising their hands in the breeze, they expressed their hopes for freedom and peace in the Sun Prayer. The Yazidi community worships the Sun, seeing it as the starting point of goodness, to create art from life and to experience beauty.

In this sacred prayer ritual, they also prayed for the freedom of Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan and the success of the guerrilla troops.

After the prayer they danced a halay, another religious ritual, as those who join arms to dance are regarded as spiritual brothers and sisters.

After the halay ritual, dengbêjs (singing storytellers) performed songs on the Chilmera hill.

Afterward, the participants shared a traditional breakfast at the Serdesht Culture and Art Center.

Source: ANF English