Bahzani
Bahzani | |
|---|---|
| Country | Iraq |
| District | Al-Hamdaniya District |
| Governate | Ninawa Governorate |
Bahzani(Kurdish:بهحزانی,romanized:Bahzanê,[1][2]Arabic:بحزاني), literally from theSyriacwords meaning "house of treasure," is a town located in theAl-Hamdaniya Districtof theNinawa Governoratein northernIraq.
Population
[edit]The town of Bahzani, together with its twin villageBashiqa,have historically hosted diverse populations. The majority of residents today areYazidis,who speak Arabic as their mother language.[3]Other populations includeAssyrians,Shia Muslims,Sunni Muslims,andShabaks.[4]
History
[edit]Bahzani is official Iraqi territory but has been claimed by theKurdistan Regionsince the fall ofSaddam Husseinin 2003. According to Article 140 of theIraqi constitution,a referendum should decide whether it continues to be managed by Iraq or by the Kurdish government. Its status is still not fully understood. According toHuman Rights Watch,UNHCRand other human rights organizations, the townspeople are threatened with violence should they vote against inclusion of the city in the Kurdistan Region.[5][6][7]
In August 2014, the town's residents fled forIraqi Kurdistanfollowing the invasion of the town byISIS.In late 2016, it was liberated along with Bashiqa. Many displaced residents have since returned and rebuilt its Yazidi temples and its church.[citation needed]
Yazidi holy sites
[edit]Bahzani has numerousYazidishrines, including:[8]
- Shrine of Ebû Rîsh
- Shrine of Sheikh Bako. The shrine is accompanied by a spring with a fig tree, which is visited by pilgrims with fevers. Pilgrims fasten small bits of their clothes on the tree and feed the fish in the spring.
- Shrine of Sitt Hebîbe, also known as Marta Hebîbta ( "the Beloved Lady"; the wife of Sheikh Muhemmed). She also has a shrine nearBashiqa.
- Shrine of Mes'ûd
- Shrine of Dayka Jakan
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^"Dengê Kurdistan".dengekurdistan.nu.3 August 2015.Retrieved19 December2019.
- ^"وهزارهتی پێشمهرگه وردهكاری كۆنترۆڵكردنهوهی باشیك و بهحزانی رووندهكاتهوه".Kurdistan24(in Kurdish). 9 November 2016.Retrieved19 December2019.
- ^electricpulp.com."YAZIDIS i. GENERAL – Encyclopaedia Iranica".www.iranicaonline.org.Retrieved2016-09-25.
- ^"Baashiqa Area Based Assessment - July 2018 - Iraq | ReliefWeb".reliefweb.int.15 August 2018.Retrieved2022-08-26.
- ^"Iraq's Disputed Territories"(PDF).United States Institute of Peace.
- ^"On Vulnerable Ground"(PDF).Human Rights Watch (HRW).
- ^"UNHCR's ELIGIBILITY GUIDELINES FOR ASSESSING THE INTERNATIONAL PROTECTION NEEDS OF IRAQI ASYLUM-SEEKERS"(PDF).United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
- ^Kreyenbroek, Philip(1995).Yezidism: its background, observances, and textual tradition.Lewiston NY: E. Mellen Press.ISBN0-7734-9004-3.OCLC31377794.
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36°27′17″N43°20′15″E/ 36.45472°N 43.33750°E
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