The Yezidi Kurds in Armenia

Yazdanism is misunderstod and the believers of this faith is often called "devil worshippers" wich is wrong because of Yazdanism´s name for the central figure of their faith, a Peacock named Melek Taus is compared to the devil by some Christians and Muslims.
The Yezidi Kurds beliefs that God created the world and that Melek Taus is God´s angel, that is why it is very wrong that others identity Melek Taus as Lucifer or Satan.

Islam does not recognize Yezidism as a religion and the negative view of Muslims with regard to the Angel Peacock who in the religion of the Yezidis is second only to God has been the cause of conflict between Muslims and Yezidis for thousand years.

The Yazidis consider Melek Taus to be a benevolent angel that has redeemed himself from his fall and has become a demiurge who created the cosmos from the Cosmic Egg. After he repented, he cried for 7000 years. His tears filling 7 jars, which then quenched the fires of hell.

Resulting from persecutions was the migration of the Yezidis to Transcaucasia in mid 19th and later early 20th century to Armenia.
The word Yezidi was used to qualify the nationality of many Yezidi Kurds.
The Armenian government refused to change their passports and this of course causes many international difficulties because almost all Yezidis consider themselves Kurds.


One of the Yezidi Kurdish community is in Armenia and is estimated to be 40 000 or more and
the Yezidis speak Kurmanci wich is a Northern-Kurdish dialect.

One of the first Yezidi intellectuals in and Member of the Parliament of the First Armenian Republic the well known amoung Yezidi Kurds, Mr Usub-Bek.

In the year of 1920, the first school for Yezidi children were opened and later on the first ABC book was published in Armenia.

"Denge Ezidia" (The voice of the Yezidi) was the first Yezidi radio show and was broadcasted and established at the Armenian National Radio.

This became a success for the Yezidi Kurds and draw much attention.
Later on a Kurdish broadcast emanated from Yerevan on called "Radio Erevan" and the newspaper "Riya Teze" was published also in Yerevan in Kurmanci.

Yezidi Kurds

The Yezidi Kurds of Armenia has many timed stood up for Armenia and showed patriotism particular during the Ngorno-Karabakh conflict against Azerbadjian when many of their volunteers spilled their blood in the defense of Armenia.

We remember Karapete Xaco

Karapete Xaco was an talented Armenian man and the best Kurdish singer in Armenia, this great man is no longer with us and died by age, in the year of 2005.

Karapete Xaco was born 1902 during the genocide and lived until he died in 2005 in the age of 103 years old (!). Xaco lost his whole in the genocide in 1915, he was raised an rescued by a kurdish family.
This makes Mr Xaco the most famous and oldest Kurdish singing Armenian in history.
During his life Karapete sang songs like Ay lo miro, Adulle, Cume Cizire, Ximxime tore Vana and Le daye.

Kurdistan and Hayastan´s tribute to Karpete Xaco

In the year of 1946 the Xaco family moved to the Armenian capital Yerevan, there he began to sing in the Kurdish Service of Yerevan Radio in 1955 where he also worked. He died in Yerevan.

One of Mr Xaco´s five children, Seyrop Xaco, said on his fathers funural:

“although my father was an Armenian origin, he felt closer to the Kurds and for this reason he served Kurdish music as a dengbêj (singer). He always deeply felt the grief and sorrow of the Kurdish people who have long suffered at least as much as Armenian people and wanted to express this pain with Kurdish kilams (songs)”

We will never forget one of the main bridges between the Armenian and Kurdish culture.