Shafaq News – Duhok

Tens of thousands of Yazidis will begin the weeklong Jama Feast on Monday at Lalish Temple in Duhok province, the holiest site of their faith.

Lalish, located east of Duhok, is the spiritual center of Yazidi worship and a major pilgrimage destination for followers from Iraq, Syria, and Europe. Earlier this year, the Kurdistan Regional Government completed restoration work to preserve the temple’s historic structure.

On Sunday, Luqman Suleiman, spokesperson for the temple, told Shafaq News that the festival will run through October 10, attended by the Yazidi Prince and Baba Sheikh, the community’s highest spiritual leaders.

“Each day features distinct rituals, including the Morning and Evening Houses, offerings, and the hanging of colored cloths symbolizing the seven angels,” he explained.

Still recovering from the 2014 ISIS atrocities, the Yazidi community regards the Jama Feast as both a sacred gathering and a reaffirmation of resilience, with more than 200,000 pilgrims from Iraq and abroad expected to take part.

Read more: A decade of suffering: Yazidis still seeking justice after ISIS atrocities