6. Under the tomb of Sheikh Adi
Lalish, Iraqi Kurdistan
2017
Giclée print on Hahnemühle photo rag paper
30 x 21 cm
$180
5/5 edition (+ AP)
A Yazidi youth in the cave underneath the tomb of Sheikh Adi in the Yazidi holy city of Lalesh. The Yazidis are a small ethnic and religious minority located in the north and north west of Iraq. From the outside their religious practices appear similar to aspects of Islam and Zoroastrianism, however, the most revered figure in the Yazidi faith is Sheikh Adi, who is believed to be the avatar of the 'Peacock Angel'. Sheikh Adi was born in the Beqaa Vallery (in modern Lebanon) and travelled to the mountains north of Mosul seeking an ascetic lifestyle.
His burial place is in the Holy City of Lalish. His tomb is central point of pilgrimage to the Yazidis.
Given the unique nature of their faith, the Yazidi people have occasionally be subject to persecution and control by external aggressive forces. In August 2014, ISIL entered the Yazidi city of Sinjar and attempted to forcibly convert or massacre the inhabitants.