Yazidis

The Yazidis (also Yezidis, Êzidî; /jəˈziːdiːz/ yə-ZEE-dees) are an ethnically Kurdish religious community or an ethno-religious group indigenous to northern Mesopotamia. Yazidism is an ancient religion that is strictly endogamous. Yazidism is not linked to Zoroastrianism but rather to ancient Mesopotamian religions. Even though they are ethnically Kurdish, Yazidis are a distinct and independent religious community with their own unique culture. They live primarily in the Nineveh Province of Iraq. Additional communities in Armenia, Georgia, Turkey, Iran, and Syria exist as well. The number of Yazidis in their native lands have been in decline since the 1990s as a result of significant migration to Europe, especially to Germany.