Kurdish Wishing Trees in the Middle East and Ziyarets in Kurdish Culture

Cette image illustre un arbre de vœux. Elle a été produite spécifiquement pour cet article dans un cadre éditorial, afin de symboliser la dimension spirituelle et culturelle de cette pratique.

In the arid and sacred lands of the Middle East, between Kurdish mountains, Anatolian valleys and Mesopotamian countryside, trees are not just nature: they become sanctuaries. These trees, called " ziyaret " in Turkish and often referred to in Kurdish by the words dergeh (دەرگەه), darê dualê or simply darê pîroz ("sacred tree"), are the living reflection of a popular spirituality rooted in centuries of oral transmission and religious syncretism.

Kurdish Wishing Trees: Collective Memory and Popular Faith

In Alevi culture, these trees occupy an essential place. Associated with a local saint, a pir (spiritual guide) or a miraculous event, they become places of prayer, meditation, and above all, hope .

Worshippers hang pieces of fabric, called çîlep or belek , there, making a wish. Each knot, each colorful shred, symbolizes a wish placed in the hands of the sacred. People come to ask for the healing of a loved one, fertility, protection, or simply inner peace. These practices, while popular, are deeply encoded in the Alevi-Bektashi world and often passed down informally through the generations.

Sacrifices to seal a wish

In some cases, the vow is sealed with an animal sacrifice , often a sheep or a goat. This ritual, sometimes called a kurban , is not exclusive to the Alevi tradition: it is found in other Middle Eastern cultures, but also in ancient pagan rites in Europe or in certain West African rituals.

Sacrifice here is an offering: a symbolic exchange between the world of men and the world of the sacred. The meat is then shared among relatives, neighbors, and the poorest, in a spirit of solidarity.

It is important to note that in many cases, this type of sacrifice is not gratuitous violence but rather an ancient ritual code where the animal is respected, and the act is deeply linked to a spiritual or community intention.

A unique syncretism in the Middle East

These practices are neither entirely Islamic nor strictly pagan. They are the product of an ancient religious syncretism , blending Sufism, shamanism, Zoroastrianism, and pre-Islamic folk cults. The Kurdish, Turkmen, Armenian, Arab, and Persian people, each in their own way, have participated in shaping this living tradition that eludes rigid religious definitions.

Threatened traditions, but still very much alive

With modernization, urbanization, and sometimes religious or political pressure, these traditions are often marginalized or considered superstitious. Yet they persist. In the Kurdish countryside of Anatolia, in the mountains of Dersim, or even in certain regions of Rojava, one can still see these trees covered in pieces of fabric fluttering in the wind, silent witnesses to a popular faith that has never been extinguished.

Conclusion

Kurdish wishing trees, or ziyaret , are much more than mere customs: they are living archives of the collective memory of the peoples of the Middle East. They remind us that spirituality is not limited to books or dogmas, but is also lived in gestures, rituals, and shared spaces. Their existence is a bridge between generations, between beliefs, between worlds.

⚠️ Legal note

This article is intended for cultural and informational purposes only. It neither promotes nor criticizes the practices discussed. All content has been written with respect for local traditions and sensitivities. If an image or reference requires correction or contextualization, please contact the editor.