🕊️The Religions of the Kurds: A Journey Through the Millennia

🌍 Introduction

When we talk about the Kurds, we often think of a stateless people scattered across several Middle Eastern countries. But what is often overlooked is how ancient, complex, and unique their spiritual history is. For millennia, the Kurds and their ancestors have lived through the ages, embracing different beliefs, some extinct, others still very much alive.

This article traces the main religions that have influenced the Kurdish people, from prehistory to the present day.

🧬 1. Origins: Neolithic beliefs (~10,000 – 3,000 BC)

Long before the word "Kurd" appeared, communities were already living in the Zagros and Taurus Mountains and in Upper Mesopotamia . These Neolithic societies, present in particular in Çayönü (Turkey) or Ganj Dareh (Iran) , left traces of a simple spiritual life, linked to nature: the moon, the sun, animals, fertility.

Gobekli Tepe

Near Urfa (Riha) , Turkey, is Göbekli Tepe , considered the oldest religious sanctuary in the world (9500 BC). It is a region that is now Kurdish, and although the builders did not call themselves "Kurds", their descendants surely participated in this cultural transmission.

📚 Klaus Schmidt, "Göbekli Tepe: A Stone Age Sanctuary", 2012

🔥 2. The gods of the ancient peoples (3000 – 600 BC)

During Antiquity, several peoples populated the current Kurdish regions: Hurrians , Mitanni , Guti , Kassites , Medes . All had their own pantheons:

• Shimegi (sun god),

• Kumarbi (father of the gods),

• Ishtar (love, war, fertility).

Some of their practices, such as ritual fires or spring festivals (like Newroz ), are still visible today in Kurdish culture.

📚 Encyclopaedia Iranica, "Kassites and Gutians", 2021

☀️ 3. Mithraism and Zoroastrianism (600 – 200 BC)

Mithraism , the cult of the sun god Mithra , values light, justice, and truth. It influenced the Medes and then the Kurds. Then Zoroastrianism , founded by Zarathustra , took over. This religion is based on the opposition between good ( Ahura Mazda ) and evil ( Angra Mainyu ), and on purification by fire.

Zoroastrian remains are still visible in some Kurdish areas of Iran such as Kermanshah or Sanandaj .

📚 Mary Boyce, “Zoroastrians” (2001) / Richard Frye, “Heritage of Persia” (2005)

📜 4. Yezidism (since the 12th century)

The Kurdish religion par excellence, Yazidism worships Melek Tawûs , the Peacock Angel, and rejects the idea of absolute evil. This closed faith (no conversion) is passed down from generation to generation, with secret rituals and a structured clergy. The main sanctuary is located in Lalish , north of Mosul.

The Yazidis have been victims of numerous persecutions, notably by the Islamic State group in 2014. Despite this, there are still between 700,000 and 1.5 million of them worldwide.

📚 Kreyenbroek, “Yezidism”, 1995

✡️ 5. Kurdish Judaism (since antiquity)

Less well known, Kurdish Judaism has a history dating back over 2,000 years. Kurdish Jews , or "Mountain Jews," lived in Iraq, Iran, and Turkey, often speaking a Judeo-Aramaic dialect. They practiced Judaism while adopting elements of Kurdish culture (music, clothing, language).

After the creation of Israel in 1948, most of them emigrated. Today, we find:

• less than 200 families in the Kurdish regions,

• approximately 200,000 Kurdish Jews in Israel , often attached to their origins.

📚 Erich Brauer, "The Jews of Kurdistan" (1993), Jewish Virtual Library

🌿 6. Yarsanism / Ahl-e Haqq (14th century)

An esoteric religion founded in Iranian Kurdistan by Sultan Sahak , Yarsanism combines Sufi, Zoroastrian, and Shiite elements. It believes in reincarnation, spiritual evolution, and hidden knowledge. Their holy book, Kalâm-e Saranjâm , is recited in Gorani Kurdish .

The Yarsanis number about 500,000 to 1 million , mostly in Iran and northern Iraq.

📚 Encyclopaedia Iranica, "Ahl-e Haqq", 2020

☪️ 7. Islam (since the 7th century – now the majority)

Islam arrived in the Kurdish regions in the 7th century. Today, the majority of Kurds are:

• Shafi'i Sunnis , in Iraq, Syria, Turkey,

• Twelver Shiites or Alevis , in Iran and Turkey,

• Sufis , especially in the countryside.

Kurdish Islam often remains poetic, tolerant, mystical , sometimes tinged with pre-Islamic elements, especially in the brotherhoods.

📚 McDowall, "A Modern History of the Kurds", 2010

🧭 Conclusion: A Living Spiritual Tapestry

The Kurds have never been tied to a single religion. Their religious history is a mixture of ancient and modern beliefs , often persecuted, sometimes forgotten, but still alive.

Throughout the centuries, they have managed to preserve a form of open, rooted, and diverse spirituality. This religious richness is also a mirror of their struggle for identity and cultural survival.

🔍 Main sources : Klaus Schmidt (2012), Mary Boyce (2001), Richard Frye (2005), Kreyenbroek (1995), McDowall (2010), Encyclopaedia Iranica, Erich Brauer (1993), Jewish Virtual Library.