Yezidism: A Rich Spiritual Tradition and Its People, Part 1 of 2

The Yezidi people are a unique ethno-religious group possessing an ancient and richly elaborate religious tradition. In fact, they believe that all the world’s religions originated from the same primeval faith. Some Yezidis maintain that "Yezidi" translates as "Followers of the true path." It is also very close to the Persian or Zoroastrian word Yazdan, meaning “God,” and Yazata, meaning “divine” or “angelic being.” The Yezidis believe their ancestors were the first people to be created in the Garden of Eden, a large area in present-day Lalish in Iraq.