Aknalich (Arm): Yazidi Cemetery

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With 50.000 people, the Yazidi are the largest ethnic/religious minority in Armenia. They settled in the area in the 19th and 20th century due to prosecution elsewhere. Like the Armenians, they were victims of the 1915 genocide in the Ottoman Empire and recently the Yazidi in the Iraqi province of Sinjar fell once again victim to gruesome atrocities. Current Armenia counts  22 villages with a Yazidi majority; they have their own schools and representatives in parliament.  In the town of Aknalich, they are now constructing the largest Yazidi temple in the world, right next to a smaller temple that was built in 2011. Next to the temple is a splendid cemetery. 


All pictures are taken by Claudia Venhorst, april 2017 –  Aknalich Cemetery  

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