On September 29, Armenia’s Yezidi community celebrated the second anniversary of the construction of the sacred site in the village Aknalich of Armavair district.

The spiritual center of the Yezidis near the lake Aygher was built in 2012 on the initiative of philanthropist Mirza Sloyan. Three years later, by his financial support there was built a memorial complex of the Armenian-Yezidi friendship that includes 5 monuments: Peacock, which embodies the belief of Yezidis, busts of commanders Andranik and Usub Beg and memorial column dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide with inscriptions in Armenian and Yezidi languages.

Head of the Armavir region Ashot Ghahramanyan in his speech presenting the current tragedy of Yazidis in Iraq said that for the Armenian people, who survived the Genocide, it is unacceptable to see after 100 years how the same thing happens with the Yezidi people.

Representatives of the Yezidi community expressed their gratitude to the Armenian authorities, that they at the highest international rostrum voiced about the tragedy which happens with their compatriots living in Iraq.

– We are grateful to President Serzh Sargsyan for the fact that from the UN podium, he spoke about that crime. Armenia is the only country that spoke about this tragedy.

Mirza Sloyan also thanked the Armenian authorities for the support of the Yezidi community. He stressed that Armenia is the only country, where the Yezidi culture and language develop, Yezidi language is taught in 35 schools, and in the world today there are only two Yezidi holy sites, one of which is in Armenia.

Bagrat Movsesyan
Lieutenant