By Boris Murazi, ezidiPress Russia

Yerevan – The Yezidi community in Armenia plans to build a new temple which is supposed to also serve as a new cultural center. The Yezidi businessman Mirza Sloyan who had already borne the costs amounting to one million euros for the local pilgrimage site, consented to undertake the finance again. The large project will be built in Analish village and is supposed to bear the name “Quba mêrê divanê”.

The Religious Council of the Yezidis approved of the temple´s construction and issued its blessing during the commemoration of the Armenian Genocide in April of this year. The famous Armenian architect Artak Ghula was commissioned to design the temple and presented a proposal shorty afterwards which Yezidi representatives, however, rejected. A new design is therefore currently being worked on.

It is the third Yezidi temple to be built in the post-Soviet area. Only a few weeks ago, the Yezidi community in Georgia´s capital Tbilisi inaugurated the temple „Quba Siltan Êzîd“ togehter with international guests. 40,000 Yezidis live in Armenia according to the census of 2011. By constituting around 1.3 per cent of the population, Yezidis make up Armenia´s largest ethnic minority. In 2012, the Armenian government officially recognized the Yezidis´ ethno-religious identity.

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