Yezidi Studies Center

Yezidi Studies Center

Historic Progress in Yezidi Studies: Establishing a Yezidi Culture, History, and Heritage Department at the University of Leipzig.

Sami Shamo

         The previous academic years saw a historic first: graduates were awarded official certifications that acknowledge Yezidi studies as part of their academic achievements. This milestone establishes a strong foundation for Yezidi Studies as a formal discipline, allowing future scholars to specialize and graduate as experts in this field. With this unprecedented progress, Leipzig University has set a new standard for the advancement of Yezidi studies in academia. In groundbreaking years for Yezidi studies, Leipzig University celebrated the successful completion of an interdisciplinary courses on Yezidi society, religion, History and culture, led by Prof. Dr. Sebastian Maisel and Dr. Qader Saleem Shammo. Throughout the 2023–2024 academic years, students from diverse backgrounds—including bachelor’s, master’s, and Ph.D. candidates joined these innovative courses, which equipped them with a wide range of research methodologies to examine Yezidi heritage and contemporary community developments.

        Participants engaged actively, presenting research on varied topics related to Yezidi culture and religious practices, and expressing enthusiasm for the courses’ novel, in-depth approach. Their response underscores the rising interest and importance of Yezidi studies within academia.

Offered Courses:

    • Winter Semester 2023–24: “Religiöse Texte und Orte im Ezidentum” (Religious Texts and Sites in Yezidism), at Leipzig University.
    • Summer Semester 2024: “Die Geschichte der Eziden im Osmanischen Reich” (The History of the Yezidis in the Ottoman Empire), at Leipzig University.
    • Summer Semester 2024: Kurdish Language Course for students from both LMU Munich and Leipzig University, led by Dr. Shammo and Sami Shammo.
    • Winter Semester 2024–25: “Sprache und Identität der Eziden” (Language and Identity of the Yezidis), at Leipzig University.

       The success of previous courses has inspired Leipzig University’s Yezidi Studies Center to expand its offerings and work to announce a special department for Yezidi studies at the University of Leipzig.