Yazidis in Iraqi Kurdistan

REGIONAL GOVERNMENT OF KURDISTAN, IRAQ - 2015: Lalish Nûranî, Yazidi Temple. A devotee kisses the black snake carved into the gateway to the temple of Lalish Nurani, during the annual pilgrimage that takes place at the beginning of October, and brings together Yazidis from all over the world. The temple is composed of a maze of chambers dug into the rock. On the threshold of its door, the black snake, a symbol of wisdom and regeneration, is embraced by the faithful as they cross the threshold. In the ancient cult of Mithraism, the snake symbolized the cosmos. The Yazidis of Kurdish ethnic origin are a religious community who practice Yazidism, one of the oldest monotheistic religion in the world with similarities in somes ritual with Zoroastrianism, Hinduism, Judaism as well as Mazdaism . They live mainly in the province of Nineveh in the north of Iraqi Kurdistan. Since 2014, they have been persecuted by the Islamic State, who regard them as devil worshippers. (Photo by Reza/Getty Images)