Report News ›› Iraq

Sufi Gather in Iraqi Kurdistan

Thousands of followers of an ancient Sufi sect gathered for a traditional religious ceremony on April 30 in Barzinja, a small, mountainous village in Iraqi Kurdistan.
By Metrography - Iraq
ICR Issue 335,
7 May 10
  • Male followers of the Qadriya sect engage in traditional acts of worship in Barzinja, a small mountainous village, east of Sulaimaniyah city in Iraqi Kurdistan. Sheikh Abdul-Qadir Gilani founded the sect in Baghdad in the late 11th century. Photo by Kamaran Najm/Metrography.
  • Khalid Konapowshi, 25, of Marivan, Iran, performs self-flagellation at the Sufi festival in the mountains of Iraqi Kurdistan, near the border with Iran. Photo by Aram Karim/Metrography.
  • Sufi followers of the Qadriya sect take part in an annual religious event in Sulaimaniyah province. Photo by Kamaran Najm/Metrography.
  • Women and children gather outside a courtyard to watch Sufi followers participate in the annual religious ceremony. Male and female members of the Qadriya sect practice their rituals separately. Photo by Ali Adam/Metrography.
  • Male followers of the Qadriya sect engage in traditional acts of worship, including drumming, chanting and fervently bobbing their heads. Photo by Kamaran Najm/Metrography.
  • Khalid Konapowshi, 25, of Marivan, Iran, has his tongue pierced in a ritual ceremony held each year in Barzinja. Photo by Kamaran Najm/Metrography.
  • Qadr Sheikh Kama Hama is ushered to the memorial of two revered Sufi sheikhs prior to a ceremony of the Qadriya sect . Photo by Aram Karim/Metrography.
  • Women of the Barzinja tribe prepare dolma and shifta, traditional Kurdish foods, for a picnic during the annual religious event held near the Iraq-Iran border. Photo by Aram Karim/Metrography.
  • A woman prays in front of the holy Black Stone of the Barzinja mosque. Tradition holds that the sacred stone was revealed in a dream to revered Sufi sheikhs. Photo by Aram Karim/Metrography.

During the ceremony of the Kasnazani order of the Sufi Qadriya sect, men pierce their tongues and cut themselves with swords as part of an ancient ritual.
 
Sufism is a mystical branch of Islam, in which adherents pray, meditate, chant and drum - but few orders practice acts of self-flagellation.
 
Most of the Kasnazani followers are from Iran and Iraq and gather in Barzinja each spring to perform the ritual and picnic.

All photographs by Metrography.

Also in this issue

Airline Dispute Raises Iraqi-Kuwaiti Tensions
Kuwait seeks 1.2 billion dollars in heated legal dispute with Iraqi Airways.
Can Iraq Repeat 2007 Football Triumph?
Since winning the Asian Cup, Iraqi football has been dogged by problems, dimming prospects for next year’s competition.
Sufi Gather in Iraqi Kurdistan
Thousands of followers of an ancient Sufi sect gathered for a traditional religious ceremony on April 30 in Barzinja, a small, mountainous village in Iraqi Kurdistan.