The ancient enigmatic Kurdish mountain people are considered one of the oldest ethnicities in the Middle East, and often unjustly derided as 'devil-worshippers'. This work presents the survey of Yezidi culture and documents the increasing demands of modernisation on one of the oldest ethnic minorities of the Middle East.

Proud to be known as 'the original Kurds', the Yezidis have also long supported the creation of an independent Kurdistan. The author has been privileged with very rare access to some of Yezidi culture's holiest sites and rituals. Together with an insightful analysis of Yezidi practices and beliefs, Spat documents the increasing demands of modernisation on one of the oldest ethnic minorities of the Middle East, which continues to endure despite many attempts at eradication over the centuries.