A Russian photographer doing research for our book, Kurdistan: In the Shadow of History, sent us this picture in 1992. On a recent trip to St. Petersburg, I went to find a better print of this image for reproduction in the book. I visited The Ethnographic Museum, where the researcher told us he had found the picture. I was helped by a middle aged man, the photo archivist, and asked to wait downstairs. After more than an hour of searching he came to tell me that he was unable to find it.

I have been told that in the early 1990s some Russian archives were emptied of valuable original material.Perhaps our researcher had been given the only print of this image. Who knows how the negative was lost.

The curator was sure that the photograph was by the Russian photographer, Dmitri Yermakov. He told me, "I recognize this as one of his and this is just the time he was working in that region." That was all the information he could provide.

Letter from Meryl Levin,
September 4, 1997
American photographer living in NYC

Who took the photo: cannot guess...
Who is in the photo: Yezidi men who are greeting the rising sun...
Where it was taken: Most likely somewhere in Eastern Turkey or Armenia
When it was taken: At the tun of the century

The architecture of the buildings are most similar to houses i have seen in Mush Province in Turkish Kurdistan. Very crude and half underground to keep heat in winter months. The conical "structures" are nothing but haystacks for winter fodder for animals, kept on the roofs (to deter animals from munching on them).
If you notice men are bowing to something in the foreground. What would that be? Check the shadows... They are most likely bowing to the early morning sun. Yezidis are the most likely Kurds who still retain this ancient sun-warship (as symbol of truth, light and life). If this speculation holds any shred of truth, Kars, Agri, Mush and Van or Armenia could be the geographical framework that envelops this picture.

Broye Gelturri, Academician
USA, January 08, 2008

Who is in the photo: Qarapapagh
Where it was taken: Silduz Mahabad
When it was taken: begining of 1900

Bradost, Iran Urmiyeh, June 30, 2007

Who took the photo: Unknown
Who is in the photo: Not Kurds
Where it was taken: dont know
When it was taken: dont know

I dont know about the history of that photo, however they are not kurds because if you look at the clothes that they are wearing are not kurdish, im suspecting that they are from some countries aroung Russia.

Where it was taken: Urfa (Haran) - North Kurdistan

Such houses you can find only in Urfa (haran) now. It is not clearly about their clothing. It is easy to find place if we know which Kurds have such clothings.

F. Torni, Amsterdam, Netherland, January 17, 2006

The conical buildings indicate it is a Yezidi village. It is almost certainly in Shingar or Sheikhan in Iraqi Kurdistan.

azad, lawyer
uk, April 24, 2004

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