Community Europe
In Pictures: Why Yazidi herders still traverse Armenian mountains
| View caption Hide caption
The Yazidi people are no strangers to religious and ethnic persecution. In the mountain pastures of Armenia, Yazidi herders are free to live as generations before them have done.
The shepherds begin each day with prayer, a tribute to the rising sun. As they guide their animals across the volcanic landscape, a subtle hierarchy emerges: wandering goats in the lead, followed by sheep, with Armenian Gampr dogs and a watchful shepherd bringing up the rear. Birds of prey, including golden eagles, scan the procession from distant rocks for a potential meal, though such opportunities are rare.
View caption Hide caption
At day’s end, the animals are corralled, and a table is set with simple but plentiful dishes: cheese, yogurt, vegetables, and often meat. The shepherds will rise again at dawn, repeating the cycle until the first snows of fall.
View caption Hide caption View caption Hide caption View caption Hide caption
