The Yezidi religion dates to the 14th century, but some scholars believe that it could be even older.

The belief system draws from Jewish, Christian, Islamic, Gnostic, and Zoroastrian beliefs and traditions.

The Yezidi worship Malak Tawus, or "Peacock Angel," aka Lucifer. However, Lucifer is viewed differently from the Christian Lucifer, or devil. Yezidis see him as the chief archangel and creator of the material world.

Yezidis have been careful to shield their religion due to criticism over being wrongly viewed as "devil worshippers," but their secrecy has also helped to fuel speculation about their religious practices.

The Yezidi pray twice a day, in the direction of the sun. Wednesday is considered their holy day, and Saturday is a day of rest. The Yezidi religion is practiced almost exclusively by Kurds living in Iraq, Syria, Turkey, and Armenia, with the majority in Iraq. A large number of Yezidis also reside in Germany.

The Yezidi religion is centered in the village of Lalish in northern Iraq's Ninawah Province. The tomb of Sheikh Adi Ibn Mustafa, who reformed the religion around 1162 is found there, and once a year Yezidis make a six-day pilgrimage to Lalish, where they parade through the village with an icon of Malak Tawus, bathe in the river, wash figures of Malak Tawus, and light hundreds of lamps at Sheikh Adi's tomb and other religious sites.