Mehmê Elî

General Information

Also Known As

Ziyareta Mehmê Elî, Mehmê Elî shrine

Type

Ziyareta

Nahiya (Subdistrict)

Reco

Village or Nearby Villages

Ĥec Xelîl

Religious Affiliation

Yezidi, Muslim

Current Status

Intact

The Mehmê Elî shrine (Kurdish: Ziyareta Mehmê Elî) is one of the shrines of Ĥec Xelîl, and it is remembered as a well-known shrine in the village.1 It is a different shrine from Mehemed Elî, the other Elî-named shrine of the village.

Dedicated Figure & Historical Roots

Local residents disagreed about Mehmê Elî's identity. Some said he was an Ottoman officer who died there, while others said he was Yezidi. Sebrî Hibo says Wednesday is the shrine's day and connects Wednesday with the Yezidi holiday.2

Sebrî Hibo also says that people from the entire Reco district formerly brought their dead there because individual villages did not have their own cemeteries. He gives the names Şêxmûs and Mehmed Elî. Whether that Mehmed Elî is the same figure as Mehmê Elî is not clear from his telling.3

Transcripts

Ĥec Xelîl (Ax û Welat - Episode 747):

  • 02:33 – The host mentions the famous Ziyareta Mehmê Elî shrine in the village.
  • 08:58 – The host and local elder Sabri Hibo discuss the name and identity of Mehmê Elî.
  • 09:24 – Sabri Hibo describes the site's former role as the cemetery for the Reco district.

Videography

Ĥec Xelîl (Ax û Welat - Episode 747): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D053Y3Xyce0

Bibliography

References

  1. Ax û Welat, Episode 747, "Ĥec Xelîl," published 2017, YouTube video, at 02:33, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D053Y3Xyce0. Quote: "Lê di vê gundî da jî ziyaretek heye bi nav û deng e, vêra dibêjin Ziyareta Mehmê Elî." English translation: "In this village too there is a well-known shrine; they call it Ziyareta Mehmê Elî." ↩

  2. Ax û Welat, Episode 747, "Ĥec Xelîl," at 08:58-09:14. Quote: "Ziyareta Mehmê Elî heye. Yek dibêjin dabetekî Ûsmênî bû. Hinik jî dibêjin yekî Yezîdî bû. Çarşem, roja xwe ye. 'Eyda Yezîdiya di Çarşemê da bû. Û ew jî dibêjin dabetekî Ûsmênî bû li vî derî mir." English translation: "There is the shrine of Mehmê Elî. Some say he was an Ottoman officer. Others say he was Yezidi. Wednesday is its day. The Yezidi holiday was on Wednesday. They also say he was an Ottoman officer who died here." ↩

  3. Ax û Welat, Episode 747, "Ĥec Xelîl," at 09:18-09:34. Quote: "Û di kelêkê da Şêxmûs heye, ew jî ziyaretek e. Ew jî tirbe, ew jî tirbe ye. Vê belga Raco tev da miriyê xwe tînin vî derî, berê. Li her gundekî cîh miriya tinebû. Ê mentîqeyê giştkî bû. Nav lê kirin Şêxmûs û Mehmed Elî." English translation: "Beside it there is Şêxmûs; that too is a shrine. That too is a tomb. In the past, this whole Raco district brought its dead here. In each village there was no place for the dead. It was for the whole region. They named it Şêxmûs and Mehmed Elî." ↩