Note 116 — Chapter I · The Religious Origin of the Yezidis

Kitab Al-Milal wa n-Nihal, vol. I, p. 101 seq.

Ḥarran was a city in the north of Mesopotamia, and southeast of Edessa, at the junction of the Damascus road with the highway from Nineveh to Carchamish. The moon-god had a temple in Ḥarran, which enjoyed a high reputation as a place of pilgrimage. The city retained its importance down to the time of the Arab ascendency, but it is now in ruins. Yaḳut (vol. II, p. 331) says: “It was the home of Ṣabians; that is, the Ḥarranians who are mentioned by the authors of Kutub Al-Milal wa n-Nihal.” As to Wasit this same Yaḳut (vol. IV, p. 881) mentions about twenty different places bearing this name. The most prominent one is that built by Al-Hajjaj in 83 A. H. It is called Wasit “the intermediate” because it was situated midway between Kufa and Basrah. Another place Yaḳut (p. 889) mentions is Wasit ul-Raḳḳat, a town on the western side of the Euphrates, and about two days’ journey from Ḥarran. Perhaps this is the Wasit that Aš-Šahrastanî means.