Kirkuk honors Kakais with first Qoltas Festival holiday

Shafaq News/ The Kirkuk Provincial Council announced that official work will be suspended on Tuesday in celebration of the "Qoltas" festival, a key religious event for the Kakai community.

The Kakai faith, rooted in the ancient Yazdani religion practiced by Kurds before the spread of Islam, is part of the Yazdani religious family that also includes the Yazidis and Yarsanis. They are estimated to number between 110,000 and 200,000 in Iraq, mainly living south-east of Kirkuk and in the Ninewa plains near Daquq and al-Hamdaniya, with others also based in Diyala, Erbil, and al-Sulaymaniyah, according to the Minority Rights Group.

"Qoltas" is one of the Kakai community's three major festivals, celebrated after three days of fasting in winter. Their religious traditions also include the "Khwandkar" festival in autumn and "Newroz," marking the Yarsani new year.

Sultan Ishaq, or Sultan Sahak, is revered as the founder and central figure of the Yarsani Kakai faith. Music plays a vital role in their rituals, with the tambur instrument holding special significance.