Sinjar (Shingal)
Shingal town has 24 neighborhoods that at one time belonged to a mix of Ezidi, Sunni, Shia, Syriac (Orthodox and Catholic), Armenian, and Jewish families. After the genocide of Iraqi Jewry in the 20th century, all Jewish residents were eliminated.
There was a mix of tribes.
Following the genocide of 2014, only Ezidi and Shia families have returned. There is a mix of about 80% Ezidi and 20% Shia families. Sunni families have not been given authorization to return, pending security processing for Islamic State affiliation. Syriac and Armenian families have left and have indicated they have no plans to return.
Neighborhoods in Shingal town
Azadi neighborhood (حي ازادي). Kurdish meaning freedom.
Mukhtar, May 2019: Amin Mirdan Elias (امين مردان الياس).Yarmouk neighborhood (حي اليرموك). Refers to the 7th century Battle of Yarmouk where Arabs defeated Byzantines, named for the Yarmouk river between Jordan and Israel.
Mukhtar, May 2019: Mirza Haji Timo (ميرزا حجي تمو).Nasir neighborhood (حي النصر). Arabic meaning 'protector'.
Mukhtar, May 2019: Jamal Salih Ali (جمال صالح علي).Al-Quwe Al-Juya neighborhood (حي القوى الجوية). Arabic meaning 'Air Force'.
Mukhtar, May 2019: Sharif Qasim Khidhir (شرف قاسم خضر).Northern Rojhelat neighborhood (حي روش هلات شمالي). Kurdish 'rojhelat' means 'east', transliterated as 'rosh hilat' in Arabic.
Mukhtar, May 2019: Salim Jirto Haji (سالم جردو حجي).Rojhelat neighborhood (حي روش هلات). Kurdish meaning 'east'.
Mukhtar, May 2019: Mirza Bakir Biso (ميرزا بكر بيسو).Qadisia neighborhood (حي القادسية).
Mukhtar, May 2019: Ziad Elias Derwish (زياد ايلاس درويش) (sic).Middle Qadisia neighborhood (حي القادسية وسط).
Mukhtar, May 2019: Rasho Mahlo Qulu (رشو محلو قولو).East Qadisia neighborhood (حي القادسية شرقي).
Mukhtar, May 2019: Hade Elias Murad (هادي الياس مراد).Zira'i neighborhood (حي الزراعي). Arabic meaning 'agricultural'.
Mukhtar, May 2019: Hamoud Barkat Shmo (حمود بركات شمو).Al-Shuhada neighborhood (حي الشهداء). Arabic meaning 'martyrs'.
Mukhtar, May 2019: Said Sedo Qasim (سعيد سيدو قاسم).East Al-Shuhada neighborhood (حي الشهداء شرقي).
Mukhtar, May 2019: Khalif Hassan Murad Khalif (خلف حسن مراد خلف).West Al-Shuhada neighborhood (حي الشهداء غربي).
Mukhtar, May 2019: Faisal Qasim Omar (فيصل قاسم عمر).Salam neighborhood (حي السلام). Arabic meaning 'peace'.
Mukhtar, May 2019: Jalal Mame Khudeda (جلال معمي خديده).Qiba'el neighborhood (حي القبائل). Arabic meaning 'tribes'.
Mukhtar, May 2019: Zedo Shmo Qasim (زيدو شمو قاسم).Al-Kher Din (Best of the Faith) neighborhood (حي الخير دين). A reference to Hayreddin Barbarossa, an Ottoman general who secured control over the Mediterranean in the 16th century.
Mukhtar, May 2019: Elias Khalif Shifan (الياس خلف شفان).Barbarosh 2 neighborhood (حي بربروش ٢). A reference to Hayreddin Barbarossa.
Mukhtar, May 2019: Khalif Haji Khaliif (خلف حاجي خلف).Barbarosh neighborhood (حي بربروش). A reference to Hayreddin Barbarossa.
Mukhtar, May 2019: Khero Elias Khalif (خيرو الياس خلف).Takhi neighborhood (حي التاخي).
Mukhtar, May 2019: Kamal Hassan Haji (كمال حسن حجي).Noor neighborhood (حي النور).
Mukhtar, May 2019: Elias Khidhir Dawud (الياس خضر داود).Pir Zakari 2 neighborhood (حي بير زكري ٢).
Mukhtar, May 2019: Ammar Khudeda Rasho (عامر خديده رشو).Pir Zakari neighborhood (حي بير زكري).
Mukhtar, May 2019: Ahmed Ghaeb Hussein (احمد غائب حسين).Weran Shar neighborhood (حي ويران شار).
Mukhtar, May 2019: Sharif Rasho Derwish (شريف رشو درويش).Kirtik neighborhood (حي كرتك).
Mukhtar, May 2019: Falah Hassan Hanto (فلاح حسن حنتو).
Villages around Shingal
South Solakh village (قرية صولاخ جنوبي)
Mukhtar, May 2019: Ali Khalif Qasim (علي خلف قاسم)North Solakh village (قرية صولاخ شمالي)
Mukhtar, May 2019: Bapir Khalil Hassan (بابير خليل حسن)Solakh village (قرية صولاخ)
Mukhtar, May 2019: Sido Hassan Murad (سيدو حسن مراد)Kora Afdo village (قرية كورا عفدو)
Mukhtar, May 2019: Heydar Qiro Amar (حيدر قرو عمر)Zetonia village (قرية الزيتونية). Arabic meaning 'olive'.
Mukhtar, May 2019: Dawud Haji Iskando (داود حاجي اسكندو)Sibahia village (قرية الصباحية). Arabic meaning 'morning'.
Mukhtar, May 2019: Ismael Shemo Jirdo (اسماعيل شمو جردو)Bab al-Khan village (قرية باب الخان). Arabic meaning 'gate of the dwelling'.
Mukhtar, May 2019: Elias Ali Abbas (الياس علي عباس)Der As village (قرية دير عاص). Arabic meaning 'disobedient monastery'.
Mukhtar, May 2019: Ibrahim Hama Abdo (ابراهيم حمة عبدو)Zumani village (قرية زوماني)
Mukhtar, May 2019: Abdi Ismael Qasim (عبدي اسماعيل قاسم)West Zumani village (قرية زوماني غربي)
Mukhtar, May 2019: Barkat Murad Derwish (بركات مراد درويش)Sifo village (قرية صفو)
Mukhtar, May 2019: Yusif Khalif Khidir (يوسف خلف خدر)Qandil village (قرية قنديل)
Mukhtar, May 2019: Sifiyan Firman Kamal (سفيان فرمان كمال)Kani Abdi village (قرية كاني عبدي)
Mukhtar, May 2019: Bidil Murad Mando (بدل مراد مندو)Kani Aydo village (قرية كاني عيدو)
Mukhtar, May 2019: Aydo Suleman Rasho (عيدو سليمان رشو)Shka'o village (قرية شكعو)
Mukhtar, May 2019: Mijo Ali Ezdo (مجو علي يزدو)Jina'in village (قرية جنعين)
Mukhtar, May 2019: Farhan Hussein Haji (فرحان حسين حجي)Shihabia village (قرية شهابية). Arabic 'شهاب' meaning meteorite or falling star.
Mukhtar, May 2019: Qasim Haji Murad (قاسم حاجي مراد)West Shihabia village (قرية شهابية غربي)
Mukhtar, May 2019: Qulu Rasho Barkat (قولو رشو بركات)Nisiria village (قرية نسيرية)
Mukhtar, May 2019: Haji Ma'amo Khudeda (حجي معمي خديدا)Wardia village (قرية وردية). Arabic meaning 'rose'.
Mukhtar, May 2019: Barkat Khidir Sirhan (بركات خدر سرحان)Al-Omar village (قرية العمر). From the Arabic meaning 'the long-lived', but originally Hebrew and Levantine.
Mukhtar, May 2019: Khalil Aydo Khudeda (خليل عيدو خديدا)Khrab Surak village (قرية خراب سورك). Arabic meaning 'Surak ruins'. There is an Iranian town called Surak.
Mukhtar, May 2019: Mimo Khero Khalif (ممو خيرو خلف)Qezel Kand village (قرية قزلكند). There are villages called Qezel Kand (قزل كند) in Iran and Afghanistan.
Mukhtar, May 2019: Jasim Hussein Bashar (جاسم حسين بشار)Qisirke village (قرية قصركي). Seemingly comes from Arabic 'قصر' meaning castle, with Kurdish definite 'ke' suffix.
Mukhtar, May 2019: Milhim Barkat Silo (ملحم بركات سلو)North Sarik village (قرية كاني سارك شمالي). Seemingly comes from Kurdish 'سار' meaning top, with definite 'k' suffix.
Mukhtar, May 2019: Mirdan Elias Mato (مردان الياس مطو)Bajsi village (قرية باجسي). Inhabited by Shia Arabs. Seemingly comes from Persian 'باج' meaning a tax, ransom, or tribute. May be connected to the settlement of Shia there by Sunni forces, or a taxation system against them or based there.
Mukhtar, May 2019: Hamo Kirtan Hisam (حمو كرتان هسام)Shekh Anas village (قرية شيخ انس). There is a village called Khenis near Shekhan, which perhaps gets its name as shortening from this originally because it is pronounced the same way.
Mukhtar, May 2019: Said Khidhir Faris (سعيد خضر فارس)Shekh Anas 2 (شيخ انس ٢)
Mukhtar, May 2019: Khero Yusif Ahmed (خيرو يوسف احمد)Kuhikimat village (قرية كوهكمت)
Mukhtar, May 2019: Ghanim Mahma Abdo (غانم محمه عبدو)Tiba village (قرية تبة). Arabic meaning 'perk up'.
Mukhtar, May 2019: Mahir Dakhil Qasim (ماهر دخيل قاسم)Qasri village (قرية قصري). Arabic meaning 'castle'.
Mukhtar, May 2019: Mirdan Ali Hedir (مردان علي حيدر)Kre Bedir villlage (قرية كري بيدر)
Mukhtar, May 2019: Ezidin Khalif Khudeda (ايزدين خلف خديده)Tel Qassab (مجمع تل قصب)
Mukhtar, May 2019: Hussein Haji Elias (حسين حجي الياس)Zirafki village (قرية زرافكي)
Mukhtar, May 2019: Hato Haji Murad (حتو حجي مراد)
Jews in Sinjar
An old Ezidi man from a nearby village remembered a Jewish textile dyer who came to his village.
Families with some Jewish ancestry did remain. An old Ezidi man from Shingal named Yasir noted he used to sit and talk daily with an old Muslim man from Shingal. They would ask each other questions. One time, the old Muslim man did not answer a question about his father, grandfather, and great-grandfather — the question was about what they had practiced for their religion. And in this way, Yasir thought that the Muslim man must have a Jewish background. Yasir asked directly, "Are you from Jews?" And the man just laughed. Yasir knew in this way that he indeed did have Jewish ancestors who had converted to Islam.
Yasir said that most of the Jews in Shingal were massacred, and those who survived fled to the mountain with Ezidis before leaving to Israel.
There are some specific homes belonging to Jews and they are known.
14th century
Ibn Battuta visited Sinjar and described it as a Kurdish town.
Endnotes
List of mukhtars for Shingal, obtained in May 2019. One note is that the name 'Haji' is sometimes spelled with an alef and sometimes not.
Islamic art on Sinjar,
https://www.harvardartmuseums.org/collections/object/216810?position=0
https://books.google.iq/books?id=m-UHAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA142&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false