MUNICH, Germany – Yazidi businessman and philanthropist Mirza Sloyan passed away on November 3 after a complicated surgery in a hospital. Sloyan, who made his fortune in Russia but was born near Aknalich, Armenia in 1946, was in Aknalich (Armavir province) on September 29 for the opening of the Yazidi temple he helped sponsor, Quba Mere Diwane, or the temple of Taus-e Malak. This is said to be the largest Yazidi temple in the world. He sent much aid after the Yazidi Genocide in Iraq by ISIS in 2014, and in Russia founded the All Russian Yazidi Congress and the Lalish internet television channel to present news about the Yazidis throughout the world.
The Sloyan family fled their village of Kyullug in Surmalu (today Iğdır) to what became the territory of the Republic of Armenia during World War I, suffering losses and massacres due to attacks by Ottoman Turkish and Kurdish forces.
