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Bahzani
  Bahzani Mosul Bahzani within Northern Iraq  Bahzani (Kurdish: بهحزانی, romanized: Bahzanê,[1][2] Arabic: بحزاني), literally from the Syriac words meaning "house of treasure," is a town located in the Al-Hamdaniya District of the Ninawa Governorate in northern Iraq. PopulationThe town of Bahzani, together with its twin village Bashiqa, have historically hosted diverse populations. The majority of residents today are Yazidis, who speak Arabic as their mother language.[3] Other populations include Assyrians, Shia Muslims, Sunni Muslims, and Shabaks.[4] HistoryBahzani is official Iraqi territory but has been claimed by the Kurdistan Region since the fall of Saddam Hussein in 2003. According to Article 140 of the Iraqi constitution, a referendum should decide whether it continues to be managed by Iraq or by the Kurdish government. Its status is still not fully understood. According to Human Rights Watch, UNHCR and other human rights organizations, the townspeople are threatened with violence should they vote against inclusion of the city in the Kurdistan Region.[5][6][7] In August 2014, the town's residents fled for Iraqi Kurdistan following the invasion of the town by ISIS. In late 2016, it was liberated along with Bashiqa. Many displaced residents have since returned and rebuilt its Yazidi temples and its church.[citation needed] Yazidi holy sitesBahzani has numerous Yazidi shrines, including:[8]
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36°27′17″N 43°20′15″E / 36.45472°N 43.33750°E
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