![Yazidi men light candles at the Lalish temple in tribute to victims of ISIS from Kocho. AFP](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/CLOJF2AO4ZH6VD72EMD4Q22RNU.jpg?smart=true&auth=7c07e8b0e1a5e25889eb50784353eaa765e15e40ccbe8ae953d8e1c2e02df849&width=400&height=225)
![Yazidi men clean the grounds of the Lalish temple ahead of a tribute to victims of ISIS from the village of Kocho, in northern Iraq, in 2018. AFP](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/AFZJXRP6OVCXLBGPX7NOFCY2YY.jpg?smart=true&auth=53a65662feae94ba6a86edbbb8ce1cea5fca24ec8189cef9f3e388b581e9f3b8&width=400&height=225)
![Nobel Peace Prize laureate Nadia Murad visits one of the Nadia Initiative's building projects in Sinjar, northern Iraq, in 2022. Photo: Nadia Murad](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/GVVFRUJP5VE23ORXENC5VSEF6Q.jpg?smart=true&auth=826ab1b4c99ef6cfe98f60a370929e7a5f1616a48651424bfd197b853d49439f&width=400&height=225)
![Ms Murad in Kocho for the first time since the ISIS attack. Reuters](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/52EDLLTPNRA2ZC2PZ6QIY3AI3Q.jpg?smart=true&auth=7f510af231626f47152f8041d7fdfb9948a7fecd4ab34904d46e382d2e7db747&width=400&height=225)
![A view of Mount Sinjar from the roof of Kocho's school, which was once occupied by ISIS but is now abandoned. Florian Neuhof for The National](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/UOXREECCUNDZJE2G7ZHGJ46PXE.jpg?smart=true&auth=8b0fc906c63e634cef3b14790caba02728e993f7bbb397075f8c5efa43016790&width=400&height=225)
![Ashwaq Haji from Kocho visits the Lalish temple to pay tribute to villagers who were victims of ISIS. AFP](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/LJYLCFIIMFA4RNMWGWFH4K2WCE.jpg?smart=true&auth=d0d2a599a9cc353ccc3d16476c35531b5637d0a0b852f36fa81118081ca0ed07&width=400&height=225)
![Mourners carry coffins of victims from Kocho in February 2021, after their remains were exhumed from a mass grave. Reuters](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/FN5IAZBNYZGS3B63VQ6ARFW5VI.jpg?smart=true&auth=cb9319593c2b84e35dc7b4776122ede1926f98e630935cd614ea38c152ae6bda&width=400&height=225)
![Ms Haji with pictures of dead and missing relatives from Kocho. AFP](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/KRNGTEOOQBDQBL2V37537JZ3RU.jpg?smart=true&auth=c93571c11dbe7558ed753090714cec59c45b56c452a7666f0f6a99fa9a974deb&width=400&height=225)
![An abandoned house in Kocho. Florian Neuhof for The National](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/5EASP66MBVE3FO5GSKXS3GYP3A.jpg?smart=true&auth=6e449cf96c2ba9a47a66e9185007dce94244c9d17272d8dc8e2c597e5e528d4a&width=400&height=225)
![Ms Haji passes through the doorway of the Lalish temple to pay tribute to villagers who were victims of ISIS. AFP](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/MN4NOUL5ABBSJEWRJKID5LU2TE.jpg?smart=true&auth=b92a25cd3aac98171217738c0a52349f7d64527ff93ba3b1fb9a867e52c048b7&width=400&height=225)
![Yazidi men light candles at the Lalish temple in tribute to victims of ISIS from Kocho. AFP](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/CLOJF2AO4ZH6VD72EMD4Q22RNU.jpg?smart=true&auth=7c07e8b0e1a5e25889eb50784353eaa765e15e40ccbe8ae953d8e1c2e02df849&width=400&height=225)
![Yazidi men clean the grounds of the Lalish temple ahead of a tribute to victims of ISIS from the village of Kocho, in northern Iraq, in 2018. AFP](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/AFZJXRP6OVCXLBGPX7NOFCY2YY.jpg?smart=true&auth=53a65662feae94ba6a86edbbb8ce1cea5fca24ec8189cef9f3e388b581e9f3b8&width=400&height=225)
![Nobel Peace Prize laureate Nadia Murad visits one of the Nadia Initiative's building projects in Sinjar, northern Iraq, in 2022. Photo: Nadia Murad](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/GVVFRUJP5VE23ORXENC5VSEF6Q.jpg?smart=true&auth=826ab1b4c99ef6cfe98f60a370929e7a5f1616a48651424bfd197b853d49439f&width=400&height=225)
![Ms Murad in Kocho for the first time since the ISIS attack. Reuters](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/52EDLLTPNRA2ZC2PZ6QIY3AI3Q.jpg?smart=true&auth=7f510af231626f47152f8041d7fdfb9948a7fecd4ab34904d46e382d2e7db747&width=400&height=225)
![A view of Mount Sinjar from the roof of Kocho's school, which was once occupied by ISIS but is now abandoned. Florian Neuhof for The National](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/UOXREECCUNDZJE2G7ZHGJ46PXE.jpg?smart=true&auth=8b0fc906c63e634cef3b14790caba02728e993f7bbb397075f8c5efa43016790&width=400&height=225)
![Ashwaq Haji from Kocho visits the Lalish temple to pay tribute to villagers who were victims of ISIS. AFP](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/LJYLCFIIMFA4RNMWGWFH4K2WCE.jpg?smart=true&auth=d0d2a599a9cc353ccc3d16476c35531b5637d0a0b852f36fa81118081ca0ed07&width=400&height=225)
![Mourners carry coffins of victims from Kocho in February 2021, after their remains were exhumed from a mass grave. Reuters](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/FN5IAZBNYZGS3B63VQ6ARFW5VI.jpg?smart=true&auth=cb9319593c2b84e35dc7b4776122ede1926f98e630935cd614ea38c152ae6bda&width=400&height=225)
![Ms Haji with pictures of dead and missing relatives from Kocho. AFP](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/KRNGTEOOQBDQBL2V37537JZ3RU.jpg?smart=true&auth=c93571c11dbe7558ed753090714cec59c45b56c452a7666f0f6a99fa9a974deb&width=400&height=225)
![An abandoned house in Kocho. Florian Neuhof for The National](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/5EASP66MBVE3FO5GSKXS3GYP3A.jpg?smart=true&auth=6e449cf96c2ba9a47a66e9185007dce94244c9d17272d8dc8e2c597e5e528d4a&width=400&height=225)
![Ms Haji passes through the doorway of the Lalish temple to pay tribute to villagers who were victims of ISIS. AFP](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/MN4NOUL5ABBSJEWRJKID5LU2TE.jpg?smart=true&auth=b92a25cd3aac98171217738c0a52349f7d64527ff93ba3b1fb9a867e52c048b7&width=400&height=225)
![Yazidi men light candles at the Lalish temple in tribute to victims of ISIS from Kocho. AFP](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/CLOJF2AO4ZH6VD72EMD4Q22RNU.jpg?smart=true&auth=7c07e8b0e1a5e25889eb50784353eaa765e15e40ccbe8ae953d8e1c2e02df849&width=400&height=225)
Ten years after ISIS massacre, Kocho’s Yazidis remember and rebuild
On August 15, 2014, almost all the men in Kocho in northern Iraq were killed, and the women and children taken into captivity
![Holly Johnston](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/https%3A%2F%2Fs3.amazonaws.com%2Farc-authors%2Fthenational%2Fa80c6c83-bf84-46b3-958e-ec835ef2d456.png?smart=true&auth=0e1536cc708098a1ea3636fe52c6ecedbe685ab7f5f8b470700859f2eaf004bd&width=70&height=70)
Holly Johnston
August 15, 2024
- Listen In English
- Listen In Arabic