Circassians
Sign in to saveThe Circassians, also known as the Cherkess or the Adyghe (Adyghe and , ), are a Northwest Caucasian ethnic group native to Circassia, a region and former country in the North Caucasus. As a consequence of the 19th-century Russo-Circassian War and the Circassian genocide, most Circassians were exiled from their homeland and scattered in what was then the Ottoman Empire (modern-day Turkey, Southeastern Europe and the Middle East). The two Circassian languages natively spoken by the Circassian people are western Adyghe and eastern Kabardian. The Ubykh language fell out of use and went extinct in
AI overview
The Circassians are a Northwest Caucasian ethnic group originally from the North Caucasus region who were largely displaced from their homeland in the 19th century due to the Russo-Circassian War and genocide, scattering them across the Ottoman Empire and beyond. Today they maintain their distinct identity through their native languages—western Adyghe and eastern Kabardian—and represent an important diaspora community with deep historical roots in the Caucasus.
AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.
Key facts
- Ethnic group.group
- Circassians
- Ethnic group.native_name_lang
- ady
- Ethnic group.flag
- Circassian flag.svg
- Ethnic group.flag_caption
- Circassian national flag
- Ethnic group.image
- Circassian diaspora.png
- Ethnic group.image_caption
- Map of the Circassian diaspora
- Ethnic group.pop1
- 2,000,000–3,000,000
- Ethnic group.pop2
- 751,487
- Ethnic group.pop3
- 100,000–250,000
- Ethnic group.pop4
- 80,000–120,000
- Ethnic group.pop5
- 50,000
- Ethnic group.pop6
- 40,000
Article
38 sectionsContents
- Ethnonyms
- Adyghe
- Circassian, Cherkess
- Soviet policy
- History
- Origins
- Pseudoscientific claims
- Medieval period
- Early modern period
- Circassian Genocide
- Post-exile period
- Culture
- Language
- Religion
- Traditional social system
- Traditional clothing
- Traditional cuisine
- Traditional crafts
- Tribes
- Other Adyghe groups
- Circassian diaspora
- Turkey
- Syria
- Israel
- Jordan
- Egypt
- Iraq
- Iran
- Rest of Western Asia
- Rest of Europe
- North America
- Sochi Olympics controversy
- Depictions in art
- See also
- References
- Sources
- Further reading
- External links
The Circassians, also known as the Cherkess or the Adyghe (Adyghe and , ), are a Northwest Caucasian ethnic group native to Circassia, a region and former country in the North Caucasus. As a consequence of the 19th-century Russo-Circassian War and the Circassian genocide, most Circassians were exiled from their homeland and scattered in what was then the Ottoman Empire (modern-day Turkey, Southeastern Europe and the Middle East). The two Circassian languages natively spoken by the Circassian people are western Adyghe and eastern Kabardian. The Ubykh language fell out of use and went extinct in Turkey with the 1992 death of its last speaker, Tevfik Esenç.
The majority of Circassians are Muslim; Sunni Islam became the dominant religion during the 17th century, following a long period of Islamisation. Circassia has been repeatedly invaded since ancient times; its isolated terrain coupled with the strategic value external societies have placed on the region, have greatly shaped the Circassian national identity as a whole.