Circassians in Iraq
The North Caucasus (in green) and Iraq (in red).
|
|
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| (30,000 - 50,000) | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
|
Baghdad, Sulaymaniyah Diyala, Kirkuk, Anbar, Najaf |
|
| Languages | |
| Mainly Arabic or Kurdish as well as either: Adyghe, Chechen, Lezgin, Turkmen |
|
| Religion | |
| Sunni Islam | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
|
Peoples of the Caucasus Iraqi people |
Circassians in Iraq are people of North Caucasian origin in Iraq, including Adyghes, Chechens and Dagestanis.
The name "Circassian" usually denotes speakers of Northwest Caucasian languages only, however in Western Asia the name may denote North Caucasus peoples in general, including Chechens and Dagestanis, who speak Northeast Caucasian languages.
Iraqis of North Caucasus origin mainly originate from Circassia, Chechnya and Dagestan.North Caucasian tribes which settled in Iraq include: Abkhaz, Adyghes, Kabardin, Shapsugs, Ingush, Chechens, Avars, Lezgins, and Kumyks.
The migration of North Caucasians to Iraq goes back many centuries, peaking during the Caucasian War (1817–1864) and in the aftermath of the Russian–Circassian War with the Circassian Exile of the 1860s.Adyghes came to Iraq in two waves: directly from Circassia, and later from the Balkans.Chechens and Dagestanis also settled in Iraq throughout the Ottoman era. Circassians also settled in large numbers in other neighbouring countries including Turkey, Syria, Jordan, and Palestine.
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Wikipedia