Torbeš
Female folk dance of Macedonian Muslims in the village of Gorno Kosovrasti, near Debar
|
|
| Total population | |
|---|---|
|
40,000–100,000 (2010) 39,555 (1981) |
|
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Languages | |
| Macedonian | |
| Religion | |
| Islam | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Macedonians, Macedonian Turks |
40,000–100,000 (2010)
The Macedonian Muslims (Macedonian: Македонци-муслимани, Makedonci-muslimani), also known as Muslim Macedonians or Torbeši, (Macedonian: Торбеши) and in older sources grouped together with Pomaks, are a minority religious group within the community of ethnic Macedonians who are Muslims (primarily Sunni, with Sufism being widespread among the population). They have been culturally distinct from the majority Orthodox Christian Macedonian community for centuries, and are ethnically and linguistically distinct from the larger Muslim ethnic groups in Macedonia: the Albanians, Turks and Roms. However, some Torbeši also still maintain a strong affiliation with Turkish identity and with Macedonian Turks. The regions inhabited by these Macedonian-speaking Muslims are Debarska Župa, Drimkol, Reka, and Golo Brdo (in Albania).
The Macedonian Muslims are largely the descendants of Orthodox Christian Slavs from the region of Macedonia who converted to Islam during the centuries when the Ottoman Empire ruled the Balkans. The various Sufi orders (like the Khalwati, Rifa'is and Qadiris) all played a role in the conversion of the Macedonian and Paulician population.
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