The Adjarians ( ka, აჭარლები, Ačarlebi) are an ethnographic group of

Georgians The Georgians, or Kartvelians (; ka, ქართველები, tr, ), are a nation and indigenous Caucasian ethnic group native to Georgia and the South Caucasus. Georgian diaspora communities are also present throughout Russia, Turkey, G ...

living mainly in

Adjara Adjara ( ka, აჭარა ''Ach’ara'' ) or Achara, officially known as the Autonomous Republic of Adjara ( ka, აჭარის ავტონომიური რესპუბლიკა ''Ach’aris Avt’onomiuri Resp’ublik’a'' ...

in south-western Georgia and speaking the

Adjarian dialect The Adjaran dialect (also called Ach'aruli, Acharuli, Adjaruli, Ajaruli, Adzharuli, Acharian, Adjarian, Ajarian, Adzharian, Acharan, Adjaran, Ajaran, Adzharan, Achar, Adjar, Ajar, and Adzhar / აჭარული) is one of the Georgian dialects. ...

of the Georgian language. The Adjarians had their own territorial entity, the

Autonomous Republic An autonomous republic is a type of administrative division similar to a province or state. A significant number of autonomous republics can be found within the successor states of the Soviet Union, but the majority are located within Russia. Man ...

, founded on 16 July 1921 as the

Adjara ASSR The Adjarian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic (Adjarian ASSR or Adzhar ASSR; ka, აჭარის ავტონომიური საბჭოთა სოციალისტური რესპუბლიკა; russian: Адж� ...

. After years of post-Soviet

stalemate Stalemate is a situation in the game of chess where the player whose turn it is to move is not in check and has no legal move. Stalemate results in a draw. During the endgame, stalemate is a resource that can enable the player with the inferior ...

, the region was brought closer within the framework of the Georgian state in 2004, retaining its autonomous status. Adjarian settlements are also found in the Georgian provinces of

Guria Guria ( ka, გურია) is a region (''mkhare'') in Georgia, in the western part of the country, bordered by the eastern end of the Black Sea. The region has a population of 113,000 (2016), with Ozurgeti as the regional capital. Geography ...

, Kvemo Kartli, and

Kakheti Kakheti ( ka, კახეთი ''K’akheti''; ) is a region (mkhare) formed in the 1990s in eastern Georgia from the historical province of Kakheti and the small, mountainous province of Tusheti. Telavi is its capital. The region comprises eigh ...

, as well as in several areas of neighbouring Turkey.

History and Religion

Many Adjarians converted to

Islam Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...

in the 16th and 17th centuries when the Ottomans ruled over southwestern Georgian lands. The Georgian population of Adjara had been generally known as

Muslim Georgians Islam in Georgia () was introduced in 654 when an army sent by the Third Caliph of Islam, Uthman, conquered Eastern Georgia and established Muslim rule in Tbilisi. Currently, Muslims constitute approximately 9.9%Religion and education in Europ ...

until the 1926 Soviet census listed them as ''Adjarians'', separate from the rest of Georgians, counting 71,426 of them. In subsequent censuses (1939–1989), they were listed with other Georgians, as no official Soviet census asked about religion. In the 1920s, the suppression of religion and compulsory collectivization led to armed resistance against Communist authorities by Adjarians. The collapse of the Soviet Union and the re-establishment of Georgian independence accelerated the Christianization of Adjarians, especially among the young.George Sanikidze and Edward W. Walker (2004), ''Islam and Islamic Practices in Georgia.'' Berkeley Program in Soviet and Post-Soviet Studies. University of California, Berkeley Institute of Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies. However, a number of Adjarians, particularly in and around Khulo, remain

Sunni Muslim Sunni Islam () is the largest branch of Islam, followed by 85–90% of the world's Muslims. Its name comes from the word ''Sunnah'', referring to the tradition of Muhammad. The differences between Sunni and Shia Muslims arose from a disagree ...

. According to census data recently published by the Department of Statistics of Adjara, 54% are Christians, and 39%

Muslim Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...

.Autonomous Republic of Adjara, Department of Statistics.
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Language

The Adjarians speak Adjarian, a Georgian dialect related to the one spoken in the neighbouring northern province of

, but with a number of

Turkish Turkish may refer to: *a Turkic language spoken by the Turks * of or about Turkey ** Turkish language *** Turkish alphabet ** Turkish people, a Turkic ethnic group and nation *** Turkish citizen, a citizen of Turkey *** Turkish communities and mi ...

loanwords. Adjarian also possesses many features in common with the Zan languages ( Mingrelian and Laz), which are sisters to Georgian and are included in the

Kartvelian language The Kartvelian languages (; ka, ქართველური ენები, tr; also known as South Caucasian, Kartvelic, and Iberian languagesBoeder (2002), p. 3) are a language family indigenous to the South Caucasus and spoken primari ...

group.

Famous Adjarians

* Emzar Paksadze (b. 1972), famous lawyer from adjara *

Aslan Abashidze Aslan Abashidze ( ka, ასლან აბაშიძე; born July 20, 1938) is the former leader of the Ajarian Autonomous Republic in western Georgia. He served in this capacity from 18 August 1991 to May 5, 2004. He resigned under the pres ...

(b. 1938), former leader of the Adjarian Autonomous Republic *

Memed Abashidze Memed Abashidze ( ka, მემედ აბაშიძე; January 18, 1873 – 1937) was a Georgian politician, writer and public benefactor. An eminent leader of Muslim Georgian community of Adjarians, he was a major proponent of pro-Georgian ...

(1873–1941), Muslim Georgian politician *

Rostom Abashidze Rost'om (Rostom) Omeris Abashidze ( ka, როსტომ ომერის ძე აბაშიძე, russian: Ростом Омарович Абашидзе, born 23 February 1935) is a retired light-heavyweight Greco-Roman wrestler from ...

(b. 1935), Greco-Roman wrestler * Tbeli Abuserisdze (1190–1240), Georgian writer and scientist *

Niaz Diasamidze Niaz Diasamidze ( ka, ნიაზ დიასამიძე; born 13 June 1973) is a Georgian musician, singer, songwriter, calligrapher and actor, best known as the lead vocalist and a founder member of 33a. Niaz was born in Tbilisi, the cap ...

(b. 1974), singer and composer * Nino Katamadze (b. 1972), jazz singer * Sopho Khalvashi, Georgian singer * Ahmed-Pasha Khimshiashvili (1781–1836), ruler and military leader under the Ottoman Empire *

Selim Khimshiashvili Selim Paşa (1755 – 3 June 1815) was a Georgian nobleman of the Khimshiashvili princedom and dukedom and a Beylerbey of Upper Adjara under the Ottoman suzerainty, but with considerable autonomy. His seizure of power in the Pashalik of Akhaltsi ...

(1755–1815), ruler under the Ottoman Empire * Konstantin Meladze (b. 1963), Russian composer * Valery Meladze (b. 1965), Russian singer * Zurab Noghaideli (b. 1964), former Prime Minister of Georgia, (2005–2007) *

Ulvi Rajab Ulvi Rajab ( az, Ülvi Rəcəb; 1903, Janivri, near Batumi – 2 January 1938, Baku) was an Azerbaijani stage actor. Life and career He was born Ulvi Shashygzade ( ka, ულვი შაშიკაძე) in the village of Janivri (presently i ...

(1903–1938), Azerbaijani actor *

Levan Varshalomidze Levan Varshalomidze ( ka, ლევან ვარშალომიძე) (born 17 January 1972) is a Georgian politician and the Chairman of the Government of the Autonomous Republic of Adjara from 2004 to 2012. He assumed office on 20 July 200 ...

(b. 1973), former leader of the Adjarian Autonomous Republic *

Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (born 26 February 1954) is a Turkish politician serving as the List of presidents of Turkey, 12th and current president of Turkey since 2014. He previously served as prime minister of Turkey from 2003 to 2014 and as Lis ...

(b. 1954) President of Turkey *

Lasha Gobadze Lasha Gobadze ( ka, ლაშა გობაძე , born 10 January 1994) is a Georgian sport wrestler who competes in the men's Greco Roman category and a current world champion in the men's 82kg Greco Roman event. He claimed gold medal in t ...

(b. 1994) Georgian sport wrestler *

Shmagi Bolkvadze Shmagi Bolkvadze ( ka, შმაგი ბოლქვაძე; born July 26, 1994) is a Greco-Roman wrestler from Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state) ...

(b. 1994) Greco-Roman wrestler from Georgia. *

Amiran Shavadze Amiran Shavadze (born 22 September 1993) is a Georgian Greco-Roman wrestler. In 2020, he won one of the bronze medals in the 60 kg event at the 2020 European Wrestling Championships The 2020 European Wrestling Championships was held in Rome, I ...

(b. 1993) Georgian Greco-Roman wrestler * Nebahat Çehre (b. 1944) Turkish-Georgian actress, model, and singer * Murat Cemcir (b. 1976) Turkish actor *

Haidar Abashidze Haidar Abashidze ( ka, ჰაიდარ აბაშიძე; 15 August 1893 – 3 January 1966) was a Georgian politician, journalist, and educator from the Muslim community of Adjara. Born in Batum, then part of the Russian Empire, of a Musli ...

(b. 1966) Georgian politician, journalist, and educator * Gürkan Uygun (b. 1974) Turkish actor of Georgian descent * Beyazıt Öztürk (b. 1969) also known as Beyaz, Turkish television personality, standup comedian and actor *

Sherip Khimshiashvili Şerif Bey, Sherip Khimshiashvili ( ka, შერიფ ხიმშიაშვილი), or Sherif-Bek Adzharsky (russian: Шериф-бек Аджарский) (1829 or 7 January 1833 – 1892) was a Muslim Georgian nobleman (''bey'') of th ...

(b. January 1833) was a Muslim Georgian nobleman (bey) of the Khimshiashvili from Adjara in the Ottoman service.

Notes

References

*Nugzar Mgeladze (Translated by Kevin Tuite)
Ajarians
''World Culture Encyclopedia''. Accessed on 1 September 2007. {{Authority control Adjara People from Georgia (country) by ethnic or national origin

History and Religion

Language

Famous Adjarians

See also

Notes

References