Circassians in Iraq (; ) refers to people born in or residing in

Iraq Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...

who are of Circassian origin. Like all Iraqis, Circassians in Iraq faced various hardships in the modern era, as Iraq suffered wars, sanctions, , and civil strife.

History

Iraqis of North Caucasus origin mainly originate from Circassia. The migration of North Caucasians to Iraq goes back many centuries, peaking in the aftermath of the with the of the 1860s. The Circassians ame to Iraq in two waves: directly from Circassia, and later from the

Balkans The Balkans ( ), also known as the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throughout the who ...

Chechens The Chechens (; ce, Нохчий, , Old Chechen: Нахчой, ''Naxçoy''), historically also known as ''Kisti'' and '' Durdzuks'', are a Northeast Caucasian ethnic group of the Nakh peoples native to the North Caucasus in Eastern Europe. "E ...

and

Dagestan Dagestan ( ; rus, Дагеста́н, , dəɡʲɪˈstan, links=yes), officially the Republic of Dagestan (russian: Респу́блика Дагеста́н, Respúblika Dagestán, links=no), is a republic of Russia situated in the North ...

is also settled in Iraq throughout the . Circassians also settled in large numbers in other neighbouring countries including

Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...

, Syria,

Jordan Jordan ( ar, الأردن; tr. ' ), officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,; tr. ' is a country in Western Asia. It is situated at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe, within the Levant region, on the East Bank of the Jordan Ri ...

, and Palestine.

Demographics

The name " Circassian" usually denotes speakers of only, however in the name may denote in general, including

and

is, who speak . Flag of Adygea

National Flag of Chechen Republic of Ichkeria without Coat of Arms

The overall number of Circassians or people of North Caucasus origin in Iraq is estimated to be between 30,000 and 50,000, however the total number is unknown. It has been reported that there are 30,000 Adyghe families in

Baghdad Baghdad (; ar, بَغْدَاد , ) is the capital of Iraq and the second-largest city in the Arab world after Cairo. It is located on the Tigris near the ruins of the ancient city of Babylon and the Sassanid Persian capital of Ctesipho ...

alone. It is understood that many have ethnically assimilated into the Iraqi population, becoming Arabicized or Kurdicized. Surnames such as ''Al-Daghestani'', '' Al-Shishani'' ("Chechen"), and ''Al-Sharkas'' ("Circassian") are common among Iraqis of descent.

Population

North Caucasians have settled in all parts of Iraq, from Dohuk in the north to

Basra Basra ( ar, ٱلْبَصْرَة, al-Baṣrah) is an Iraqi city located on the Shatt al-Arab. It had an estimated population of 1.4 million in 2018. Basra is also Iraq's main port, although it does not have deep water access, which is han ...

h in the south. The largest communities are in

, Sulaymaniyah, Diyala, Kirkuk, and Fallujah, with smaller communities in Najaf, Hillah,

Mosul Mosul ( ar, الموصل, al-Mawṣil, ku, مووسڵ, translit=Mûsil, Turkish: ''Musul'', syr, ܡܘܨܠ, Māwṣil) is a major city in northern Iraq, serving as the capital of Nineveh Governorate. The city is considered the second large ...

Kut Kūt ( ar, ٱلْكُوت, al-Kūt), officially Al-Kut, also spelled Kutulamare or Kut al-Imara, is a city in eastern Iraq, on the left bank of the Tigris River, about south east of Baghdad. the estimated population is about 389,400 people. It ...

h, Tikrit, Erbil, Nasiriyah,

Diwaniyah Al Diwaniyah ( ar, ٱلدِّيوَانِيَّة ''ad-Dīwānīyah''), also spelt Diwaniya, is the capital city of Iraq's Al-Qādisiyyah Governorate. In 2002 the population was estimated at 440,927. Overview The area around Al Diwaniyah, which i ...

, Dohuk, Ramadi,

Amarah Amarah ( ar, ٱلْعَمَارَة, al-ʿAmārah), also spelled Amara, is a city in south-eastern Iraq, located on a low ridge next to the Tigris River waterway south of Baghdad about 50 km (31 mi) from the border with Iran. It lies at the ...

, and . There are also several Circassian villages throughout Iraq, including a neighbourhood in

Culture

North Caucasians in Iraq have integrated into Iraqi society while preserving their traditional culture and customs, such as the Adyghe Xabze. They continue to preserve certain traditions in wedding ceremonies, birth ceremonies, and other special occasions, and to cook their traditional cuisine. In 2004, the was formed in Kirkuk. This cultural organization seeks to bring together Iraqis of heritage. can be translated as "Solidarity". North Caucasians in Iraq are predominantly like their ethnic counterparts in other countries. It is possible that a minority may also identify with , the majority faith in Iraq.

Language

North Caucasians in Iraq speak a number of languages, including their native languages of either Adyghe, Chechen, or Lezgin, as well as , Kurdish, or

Turkmen Turkmen, Türkmen, Turkoman, or Turkman may refer to: Peoples Historical ethnonym * Turkoman (ethnonym), ethnonym used for the Oghuz Turks during the Middle Ages Ethnic groups * Turkmen in Anatolia and the Levant (Seljuk and Ottoman-Turkish desc ...

. The native languages are mainly spoken by the elder generations, with younger people usually speaking only Arabic or Kurdish, the main Iraqi languages.

References

{{Iraq topics