Abazins

Abaza
Абаза
	Flag of the Abazin
Total population
	~150,000 (est.)
Regions with significant populations
Turkey	15,000–150,000
Russia Karachay-Cherkessia; Stavropol Krai; Kabardino-Balkaria;	43,341; 36,919; 3,646; 418
Egypt	5,000–15,000
Ukraine	128
Languages
	Abaza, Russian, Arabic, Turkish
Religion
	Predominantly Sunni Islam
Related ethnic groups
	Abkhazians, Circassians

The Abazin, Abazinians or Abaza (Abaza and Abkhaz: Абаза; Circassian: Абазэхэр; Russian: Абазины; Turkish: Abazalar; Arabic: أباظة) are an ethnic group of the Northwest Caucasus, closely related to the Abkhaz and Circassian peoples. Now, they live mostly in Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt and in Karachay-Cherkessia and Stavropol Krai in the North Caucasus region of Russia. The Tapanta (ru:Тапанта), a branch of the Abaza, lived between the Besleney and Kabardian princedoms on the upper Kuban.

Abaza people historically speak the Abaza language, a Northwest Caucasian language most closely related to Abkhaz, and more distantly related to the Ubykh and Circassian languages. There are two dialects of Abaza spoken in Karachay-Cherkessia: Ashkharua and Tapanta. The culture and traditions of the Abazin are similar to those of the Circassians. On many old maps Abazin territory is marked as part of Circassia (Adygea).

According to the 2010 Russian census, there were 43,341 Abazins in Russia.^[1]

Diaspora

An Abazin diaspora exists in Turkey,^[2] Egypt^[4] and in Middle Eastern countries such as Jordan and Syria, most of which are descendants of muhajirs from the Caucasian War with the Russian Empire.

There is a significant Abazin presence in Turkey. An estimated 150,000 Abaza live in the provinces of Eskişehir, Samsun, Yozgat, Adana, Kayseri, and Sakarya, as well as İzmit and İstanbul.

Most of them belong to Ashkharua clan that fought against the Tsarist army and emigrated to Turkey after losing the battle of Kbaada (Krasnaya Polyana in today's Sochi), whereas the Tapanta clan fought with the Russian forces.

A prominent example in Egypt is the Abaza family, a large Egyptian Abazin clan.^[3]

Culture

Historically, the Abazin engaged in animal herding and some farming.^[6]

The Abazins are dominantly Sunni Muslims. The Abazins first encountered Islam during their migrations to the Abazinia region via contact with the Nogais and other Muslim people.^[7] The Abazins adopted Islam via the influence of Muslim merchants and missionaries from the 16th to 19th centuries.^[8]