Circassians

The Circassians, also known as the Cherkess or the Adyghe (Adyghe and Kabardian: Адыгэхэр, romanized: Adygəxər, IPA: [aːdɘɣəxə́r]), are a Northwest Caucasian ethnic group native to Circassia, a region and former country in the North Caucasus. As a consequence of the 19th-century Russo-Circassian War and the Circassian genocide, most Circassians were exiled from their homeland and scattered in what was then the Ottoman Empire (modern-day Turkey, Southeastern Europe and the Middle East). The two Circassian languages natively spoken by the Circassian people are western Adyghe and eastern Kabardian. The Ubykh language went extinct with the 1992 death of its last speaker, Tevfik Esenç. The vast majority of Circassians are Muslim; Sunni Islam became the dominant religion during the 17th century, following a long period of Islamisation. Circassia has been repeatedly invaded since ancient times; its isolated terrain coupled with the strategic value external societies have placed on the region, have greatly shaped the Circassian national identity as a whole. The Circassian flag consists of a green field charged with 12 gold stars and, in the centre, three crossed arrows. The stars represent the 12 Circassian tribes: the Abzakh, the Besleney, the Bzhedugh, the Hatuqay, the Kabardians, the Mamkhegh, the Natukhaj, the Shapsugh, the Chemirgoy, the Ubykh, the Yegeruqway, and the Zhaney. Circassians have played major roles in areas where they settled: in Turkey, those of Circassian origin have had massive influence, being instrumental in the Turkish War of Independence and among the elites of Turkey's intelligence agency. In Jordan, they founded the capital city Amman, and continue to play a major role in the country. In Syria, they served as the volunteer guards of the Allies upon their entry into the country and still occupy high positions. In Libya, they serve in high military positions. In Egypt, they were part...