Ajarians
Encyclopedia
The Adjarians are an ethnographic group of Georgians
that mostly live in Adjara
in south-western Georgia
.
The Adjarians have their own territorial unit—an autonomous republic
of Adjara
, founded on July 16, 1921, as Adjara ASSR. After years of post-Soviet stalemate, the region was, in 2004, completely brought within the framework of the Georgian state; it retains an autonomous status. Adjarian settlements are also found in the Georgian provinces of Guria
, Kvemo Kartli
, and Kakheti
, as well as several areas of neighboring Turkey
.
of the Georgian language
, related to that spoken in the neighboring northern province of Guria
, but with a number of Turkish
loanwords and with many common features with the Zan languages—Mingrelian and Laz
—which are sisters
to Georgian and are included in the Kartvelian or South Caucasian group.
by the Ottoman Empire
in the 16th and 17th centuries when it occupied southwestern Georgian lands.
The Georgian population of Adjara had been generally known as Muslim Georgians until the 1926 Soviet census
which listed them as Adjarians, separately from the rest of Georgians, and counted 71,498 of them. In subsequent census (1939–1989), they have been 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 by Adjarians to Communist authorities. Following suppression of the disturbances, many Adjarians were deported to Central Asia
.
The collapse of the Soviet Union
and the re-establishment of Georgian independence accelerated the Christianization, especially among the young. However, significant number of Ajarians particularly in and around Khulo
remain Sunni
Muslim
s. According to estimates recently published by the Department of Statistics of Adjara, 63% are Georgian Orthodox Christians, and 30% Muslim
.
Georgians
The Georgians are an ethnic group that have originated in Georgia, where they constitute a majority of the population. Large Georgian communities are also present throughout Russia, European Union, United States, and South America....
that mostly live in Adjara
Adjara
Adjara , officially the Autonomous Republic of Adjara , is an autonomous republic of Georgia.Adjara is located in the southwestern corner of Georgia, bordered by Turkey to the south and the eastern end of the Black Sea...
in south-western Georgia
Georgia (country)
Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...
.
The Adjarians have their own territorial unit—an autonomous republic
Autonomous republic
An autonomous republic is a type of administrative division similar to a province. A significant number of autonomous republics can be found within the successor states of the Soviet Union, but the majority are located within Russia. Many of these republics were established during the Soviet...
of Adjara
Adjara
Adjara , officially the Autonomous Republic of Adjara , is an autonomous republic of Georgia.Adjara is located in the southwestern corner of Georgia, bordered by Turkey to the south and the eastern end of the Black Sea...
, founded on July 16, 1921, as Adjara ASSR. After years of post-Soviet stalemate, the region was, in 2004, completely brought within the framework of the Georgian state; it retains an autonomous status. Adjarian settlements are also found in the Georgian provinces of Guria
Guria
Guria is a region in Georgia, in the western part of the country, bordered by the eastern end of the Black Sea. The region has a population of 143,357 and Ozurgeti is a regional capital.-Geography:...
, Kvemo Kartli
Kvemo Kartli
Kvemo Kartli is a historic province and current administrative region in southeastern Georgia. The city of Rustavi is a regional capital. The population is mixed between Azeris and Georgians .The current governor is Davit Kirkitadze.- External links :* *...
, and Kakheti
Kakheti
Kakheti is a historical province in Eastern Georgia inhabited by Kakhetians who speak a local dialect of Georgian. It is bordered by the small mountainous province of Tusheti and the Greater Caucasus mountain range to the north, Russian Federation to the Northeast, Azerbaijan to the Southeast, and...
, as well as several areas of neighboring Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
.
Language
The Adjarians speak Adjarian, a local dialectGeorgian dialects
Georgian is a South Caucasian, or Kartvelian, language spoken by about 4.1 million people primarily in Georgia, but also in Russia, Turkey, Iran, and Azerbaijan. It is a highly standardized language, with the first attempts to establish literary and linguistic norms dating back to the 5th century AD...
of the Georgian language
Georgian language
Georgian is the native language of the Georgians and the official language of Georgia, a country in the Caucasus.Georgian is the primary language of about 4 million people in Georgia itself, and of another 500,000 abroad...
, related to that spoken in the neighboring northern province of Guria
Guria
Guria is a region in Georgia, in the western part of the country, bordered by the eastern end of the Black Sea. The region has a population of 143,357 and Ozurgeti is a regional capital.-Geography:...
, but with a number of Turkish
Turkish language
Turkish is a language spoken as a native language by over 83 million people worldwide, making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. Its speakers are located predominantly in Turkey and Northern Cyprus with smaller groups in Iraq, Greece, Bulgaria, the Republic of Macedonia, Kosovo,...
loanwords and with many common features with the Zan languages—Mingrelian and Laz
Laz language
The Laz language is a South Caucasian language spoken by the Laz people on the Southeast shore of the Black Sea...
—which are sisters
Sister language
A sister language is a cognate language, that is, coming from the same once-existing language or hypothetical root language. The latter language is the so-called proto-language. There are many examples of sister languages...
to Georgian and are included in the Kartvelian or South Caucasian group.
Religion
Many Adjarians were converted to IslamIslam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
by the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
in the 16th and 17th centuries when it occupied southwestern Georgian lands.
The Georgian population of Adjara had been generally known as Muslim Georgians until the 1926 Soviet census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
which listed them as Adjarians, separately from the rest of Georgians, and counted 71,498 of them. In subsequent census (1939–1989), they have been 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 by Adjarians to Communist authorities. Following suppression of the disturbances, many Adjarians were deported to Central Asia
Central Asia
Central Asia is a core region of the Asian continent from the Caspian Sea in the west, China in the east, Afghanistan in the south, and Russia in the north...
.
The collapse of the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
and the re-establishment of Georgian independence accelerated the Christianization, especially among the young. However, significant number of Ajarians particularly in and around Khulo
Khulo
Khulo is a townlet in Adjara, an autonomous republic in southwest Georgia, 88 km east to the regional capital Batumi, in the upper valley of Adjaris-tsqali. The town and adjoining 77 villages form the mountainous Khulo District...
remain Sunni
Sunni Islam
Sunni Islam is the largest branch of Islam. Sunni Muslims are referred to in Arabic as ʾAhl ūs-Sunnah wa āl-Ǧamāʿah or ʾAhl ūs-Sunnah for short; in English, they are known as Sunni Muslims, Sunnis or Sunnites....
Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
s. According to estimates recently published by the Department of Statistics of Adjara, 63% are Georgian Orthodox Christians, and 30% Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
.
Famous Ajarians
- Memed AbashidzeMemed AbashidzeMemed Abashidze 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 orientation in Adjara and one of the architects of the region's autonomy within Georgia...
(1873-1941), a prominent political leader of Muslim Georgians - Aslan AbashidzeAslan AbashidzeAslan Abashidze was the leader of the Ajarian Autonomous Republic in western Georgia from 1991 to May 5, 2004. He resigned under the pressure of the central Georgian government and mass opposition rallies during the 2004 Adjara crisis, and has since lived in Moscow, Russia...
(b. 1938), former regional leader - Tbeli AbuserisdzeTbeli AbuserisdzeTbeli Abuserisdze was a medieval Georgian scholar and religious writer. A son of Ivane Abuserisdze, eristavt-eristavi of Khikhata , he is principally known for his original treatise, The Complete Timekeeper, which contains information related to calendars, descriptions of different systems for...
(1190-1240), a Georgian writer and scientist - Zurab Nogaideli (b. 1964), former Prime Minister of GeorgiaPrime Minister of GeorgiaThe Prime Minister of Georgia is the most senior minister within the Cabinet of Georgia, appointed by the President of Georgia. The official title of the Head of the Government of Georgia has varied throughout history, however, the duties and functions of the leader have changed only marginally....
, (2005-2007) - Levan VarshalomidzeLevan VarshalomidzeLevan Varshalomidze is a Georgian politician and the current Chairman of the Government of Adjara. He became the leader of this autonomous republic in southwestern Georgia following the ousting of ruler Aslan Abashidze in May 2004 .Varshalomidze was born in Batumi...
(b. 1973), current leader of Adjarian Autonomous Republic - Sopho KhalvashiSopho KhalvashiSopho Khalvashi is a Georgian musician. She comes from a family of Adjarian origin. It was announced on December 12, 2006 that she would represent her home nation at the Eurovision Song Contest 2007. The song "Visionary Dream" was Georgia's first entry into the contest...
, singer - Valeri Meladze (b.1965), famous singer in Russia
- Konstantin Meladze (b.1963), Russian composer
- Nino KatamadzeNino KatamadzeNino Katamadze |Georgia]]) — Georgian jazz singer and artist.-Biography:Nino Katamadze was born in Adjara, southern Georgia. In 1990she entered the vocal department of the Batumi Music Institute ZP Paliashvili....
(b.1972), jazzJazzJazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
singer - Niaz Diasamidze (b. 1974), singer and composer
- Murad Tsintsadze (b.1987), public figure, the only Adjarian male model
- Bayar Şahin, Georgian singer in Turkey
- İsmet Acar (b.1946), businessman in Turkey
- Rostom Abashidze (b.1935), greco roman wrestler