Syria's communities and civilizations – history, sites and heritage
Circassians
Self-designation: Адыгэ Adyghe
الشركس
Ethnic and linguistic communities
Circassians are descendants of Muslim refugees from the north-west Caucasus resettled by the Ottomans in the late 19th century, notably in the Golan/Quneitra area, near Damascus and north of Homs. Most were displaced from the Golan in 1967.
After the Russian conquest of the north-west Caucasus and the expulsions of the 1860s, many Circassians settled in Ottoman lands; after the Russo-Turkish war of 1877–78 about 70,000 are reported to have moved to Ottoman Syria. The Ottomans settled them on the Golan, at the desert edge, near Damascus (Marj al-Sultan), north of Homs, at Ras al-Ayn and later along the Euphrates (Manbij, Khanasir, Raqqa), partly as a buffer against Bedouin and Druze; there were recurrent conflicts over land.
Sources and details
Circassians are predominantly Sunni Muslims. Many still speak Adyghe (West Circassian) at home, with Kabardian among some groups, and Arabic in public life. Al-Monitor (2012) gave an estimate of about 100,000 Circassians in Syria; other published estimates range from about 40,000 to 100,000 before 2011 (estimates).
Most Circassians of the Golan fled after Israel's occupation in 1967 and resettled in Damascus, Aleppo and abroad; Quneitra was razed by Israel as it withdrew after the 1973 war and has not been resettled, and displaced families live in Madinat al-Baath. The community largely stayed neutral in the war after 2011, but villages near Damascus and on the Golan were hit, at least 35 Circassians had been killed by late 2012, and some hundreds to over a thousand emigrated to Turkey and to Circassian republics of Russia.
Sites connected with this community 4
- Ras al-AynHasakah · Historic architecture
Settlement where Ottoman authorities placed Circassian families in the late 19th century.
- KhanasirAleppo · Archaeological sites
One of the Euphrates-area Circassian settlements of the early 20th century.
- Old QuneitraQuneitra · Historic architecture
Golan town whose Circassian and other residents were displaced; razed as Israel withdrew after the 1973 war.
- Al-DumayrRif Dimashq · Archaeological sites
Early Circassian settlement near Damascus, later abandoned.
Further sites (not yet in the atlas)
- Marj al-Sultan مرج السلطانRif Dimashq
Circassian village near Damascus founded in the Ottoman resettlement; damaged in fighting in 2012 and later destroyed (2016).
- Bir Ajam بئر عجمQuneitra
Circassian village in the Golan buffer zone, repopulated after 1973 and fought over in 2012.
Sources (3)
- Wikipedia – Circassians in Syria (secondary pointer; cites Library of Congress 1987, Chatty 2010, Shoup 2018 and others)
- Tastekin, Fehim – Syria's Circassians caught in crossfire, Al-Monitor November 21, 2012
- Tastekin, Fehim – How Circassians maintain identity in changing Golan, Al-Monitor (excerpt; paywalled) February 2017
These categories describe history, language and faith – not exclusive identities. Many Syrians belong to several, and some names refer to civilizations of the past.