Adyghe in Syria


Population
Main Language
Largest Religion
Christian
Evangelical
Progress
Progress Gauge

Other PDF Profile

Introduction / History

Adyghe culture has at its core the values of respect, hospitality and reverence for elders. Their identity and code of conduct comes from an ancient system of rules, etiquette, and ethos known as Khabzeh. According to Khabzeh, a host is expected to give his life to protect his guests. In return guests are expected to be gracious and behave in a way that honors the host.

Much insight into Adyghe culture and customs can be gathered from Adyghe folk dances. These dances tell stories about everyday life such as courtship, preparing for war, the harvest, and displaying of strength. The stories preserve Adyghe ancient history, and they are predecessors to Greek mythology, containing ancient stories of gods from southern Russia. The Khabzeh came from these Epics.

Adyghes are one of the remaining tribes of a large people group known as Circassians. They lived in the North Caucasus region of southern Russia for more than a thousand years until they were conquered by ethnic Russians during the Caucasus War (1817-1864). Due to the war, in the late 19th Century at least 1 million Circassians (Adyghes and Kabardians) were deported or fled to areas in the Ottoman Empire including Turkey and the Middle East. Although the Adyghe people still regard the North Caucasus as their sacred home, 90 percent of them live outside the region, especially Turkey and the Middle East, including Iraq and Syria.


What Are Their Lives Like?

Much insight into Adyghe culture and customs can be gathered from Adyghe folk dances. These dances tell stories about everyday life such as courtship, preparing for war, the harvest, and displaying of strength. The stories preserve Adyghe ancient history, and they are predecessors to Greek mythology, containing ancient stories of gods from southern Russia.

Adyghes are one of the remaining tribes of a large people group known as Circassians. They lived in the North Caucasus region of Southern Russia for more than a thousand years until they were conquered by ethnic Russians during The Caucasus War (1817-1864). Due to the war, in the late 19th Century at least 1 million Circassians (Adyghes & Kabardians) were deported or fled to areas in the Ottoman Empire including Turkey and the Middle East. The Adyghe people still regard the North Caucasus as their sacred home.


What Are Their Beliefs?

Ninety eight percent of all Adyghes claim to be Sunni Muslim. There are approximately 100 Adyghe Christians in the world and there is one indigenous church of about 40 members located in southern Russia. The rest are dispersed among Russian Orthodox and Evangelical churches.

The entire New Testament and 12 books so far in the Old Testament have been translated into the Adyghe language. Adyghes in southern Russia also have access to the Central Asian Russian Scriptures (CARS) which uses language familiar to Muslims. We hope those in Turkey, Syria and Iraq also have access to them.

In Adyghe history, most Adyghe were nominal Christians from the 10th to the 17th Centuries. In the past two decades there has been a resurgence in Adyghe self-awareness and ethnic identity. The Bible in authentic Adyghe can potentially make more inroads into Adyghe culture.


What Are Their Needs?

The Adyghe people need to put their identity in Christ. Those in Syria need easy access to the Scriptures in their language.


Prayer Points

Pray that Adyghe believers, renewed with fresh winds of the Holy Spirit, will display the noble qualities of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control—which will stir many Adyghe to the fulfillment of their ancient noble customs through the indwelling grace of Jesus and power of the Holy Spirit.

* Pray for God to break the stronghold of spiritual apathy that holds the Adyghe people in darkness.
* Pray for God to speak to Adyghes in dreams and visions revealing his plan of salvation.
*
Pray for a movement of House Church Planting among the Adyghes in Syria.
* Pray for translators to complete the whole Bible in Adyghe soon.
* Pray for men and women of peace (Lk 10:6) in each Adyghe town/village, to be keys to welcoming the love of God, the grace of Jesus, and the power of the Holy Spirit into each community in the years ahead.


Scripture Prayers for the Adyghe in Syria.


References

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circassians


Profile Source:   Joshua Project  
Other PDF Profile

People Name General Adyghe
People Name in Country Adyghe
Pronunciation AH-di-gay
Alternate Names Circassian; Circassian, West; Kjax; Lower Circassian; Shapsug
Population this Country 31,000
Population all Countries 686,000
Total Countries 11
Indigenous No
Progress Scale 1
Unreached Yes
Frontier People Group No
GSEC 1  (per PeopleGroups.org)
Pioneer Workers Needed 1
PeopleID3 10161
ROP3 Code 100079
Country Syria
Region Africa, North and Middle East
Continent Asia
10/40 Window Yes
Persecution Rank 12  (Open Doors top 50 rank, 1 = highest persecution ranking)
Location in Country As Suwayda’ Governorate, Salkhad district; equal-sized area, Dara’a Governorate, Dar’a district.   Source:  Ethnologue 2016
Country Syria
Region Africa, North and Middle East
Continent Asia
10/40 Window Yes
Persecution Rank 12  (Open Doors top 50 rank, 1 = highest persecution ranking)
Location in Country As Suwayda’ Governorate, Salkhad district; equal-sized area, Dara’a Governorate, Dar’a district..   Source:  Ethnologue 2016
Map of Adyghe in Syria
Primary Religion: Islam
Major Religion Percent
Buddhism
0.00 %
Christianity  (Evangelical 0.10 %)
0.40 %
Ethnic Religions
0.00 %
Hinduism
0.00 %
Islam
99.60 %
Non-Religious
0.00 %
Other / Small
0.00 %
Unknown
0.00 %
Primary Language Adyghe (31,000 speakers)
Language Code ady   Ethnologue Listing
Language Written Yes   ScriptSource Listing
Total Languages 1
Primary Language Adyghe (31,000 speakers)
Language Code ady   Ethnologue Listing
Total Languages 1
People Groups Speaking Adyghe

Primary Language:  Adyghe

Bible Translation Status  (Years)
Bible-Portions Yes  (1977-2007)
Bible-New Testament Yes  (1991-2019)
Bible-Complete No
FCBH NT (www.bible.is) Online
YouVersion NT (www.bible.com) Online
Possible Print Bibles
Amazon
World Bibles
Forum Bible Agencies
National Bible Societies
World Bible Finder
Virtual Storehouse
Resource Type Resource Name Source
Audio Recordings Audio Bible teaching Global Recordings Network
Film / Video Indigitube.tv Video / Animation Create International
Film / Video Jesus Film: view in Adyghe Jesus Film Project
Film / Video World Christian Videos World Christian Videos
General Faith Comes By Hearing - Bible in text or audio or video Faith Comes by Hearing
General Four Spiritual Laws Cru
General Scripture Earth Gospel resources links Scripture Earth
General YouVersion Bible versions in text and/or audio YouVersion Bibles
Mobile App Android Bible app: Adyghe YouVersion Bibles
Mobile App Android Bible app: Proverbs in Adyghe Institute for Bible Translation
Mobile App Android Bible app: КъэбарышӀур Institute for Bible Translation
Mobile App Android Bible app: Пегъымбарэу Даниел (The Book of Daniel in Adyghe) Institute for Bible Translation
Mobile App Android Bible app: Тхьэм и ГущыIэ - Adyghe Old Testament Institute for Bible Translation
Mobile App Android Book Reading app: Adyghe sounds – a pronunciation guide NovmailApps
Mobile App Android Dictionary app: Адыгейский словарь (Adyghe Dictionary) NovmailApps
Mobile App iOS Bible app: Adyghe YouVersion Bibles
Mobile App iOS Bible app: КъэбарышӀур (New Testament in Adyghe) Institute for Bible Translation
Mobile App iOS Bible app: Пегъымбарэу Даниел (Daniel in Adyghe) Institute for Bible Translation
Mobile App iOS Bible app: Притчи на адыгейском языке (Proverbs in Adyghe) Institute for Bible Translation
Mobile App iOS Bible app: Тхьэм и ГущыIэ (Adyghe Old Testament portions) Institute for Bible Translation
Mobile App iOS Book Reading App: Adyghe Sounds - A pronunciation guide Forum Linguistik in Eurasien e.V.
Mobile App iOS Dictionary App: Адыгейский словарь Forum Linguistik in Eurasien e.V.
Text / Printed Matter IBT, Russia - resources Institute for Bible Translation
Photo Source Anonymous 
Map Source People Group location: IMB. Map geography: ESRI / GMI. Map design: Joshua Project.  
Profile Source Joshua Project 
Data Sources Data is compiled from various sources. Learn more.


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