Astana – The vast geographical span of Asia brings together a rich and diverse selection of ethnic groups. One of the numerous communities in this continent is the Meskhetian Turks. They are Sunni Muslims who are known to speak an East Anatolian variety of Turkish. This language is further classified as an Oghuzic subgroup of the Turkic language family.
Originally, they were known residents of south-southwestern Georgia until the 1940s. Forced to leave the country, the group resettled in Central Asia. With the help of some modern tools of that time, they shared and preserved some surprising revelations about their practices, customs, and beliefs. Now, most of them continue to live in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan. This is how they created a distinct presence in the world’s largest continent.
Location, Demography, and History
The villages of the Meskheti can be identified as early as the 11th to 14th century through the classification of their language. During that time, there had been continual fighting in the area of Transcaucasia, between Ottoman Turkey and Safavid Persia. On the community’s part, their territory was not protected from Turkic areas, which led to the swift migration of Turkic nomadic herds-people. Those who finally assimilated to the region later became the Meskheti people.
The thriving communities of the Meskhetians, however, had to move into new lands as part of the Stalinist policy of deportation in 1944. Over 90,000 to 120,000 individuals searched for another home under the pretense that the country was fortifying their strategically vulnerable borders. As it is thought that the members of this minority group were collaborating with the enemy, they never obtained permission to return to their homeland. They left Transcaucasia and were labeled as enemies of the Soviet people. Although the Soviet Union collapsed and divided into different nations soon after the move, the Meskhetians were left with no certain ties to any country, while lacking the chance to return home.
Tradition, Belief, and Future
Even as the Meskheti communities move to different countries, they still diligently follow the traditions regulated by the canons of Islamic society. In addition, the people have a rich knowledge of both modern and older pre-Islamic beliefs, magical practices, rituals, and sorcery. These have been preserved up to the present day. Some of these colorful practices are observed in special events and festivals, while communities also observe those traditions that are associated with agriculture and animal husbandry.
However, despite continuous identification and references to their various traditional practices, there remains a pressing concern. In an overall look into the distinctive culture of this particular ethnic group, it can be observed that in recent decades, the Meskheti culture has been greatly disrupted. The fundamental framework has disappeared because of activism and the need to consolidate ethnocultural processes. With the prospect of return to Georgia becoming less possible, there is a tendency toward a cultural rebirth. A particular portion of the population that is inclined toward emigration to Turkey or settling mainly in Azerbaijan is considering simply sharing and growing with a mix of various cultural beliefs, customs, and traditions.
Image from Turk Asya, http://www.biligbitig.com/2014/07/ahiska-turkleri-meskhetian- turks.html
