Turkic peoples v • d • e
Total population
More than 160 million[1]
Regions with significant populations
Asia Minor and the Middle East, the Caucasus, Central Asia, Eastern Europe and the Balkans, Siberia, Western China, Western Mongolia and as immigrant communities in Australia, North America, and Western Europe
Languages
Turkic Languages
Religions
Islam (predominantly), Christianity[2], Buddhism[3], Judaism[4], Shamanism, Tengriism, Atheism, Agnosticism

The Turkic peoples are a collection of peoples residing in northern, central and western Eurasia who speak languages belonging to the Turkic language family. Anatolia (Anadolu Ανατολία Anatolía) or Asia minor, comprising most of modern Turkey, is the geographic region bounded by the Black The Middle East is a Subcontinent with no clear boundaries often used as a synonym to Near East, in opposition to Far East. The Caucasus ( also referred to as North Caucasus) is a geopolitical region located between Europe Asia & Middle East Central Asia is a region of Asia from the Caspian Sea in the west to central China in the east and from southern Russia in the north to northern Pakistan in the south Eastern Europe is a general term that refers to the Geopolitical region encompassing the easternmost part of the European continent. Siberia (Сиби́рь Sibir) is the name given to the vast region constituting almost all of Northern Asia and for the most part currently serving Xinjiang ( Uyghur: شىنجاڭ Shinjang;; Postal map spelling: Sinkiang; Turkish: Sincan, Sincan Uygur Özerk Mongolia (mɒŋˈɡoʊliə, literally Mongol country/nation,) is a Landlocked Country in East For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. Western Europe at its most general meaning means 'all the countries in the West of Europe ' The Turkic languages constitute a Language family of some thirty languages spoken by Turkic peoples across a vast area from Eastern Europe and the For other meanings including people named 'Islam' see Islam (disambiguation. Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings Buddhism is a family of beliefs and practices Judaism (from the Greek Ioudaïsmos, derived from the Hebrew יהודה Yehudah, " Judah " in Hebrew יַהֲדוּת Yahedut Tengriism ( Tengerism, Tengrianism, Tengrianizm, Tengricilik) was the major belief of the Mongols and Turkic peoples before Atheism Agnosticism ( Greek: α- a-, without + γνώσις gnōsis, knowledge after Gnosticism) is the philosophical view that the For the superstate in George Orwell 's novel see Nations of Nineteen Eighty-Four. The Turkic languages constitute a Language family of some thirty languages spoken by Turkic peoples across a vast area from Eastern Europe and the ^[5] The term Turkic represents a broad ethno-linguistic group of people and includes existing societies such as the Kazakhs, Uzbeks, Kyrgyz, Uyghur, Azerbaijani, Turkmen, and Turkish peoples, as well as historical societies such as the Xiongnu, Kipchaks, Eurasian Avars, Bulgars, Huns, Seljuks, Khazars, Ottomans and Timurids. Anthropological linguistics is the study of the relations between language and culture and the relations between human biology cognition and language The Kazakhs (also spelled Kazaks, Qazaqs; Kazakh: Қазақтар qɑzɑqtɑr Russian: Казахи the English name is transliterated The Uzbeks (Self designation sg O‘zbek, pl O‘zbeklar) are a Turkic people of Central Asia. The Kyrgyz (also spelled Kirgiz, Kirghiz) are a Turkic Ethnic group found primarily in Kyrgyzstan. The Uyghur (also spelled Uygur, Uighur, Uigur, Uyghur: ئۇيغۇر) are a Turkic people of Central Asia. The Azerbaijanis are an Ethnic group mainly in the Republic of Azerbaijan and northwestern Iran. This article is about the Turkmen people of Turkmenistan. For the distinct group of Turk peoples of Iraq see Iraqi Turkmen. The Turkish people (Türk Halkı also known as " Turks " ( Türkler) are defined mainly as being speakers of Turkish as a First language The Xiongnu ( Turkish: Doğu Hun were a confederation of nomadic tribes from Central Asia with a ruling class of unknown origin and other subjugated tribes The Caucasian Avars are a modern people of Caucasus, mainly of Dagestan. The Bulgars (also Bolgars or proto-Bulgarians) were a seminomadic people probably of Turkic descent originally from Central Asia, The Huns were an early confederation of Central Asian equestrian nomads or semi-nomads with a Turkic core of aristocracy The Great Seljuq Empire was a Medieval Sunni Muslim empire established by the Qynyq branch of Oghuz Turks that once controlled "Kazar" redirects here for the Marvel Comics character see Ka-Zar; for the village in Azerbaijan see Xəzər. The Ottoman Empire (1299–1923 ( Old Ottoman Turkish: دولتْ علیّه عثمانیّه Devlet-i Âliye-yi Osmâniyye, Late Ottoman and Modern Turkish The Timurids, self-designated Gurkānī ( were a Persianate Central Asian Sunni Muslim dynasty ^[6][7][8] (also see the List of Turkic states and empires)

Many of the Turkic peoples have their homelands in Central Asia, where the Turkic peoples originated from, but since then Turkic languages have spread, through migrations and conquests, to other locations including present-day Turkey. Modern Turkic countries TemplateModern Turkic states --> Independent states Azerbaijan Central Asia is a region of Asia from the Caspian Sea in the west to central China in the east and from southern Russia in the north to northern Pakistan in the south Turkey (Türkiye known officially as the Republic of Turkey ( is a Eurasian Country that stretches While the term Turk may refer to a member of any Turkic people, the term Turkish usually refers specifically to the people and language of Turkey. Turkey (Türkiye known officially as the Republic of Turkey ( is a Eurasian Country that stretches

Geographical distribution

Countries and autonomous subdivisions where a Turkic language has official status

Number of native speakers in the Turkic language family

The Turkic languages constitute a language family of some thirty languages, spoken across a vast area from Eastern Europe and the Mediterranean to Siberia and Western China. List of language familiesA language family is a group of Languages related by descent from a common ancestor called the Proto-language of that family Eastern Europe is a general term that refers to the Geopolitical region encompassing the easternmost part of the European continent. Siberia (Сиби́рь Sibir) is the name given to the vast region constituting almost all of Northern Asia and for the most part currently serving China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National

Some 180 million people have a Turkic language as their native language;^[9] an additional 20 million people speak a Turkic language as a second language. A second language (L2 is any Language learned after the first language or mother tongue (L1 The Turkic language with the greatest number of speakers is Turkish proper, or Anatolian Turkish, the speakers of which account for about 40% of all Turkic speakers. Turkish ( tr Türkçe IPA) is a language spoken by over 63 million people worldwide making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. Anatolia (Anadolu Ανατολία Anatolía) or Asia minor, comprising most of modern Turkey, is the geographic region bounded by the Black ^[10] More than one third of these are ethnic Turks of Turkey, dwelling predominantly in Turkey proper and formerly Ottoman-dominated areas of Eastern Europe and West Asia; as well as in Western Europe, Australia and the Americas as a result of immigration. The Turkish people (Türk Halkı also known as " Turks " ( Türkler) are defined mainly as being speakers of Turkish as a First language Turkey (Türkiye known officially as the Republic of Turkey ( is a Eurasian Country that stretches The Ottoman Empire (1299–1923 ( Old Ottoman Turkish: دولتْ علیّه عثمانیّه Devlet-i Âliye-yi Osmâniyye, Late Ottoman and Modern Turkish Eastern Europe is a general term that refers to the Geopolitical region encompassing the easternmost part of the European continent. Southwest Asia or Southwestern Asia (largely overlapping with the Middle East) is the southwestern portion of Asia. Western Europe at its most general meaning means 'all the countries in the West of Europe ' For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. The Americas are the lands of the Western hemisphere or New World, consisting of the Continents of North America and South America The remainder of the Turkic peoples are concentrated in Central Asia, Russia, the Caucasus, China, northern Iraq and northern and northwestern Iran. Central Asia is a region of Asia from the Caspian Sea in the west to central China in the east and from southern Russia in the north to northern Pakistan in the south Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending The Caucasus ( also referred to as North Caucasus) is a geopolitical region located between Europe Asia & Middle East China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National This article is about the region in Iran for other uses see Azerbaijan (disambiguation.

At present, there are six independent Turkic countries: Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Turkey, and Uzbekistan. Azerbaijan ( English; Azərbaycan officially the Republic of Azerbaijan (Azərbaycan Respublikası is the largest and most populous country in the South Kazakhstan, also Kazakstan ( Қазақстан, Qazaqstan, qɑzɑqˈstɑn Казахстан, Kazakhstán,) officially the Kyrgyzstan (ˈkɻ̩gɪztɑn (AmE or /'kɝgəztan/ (BrE Kyrgyz: Кыргызстан; Russian: Киргизия or Киргизстан or Кыргызстан Turkmenistan ( Türkmenistan; also known as Turkmenia) is a Turkic country in Central Asia. Turkey (Türkiye known officially as the Republic of Turkey ( is a Eurasian Country that stretches Uzbekistan, officially the Republic of Uzbekistan ( Uzbek: O‘zbekiston Respublikasi or Ўзбекистон Республикаси is a doubly There are also several Turkic national subdivisions^[11] in the Russian Federation including Bashkortostan, Tatarstan, Chuvashia, Khakassia, Tuva, Yakutia, the Altai Republic, the Altai Krai, Kabardino-Balkaria, and Karachayevo-Cherkessiya. Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending Republic of Bashkortostan (Респу́блика Башкортоста́н Башҡортостан Республикаһы or Bashkiria (ru Башки́рия Republic of Tatarstan (Респу́блика Татарста́н Татарстан Республикасы|Tatarstan Respublikası is a federal subject of the Russian Chuvash Republic (Чува́шская Респу́блика Чăваш Республики or Chuvashia (ru Чува́шия is a federal subject Republic of Khakassia (Респу́блика Хака́сия Khakass: Хакасия Республиказы or Khakasiya (ru Хака́сия is a federal Tyva Republic (Респу́блика Тыва́ Respublika Tyva, rʲɪˈspublʲɪkə tɨˈva Тыва Республика Tyva Respublika) or Tuva The Sakha Republic (Yakutia (Респу́блика Саха́ (Яку́тия Саха Республиката is a federal subject of Russia (a Republic Altai Republic (Респу́блика Алта́й Altay: Алтай Республика is a federal subject of Russia (a Republic) Altai Krai (Алта́йский край Altaysky kray) is a federal subject of Russia (a Krai) in the Siberian Federal District The Kabardino-Balkar Republic (Кабарди́но-Балка́рская Респу́блика Kabardian: Къэбэрдей-Балъкъэр Республикэ Karachay-Cherkess Republic (Карача́ево-Черке́сская респу́блика Karachay-Balkar: Къарачай-Черкес Республика Each of these subdivisions has its own flag, parliament, laws, and official state language (in addition to Russian). Russian ( transliteration:,) is the most geographically widespread language of Eurasia, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages

The Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in western China and the autonomous region of Gagauzia, located within eastern Moldova and bordering Ukraine to the north, are two major autonomous Turkic regions. Xinjiang ( Uyghur: شىنجاڭ Shinjang;; Postal map spelling: Sinkiang; Turkish: Sincan, Sincan Uygur Özerk Gagauzia ( Gagauz: Gagauziya or Gagauz-Yeri; Moldovan/Romanian: Găgăuzia Гагаузия formally known as the Autonomous Territorial Moldova, officially the Republic of Moldova ( Republica Moldova) is a Landlocked country in Eastern Europe, located between Romania The Autonomous Republic of Crimea within Ukraine is a home of Crimean Tatars. Crimea (kraɪˈmiːə or the Autonomous Republic of Crimea (Крим Автономна Республіка Крим Avtonomna Respublika Krym; Крым Crimean Tatars (sg Qırımtatar, pl Qırımtatarlar) or Crimeans (sg In addition, there are several Turkic-inhabited regions in Iran, Iraq, Georgia, Bulgaria, F.Y.R.O.Macedonia, Greece,Tajikistan, Afghanistan, and western Mongolia. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iran topics. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iraq topics. Georgia ( საქართველო, Sakartvelo) is a Transcontinental country in the Caucasus region situated at the dividing line between The state of Bulgaria (България transliterated bg-Latn ''Balgaria'' The country preserves the traditions (in ethnic name language and alphabet of the First Bulgarian The Republic of Macedonia (Република Greece (Ελλάδα transliterated: Elláda, historically, Ellás,) officially the Hellenic Republic (Ελληνική Δημοκρατία Tajikistan (təˈdʒɪkɨstæn or /təˈdʒiːkɨstæn/ Тоҷикистон tɔʤikɪsˈtɔn or, Persian تاجیکستان‎ taajikestaan officially the Republic of Afghanistan /æfˈgænɪstæn/ officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan ( Pashto: د افغانستان اسلامي جمهوریت, Mongolia (mɒŋˈɡoʊliə, literally Mongol country/nation,) is a Landlocked Country in East

In the age of nationalism, Turkic speakers were among the first Muslim peoples to take up Western ideas of liberalism and secular ideologies. A Muslim (مسلم pronounced Muslim, not Muzlim) is an adherent of the Religion Liberalism is a broad array of related ideas and theories of Government that consider individual Liberty to be the most important political goal Secularity ( adjective form secular) is the state of being separate from Religion. Pan-Turkism first sprang up at the end of the nineteenth century in the Russian Empire and was advanced by leading Turkic intellectuals like Crimean Tatar İsmail Gaspıralı, Azerbaijan philosophers like Mirza Fatali Akhundov and Tatar Yusuf Akçura, as a reaction to Panslavist and Russification policies of the Russian Empire. Pan-Turkism is a political movement aiming to unite the various Turkic peoples into a modern political State, a Confederation, or an economic union closely The Russian Empire ( Pre-reform Russian: Pоссійская Имперія Modern Russian: Российская Империя translit: Rossiyskaya Crimean Tatars (sg Qırımtatar, pl Qırımtatarlar) or Crimeans (sg İsmail Gaspıralı (Gasprinskiy ( March 8 1851 — September 11 1914) was a famous Crimean Tatar intellectual, Educator Mirza Fatali Mammad Taghi oglu Akhundov (Mirzə Fətəli Axundov earlier – Akhundzadeh ( 12 July 1812, Nukha – 9 March Tatars ( Tatar: Tatarlar/Татарлар sometimes spelled Tartars, are a Turkic -speaking ethnic group or multiple ethnic groups Yusuf Akçura (Yosıf Aqçura Yusuf Akçura 1876-1935 was a prominent Ottoman activist and ideologue of the Pan-Turkist or Turanism camp Pan-Slavism was a movement in the mid 19th century aimed at unity of all the Slavic peoples The main focus was in the Balkans where the South Slavs had been Russification (in Russian: русификация rusifikátsiya)is an adoption of the Russian language or some other Russian attribute (whether voluntarily The first fully democratic and secular republics in the Islamic world were Turkic: the ill-fated Idel-Ural State established in 1917, the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic in 1918 (both annexed and absorbed by the Soviet Union), and in 1923 Republic of Turkey. Idel-Ural literally means "Volga-Ural" in Tatar.Historically it refers to a short-lived Tatar Republic with its centre in Kazan The Azerbaijan Democratic Republic ( ADR; Azərbaycan Xalq Cümhuriyyəti was the first Democratic and Secular Republic in the Muslim world The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 Turkey (Türkiye known officially as the Republic of Turkey ( is a Eurasian Country that stretches In 1991 Azerbaijan became an independent Azerbaijan Republic.

The Turks of Turkey are over 70 million, while the second largest Turkic people are the Azerbaijanis, numbering 20. The Azerbaijanis are an Ethnic group mainly in the Republic of Azerbaijan and northwestern Iran. 5 to 33 million worldwide; most of them live in northwestern Iran ("Iranian Azerbaijan") and the Republic of Azerbaijan. This article is about the region in Iran for other uses see Azerbaijan (disambiguation.

Turkic roots

See also: Nomadic empire‎

Top of the Belukha, Altay Mountains are known as Turkic peoples birthplace

Orkhon tablet inscribed in Old Turkic script

The first historical text to mention the Turks was from the standpoint of the Chinese, who mentioned trade of Turk tribes with the Sogdians along the Silk Road. Nomadic Empires, sometimes also called Steppe Empires, Central or Inner Asian Empires, are the empires erected by the bow wielding horse riding Eurasian The Altai Mountains (Алтай Altay; Алтай 阿尔泰山脉 are a Mountain range in central Asia, where Russia, The Old Turkic script (also Göktürk script, Orkhon script, Orkhon-Yenisey script; Turkish: Orhun Yazıtları, 鄂爾渾文字 History Hellenistic period The Sogdian Rock or Rock of Ariamazes a fortress in Sogdiana was captured in 327 BC by the forces of Alexander the Great The Silk Road, or Silk Routes, are an extensive interconnected network of Trade routes across the Asian continent connecting East South and Western Asia with the ^[12] The Xiongnu mentioned in Han Dynasty records may have been Proto-Turkic speakers,^{[13][14][15][16][17]} followed by the Hun hordes of Attila that tried to conquer Europe. The Xiongnu ( Turkish: Doğu Hun were a confederation of nomadic tribes from Central Asia with a ruling class of unknown origin and other subjugated tribes The Han Dynasty ( 206 BC–220 AD followed the Qin Dynasty and preceded the Three Kingdoms in China. The Proto-Turkic language is the proto-language of the family of Turkic languages that predates the separation of the Turkic peoples in the course of the The Huns were an early confederation of Central Asian equestrian nomads or semi-nomads with a Turkic core of aristocracy ^[18][19] On the other hand, recent genetics research dated 2003^[20] confirms the studies indicating that the Turkic peoples originated from the same area and therefore are possibly related with the Xiongnu. The Xiongnu ( Turkish: Doğu Hun were a confederation of nomadic tribes from Central Asia with a ruling class of unknown origin and other subjugated tribes ^[21]

The rock art of the Yinshan and Helanshan is dated from the 9th millennium BC to 19th century. The Yin Mountains ( Yin Shan or Yinshan) are Mountains in the Steppe forming the southern border of the eastern Gobi Desert of the The Helan Shan ( Alaša aɣula frequently called Alashan Mountains in older sources is a mountain range forming the border of Inner Mongolia 's Alxa League and The 9th millennium BC marks the beginning of the Neolithic period The 19th century of the Common Era began on January 1, 1801 and ended on December 31, 1900, according to the Gregorian calendar It consists mainly of engraved signs (petroglyphs) and only minimally of painted images. ^[22] Ma Liqing compared the petroglyphs (which he presumed to be the sole extant example of possible Xiongnu writings), and the Orkhon script (the earliest known Turkic alphabet) recently, and argued a new connection between both of them. The Old Turkic script (also Göktürk script, Orkhon script, Orkhon-Yenisey script; Turkish: Orhun Yazıtları, 鄂爾渾文字 Old Turkic (also East Old Turkic, Orkhon Turkic, Old Uyghur) is the earliest attested Turkic language, found in inscriptions by the ^[23]

Excavations conducted between 1924-1925, in Noin-Ula kurgans located in Selenga River in the northern Mongolian hills north of Ulan Bator, produced objects with over twenty carved characters, which were either identical or very similar to that of to the runic letters of the Turkic Orkhon script discovered in the Orkhon Valley. The Noin-Ula kurgans are located by the Selenga River in the northern Mongolia hills north of Ulan Bator. The Selenga (Селенга or Selenge (Сэлэнгэ гол Сэлэнгэ мөрөн is a river in Mongolia and Russia. Mongolia (mɒŋˈɡoʊliə, literally Mongol country/nation,) is a Landlocked Country in East Ulan Bator, or Ulaanbaatar (Улаанбаатар is the Capital and largest city of Mongolia. The Old Turkic script (also Göktürk script, Orkhon script, Orkhon-Yenisey script; Turkish: Orhun Yazıtları, 鄂爾渾文字 Orkhon Valley Cultural Landscape sprawls along the banks of the Orkhon River in Central Mongolia, some 360 km west from the capital Ulaanbaatar. ^[24]

The first recorded use of "Turk" as a political name is a sixth-century reference to the word now pronounced in Modern Chinese as Tujue. Göktürks ( Turkish: Gök Türkler) were a Turkic people of ancient Central Asia. It is believed that some Turkic tribes, such as Khazars and Pechenegs, probably lived as nomads for many years before establishing a political state (Göktürk empire). "Kazar" redirects here for the Marvel Comics character see Ka-Zar; for the village in Azerbaijan see Xəzər. The Pechenegs or Patzinaks ( Turkish: Peçenekler, Hungarian: Besenyő, Greek: Patzinaki/Petsenegi or Πατζινάκοι/Πετσενέγοι/Πατζινακίται Göktürks ( Turkish: Gök Türkler) were a Turkic people of ancient Central Asia. Turkic peoples originally used their own alphabets, like Orkhon and Yenisey runiform, and later the Uyghur alphabet. The oldest inscription was found near the Issyk river in Kyrgyzstan and has been dated to 500 BC. Kyrgyzstan (ˈkɻ̩gɪztɑn (AmE or /'kɝgəztan/ (BrE Kyrgyz: Кыргызстан; Russian: Киргизия or Киргизстан or Кыргызстан The traditional national and cultural symbols of the Turkic peoples include the star and crescent, used as a symbol of Turks since pre-Islamic times^[25] when they practised Shamanism; wolves, a part of Turkic mythology and tradition; as well as the color blue, iron, and fire. The Islamic star and crescent is a Symbol consisting of a Crescent with a star at the concave side

Four hundred years after the collapse of northern Xiongnu power in Inner Asia, leadership of the Turkic peoples was taken over by the Göktürks. The Xiongnu ( Turkish: Doğu Hun were a confederation of nomadic tribes from Central Asia with a ruling class of unknown origin and other subjugated tribes Formerly an element of the Xiongnu nomadic confederation, the Göktürks inherited their traditions and administrative experience. From 552 to 745, Göktürk leadership bound together the nomadic Turkic tribes into an empire, which eventually collapsed due to a series of dynastic conflicts. Events By Place Europe Battle of Asfeld: Longobards under king Audoin defeat the Gepids. The New 745 Bio Sunnyland Ill - 745 — “Turning your wildest dreams into nightmares Nomadic people, (from the νομάδες nomádes, "those who let pasture herds" also known as nomads, are communities of people that The great difference between the Göktürk Khanate and its Xiongnu predecessor was that the Göktürks' temporary khans from the Ashina clan were subordinate to a sovereign authority that was left in the hands of a council of tribal chiefs. Ashina ( Asen, Asena, etc was a tribe and the ruling dynasty of the ancient Turks who rose to prominence in the mid- 6th century when their leader Sovereignty is the exclusive Right to control a Government, a country, a people or oneself The Khanate received missionaries from the Buddhists, Manicheans, and Nestorian Christians, but retained their original shamanistic religion, Tengriism. Khanate or Chanat is a Turkic origined word used to describe a political entity ruled by a Khan. Buddhism is a family of beliefs and practices Manichaeism (in Modern Persian fa-Arab آیین مانی Āyin e Māni; Chinese zh 摩尼教 was one of the major Gnostic Religions originating Nestorius Nestorius (c  386 &ndashc  451) was a pupil of Theodore of Mopsuestia in Antioch in Syria (modern Tengriism ( Tengerism, Tengrianism, Tengrianizm, Tengricilik) was the major belief of the Mongols and Turkic peoples before The Göktürks were the first Turkic people to write their language in a runic script. Old Turkic (also East Old Turkic, Orkhon Turkic, Old Uyghur) is the earliest attested Turkic language, found in inscriptions by the The Old Turkic script (also Göktürk script, Orkhon script, Orkhon-Yenisey script; Turkish: Orhun Yazıtları, 鄂爾渾文字

Migrations

Main article: Turkic migrations

The Turkic peoples and the related groups migrated west towards Eastern Europe, Iranian plateau and Anatolia. The Turkic migration as defined in this article was the expansion of the Turkic peoples across most of Central Asia into Europe and the Middle Eastern Europe is a general term that refers to the Geopolitical region encompassing the easternmost part of the European continent. The Iranian Plateau, also known as the Persian plateau is a Geological formation in Southwest Asia, Southern Anatolia (Anadolu Ανατολία Anatolía) or Asia minor, comprising most of modern Turkey, is the geographic region bounded by the Black ^[26] Turks or Turkish people are among those who migrated early from what is known today as Mongolia to modern Turkey but also among the late-arrival peoples; they also participated in the Crusades. Mongolia (mɒŋˈɡoʊliə, literally Mongol country/nation,) is a Landlocked Country in East ^[27] After many battles they established their own state and later created the Ottoman Empire; their tactics were all-out sieges and invasions. ^[28]

Nomenclature

The first known mention of the term Turk applied to a Turkic group was in reference to the Göktürks in the sixth century. Göktürks ( Turkish: Gök Türkler) were a Turkic people of ancient Central Asia. A letter by the Chinese Emperor written to a Göktürk Khan named Ishbara in 585 described him as "the Great Turk Khan. The Emperor of China ( refers to any sovereign of Imperial China reigning since the founding of the Qin Dynasty in 221 BC until the fall of Shetu or Ishbara (alternative spellings Ïshbara Shapolo Shaboüle Efu-Khan Shetu-Khan, 沙鉢略可汗 was the first son of Kara Khan, grandson of " The Orhun inscriptions (AD 735) use the terms Turk and Turuk. The Old Turkic script (also Göktürk script, Orkhon script, Orkhon-Yenisey script; Turkish: Orhun Yazıtları, 鄂爾渾文字

Previous use of similar terms are of unknown significance, although some strongly feel that they are evidence of the historical continuity of the term and the people as a linguistic unit since early times. This includes a Chinese record of 1328 BC referring to a neighbouring people as Tu-Kiu.

In modern Turkey, a distinction is made between "Turks" and the "Turkic peoples" in loosely speaking: the term Türk corresponds specifically to the "Turkish-speaking" people (in this context, "Turkish-speaking" is considered the same as "Turkic-speaking"), while the term Türki refers generally to the people of modern "Turkic Republics" (Türki Cumhuriyetler or Türk Cumhuriyetleri). However, the proper usage of the term is based on the linguistic classification in order to avoid any political sense. The Turkic languages constitute a Language family of some thirty languages spoken by Turkic peoples across a vast area from Eastern Europe and the Politics Politics is the process by which groups of people make decisions In short, the term Turkic can be used for Turk or vice versa. ^[29]

Traditions about nomenclature

Map from Kashgari's Diwan, showing the distribution of Turkic tribes.

Timeline of Scythian kurgans in Asia and Europe (Per Fig. 6 of Alekseev, A. Yu. et al. , "Chronology of Eurasian Scythian Antiquities" ^[30]

.

According to Mahmud of Kashgar, an eleventh century Turkic scholar, and various other traditional Islamic scholars and historians, the name "Turk" stems from Tur, one of the sons of Japheth, and comes from the same lineage as Gomer (Cimmerians) and Ashkenaz (Scythians, Ishkuz) who, according to tradition, were some of the earliest Turks. Mahmud ibn Hussayn ibn Muhammad al-Kashgari (محمود بن الحسين بن محمد الكاشغري Kaşgarlı Mahmut Mehmud Qeshqeri born in 1005 in Kashgar was For millennia, a long string of historical references specifically linked Herodotus’ Scythians with various Türkic tribes, such as the Huns, Türks, Khazars etc. ^[31]. Between 400 CE and the 16th century the Byzantine sources use the name Σκΰθαι in reference to twelve different Türkic peoples ^[32] (most modern scholars believe these tribes to have been Iranian). A similar name, Dur, appears in mediaeval Hungarian legend as a legendary chieftain of the Caucasian Alans (Arran, Iron) whose daughters supposedly bred with the Magyar ancestors Hunor and Magor. Hungary (Magyarország 'mɔɟɔrorsaːg) officially in English the Republic of Hungary ( Magyar Köztársaság, literally Magyar (Hungarian Republic The Alans or Alani (occasionally but more rarely termed Alauni or Halani) were an Iranian nomadic group among the Sarmatian people Hunor and Magor were according to a famous Hungarian legend, the ancestors of the Huns and the Magyars.

In the Divan ul-Lughat at-Turk (Turkic dictionary) of Mahmud of Kashgar, Alp Er Tunga, is identified with the character Afrasiab ("Frangasyan" in the Avesta) in Persian literature, a descendant of the character named Tur in the Persian epic Shahnameh. Alp Er Tunga ( Turkish: Alp Er Tunga( Brave Soldier Tunga pronounced Alp Ehr Toonga) is a Turkish mythical hero believed to be Afrasiab Afrasiab ( afrāsiyāb) (افراسياب Avestan: Fraŋrasyan; Pahlavi: Frāsiyāv, Frāsiyāk and Freangrāsyāk The Avesta is the primary collection of sacred texts of Zoroastrianism, composed in the Avestan language. Tur is a character in the Persian epic Shahnameh. He is the second son of the legendary Iranian king Fereydun and brother of both Salm Shāhnāmé, or Shāhnāma ((alternative spellings are Shahnama Shahnameh Shahname Shah-Nama, etc Alp Er Tunga is a mythical hero in Turkic tradition; the Göktürks of the sixth century carried on the tradition of Alp Er Tunga and they too had a myth according to which they themselves were descendants of a wolf.

History

Main article: History of the Turkic peoples

Göktürk petroglyphs from Mongolia. This article refers to the history of Turkic peoples. For the history of Turkish people, see History of the Turkish people. Petroglyphs are Images created by removing part of a rock surface by incising pecking carving and abrading Mongolia (mɒŋˈɡoʊliə, literally Mongol country/nation,) is a Landlocked Country in East

It is generally believed that the first Turkic people were native to a region extending from Central Asia to Siberia. Central Asia is a region of Asia from the Caspian Sea in the west to central China in the east and from southern Russia in the north to northern Pakistan in the south Siberia (Сиби́рь Sibir) is the name given to the vast region constituting almost all of Northern Asia and for the most part currently serving Some scholars contend that the Huns were one of the earlier Turkic tribes, while others support Mongolic origin for the Huns. The Huns were an early confederation of Central Asian equestrian nomads or semi-nomads with a Turkic core of aristocracy The Mongolic languages are a group of languages spoken in Central Asia. ^[33] Otto Maenchen-Helfen's linguistic studies also support a Turkic origin for the Huns. ^[34][35] The main migration of Turks, who were among the ancient inhabitants of Turkestan, occurred in medieval times, when they spread across most of Asia and into Europe and the Middle East. Turkestan (literally meaning "Land of the Turks" is a region in Central Asia, which today is largely inhabited by Turkic peoples. The Middle East is a Subcontinent with no clear boundaries often used as a synonym to Near East, in opposition to Far East. ^[36]

The precise date of the initial expansion from the early homeland remains unknown. The first state known as "Turk", giving its name to many states and peoples afterwards, was that of the Göktürks (gog = "blue" or "celestial") in the sixth century AD. Göktürks ( Turkish: Gök Türkler) were a Turkic people of ancient Central Asia. The head of the Asena clan led his people from Li-jien (modern Zhelai Zhai) to the Juan Juan seeking inclusion in their confederacy and protection from China. Rouran ( Wade-Giles: Jou-jan) Ruanruan/Ruru ( also known as Tan Tan ( was the name of a confederation of Nomadic tribes on His tribe were famed metal smiths and were granted land near a mountain quarry which looked like a helmet, from which they were said to have gotten their name 突厥(tūjué). A century later their power had increased such that they conquered the Juan Juan and set about establishing their Gök Empire. ^[36]

Later Turkic peoples include the Karluks (mainly eighth century), Uyghurs, Kyrgyz, Oghuz (or Ğuz) Turks, and Turkmens. The Karluks (obs Qarluqs, Qarluks, Karluqs, Arab/Persian Halluh,, customary phonetic Gelolu, Gelu, Khololo The Uyghur (also spelled Uygur, Uighur, Uigur, Uyghur: ئۇيغۇر) are a Turkic people of Central Asia. The Kyrgyz (also spelled Kirgiz, Kirghiz) are a Turkic Ethnic group found primarily in Kyrgyzstan. The Oghuz (variously known as Ghuzz, Guozz, Kuz, Oguz, Oğuz, Okuz, Oufoi, Ouz, Ouzoi, This article is about the Turkmen people of Turkmenistan. For the distinct group of Turk peoples of Iraq see Iraqi Turkmen. As these peoples were founding states in the area between Mongolia and Transoxiana, they came into contact with Muslims, and most gradually adopted Islam. Mongolia (mɒŋˈɡoʊliə, literally Mongol country/nation,) is a Landlocked Country in East Transoxiana (sometimes spelled Transoxania "河中“Chinese / Ma Wara'un-Nahr ( Arabic: ما وراء النهر / Farārood (فرارود For other meanings including people named 'Islam' see Islam (disambiguation. However, there were also (and still are) small groups of Turkic people belonging to other religions, including Christians, Jews (Khazars), Buddhists, and Zoroastrians. Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings PLEASE TAKE NOTE************ "Kazar" redirects here for the Marvel Comics character see Ka-Zar; for the village in Azerbaijan see Xəzər. Buddhism is a family of beliefs and practices Zoroastrianism (ˌzɔroʊˈæstriəˌnɪzəm is the religion and philosophy based on the teachings

Turkic soldiers in the army of the Abbasid caliphs emerged as the de facto rulers of most of the Muslim Middle East (apart from Syria and Egypt), particularly after the tenth century. A caliphate (from the Arabic خلافة or khilāfa) is the political leadership of the Muslim community in classical and medieval Islamic history Syria ( سوريّة or) officially the Syrian Arab Republic (Arabic ar الجمهورية العربية السورية This article is about the country of Egypt For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Egypt topics. The Oghuz and other tribes captured and dominated various countries under the leadership of the Seljuk dynasty and eventually captured the territories of the Abbasid dynasty and the Byzantine Empire. The Seljuq (also Seljuq Turks, Seldjuks, Seldjuqs, Seljuks; in Turkish Selçuklular; in Ṣaljūqīyān; in ^[36]

Meanwhile, the Kyrgyz and Uyghurs were struggling with one another and with the Chinese Empire. The Kyrgyz people ultimately settled in the region now referred to as Kyrgyzstan. Kyrgyzstan (ˈkɻ̩gɪztɑn (AmE or /'kɝgəztan/ (BrE Kyrgyz: Кыргызстан; Russian: Киргизия or Киргизстан or Кыргызстан The Tatar peoples conquered the Volga Bulgars in what is today Tatarstan, following the westward sweep of the Mongols under Genghis Khan in the thirteenth century. Tatars ( Tatar: Tatarlar/Татарлар sometimes spelled Tartars, are a Turkic -speaking ethnic group or multiple ethnic groups Volga Bulgaria or Volga-Kama Bolghar, is an historic state that existed between the 7th and 13th centuries around the confluence of Republic of Tatarstan (Респу́блика Татарста́н Татарстан Республикасы|Tatarstan Respublikası is a federal subject of the Russian The Mongol Empire ( Mongolyn Ezent Güren or mn Их Mонгол улс Ikh Mongol Uls; 1206–1368 was the largest contiguous Empire Genghis Khan ( or;, Chinggis Khaan, ʧiŋgɪs χaːŋ Činggis Qaɣan; 1162–1227 born (meaning "ironworker" was the Mongol founder The Bulgars were thus mistakenly called Tatars by the Russians. Native Tatars live only in Asia; European "Tatars" are in fact Bulgars. Other Bulgars settled in Europe in the seventh-8th centuries, and were assimilated into the Slavic population after adopting what eventually became the Slavic Bulgarian language. Bulgarian (български език IPA: ɛzˈik is an Indo-European language, a member of the Slavic linguistic group Everywhere, Turkic groups mixed with the local populations to varying degrees. ^[36]

The Ottoman Empire c. The Ottoman Empire (1299–1923 ( Old Ottoman Turkish: دولتْ علیّه عثمانیّه Devlet-i Âliye-yi Osmâniyye, Late Ottoman and Modern Turkish 1683

As the Seljuk Empire declined following the Mongol invasion, the Ottoman Empire emerged as the new important Turkic state, that came to dominate not only the Middle East, but even southeastern Europe, parts of southwestern Russia, and northern Africa. The Great Seljuq Empire was a Medieval Sunni Muslim empire established by the Qynyq branch of Oghuz Turks that once controlled The Mongol Empire emerged in the course of the 13th century by a series of conquests and invasions throughout Central and Western Asia, reaching Eastern Europe The Ottoman Empire (1299–1923 ( Old Ottoman Turkish: دولتْ علیّه عثمانیّه Devlet-i Âliye-yi Osmâniyye, Late Ottoman and Modern Turkish ^[36]

The Mughal Empire was a Muslim empire that, at its greatest territorial extent, ruled most of the Indian subcontinent, then known as Hindustan, and parts of what is now Afghanistan and Pakistan from the early 16th to the mid-18th century. The Mughal Empire ( Persian and self-designation گورکانی; مغلیہ سلطنت) was an Islamic imperial power which ruled most Hindustan (हिन्दुस्तान, ہندوستان,) is one of the popular Names of India. Afghanistan /æfˈgænɪstæn/ officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan ( Pashto: د افغانستان اسلامي جمهوریت, Pakistan () officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia, Southwest Asia, Middle East and The Mughal dynasty was founded by a Chagatai Turkic prince named Babur (reigned 1526–30), who was descended from the Turkic conqueror Timur (Tamerlane) on his father's side and from Chagatai, second son of the Mongol ruler Genghis Khan, on his mother's side. Babur ( February 14 1483 - December 26 1530) was a Muslim conqueror from Central Asia who following a series of setbacks Timur also written Emir Timur or Amir Temur ( Chagatai: تیمور - Tēmōr " Iron " (1336 – 19 February 1405 among Genghis Khan ( or;, Chinggis Khaan, ʧiŋgɪs χaːŋ Činggis Qaɣan; 1162–1227 born (meaning "ironworker" was the Mongol founder ^[37][38] The Mughal dynasty was notable for the ability of its rulers, who through seven generations maintained a record of unusual talent, and for its administrative organization. A further distinction was the attempt of the Mughals to integrate Hindus and Muslims into a united Indian state. ^{[39][40][41][42]}

The Ottoman Empire gradually grew weaker in the face of maladministration, repeated wars with Russia and Austro-Hungary, and the emergence of nationalist movements in the Balkans, and it finally gave way after World War I to the present-day republic of Turkey. The Russian Empire ( Pre-reform Russian: Pоссійская Имперія Modern Russian: Российская Империя translit: Rossiyskaya World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All Turkey (Türkiye known officially as the Republic of Turkey ( is a Eurasian Country that stretches ^[36]

Language

Main article: Turkic languages

Further information: Turkic alphabets

The Orkhon script is the alphabet used by the Göktürks from the 8th century to record the Old Turkic language. The Turkic languages constitute a Language family of some thirty languages spoken by Turkic peoples across a vast area from Eastern Europe and the The Old Turkic script (also Göktürk script, Orkhon script, Orkhon-Yenisey script; Turkish: Orhun Yazıtları, 鄂爾渾文字 Göktürks ( Turkish: Gök Türkler) were a Turkic people of ancient Central Asia. Old Turkic (also East Old Turkic, Orkhon Turkic, Old Uyghur) is the earliest attested Turkic language, found in inscriptions by the It was later used by the Uyghur Empire; a Yenisei variant is known from 9th-century Kyrgyz inscriptions, and it has likely cousins in the Talas Valley of Turkestan and the Old Hungarian script of the 10th century. The Uyghur (also spelled Uygur, Uighur, Uigur, Uyghur: ئۇيغۇر) are a Turkic people of Central Asia. Yenisei (Енисе́й is the greatest River system flowing to the Arctic Ocean, and at 5539 km (3445 mi is the fifth longest river in the world The Kyrgyz (also spelled Kirgiz, Kirghiz) are a Turkic Ethnic group found primarily in Kyrgyzstan. The Talas River crosses the territory of Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan. Turkestan (literally meaning "Land of the Turks" is a region in Central Asia, which today is largely inhabited by Turkic peoples. The Old Hungarian script, also known as rovásírás (rovásírás hu ''székely rovásírás'' ( or simply hu ''rovás'' is a type of Writing system used

The Turkic alphabets are sets of related alphabets with letters (formerly known as runes), used for writing mostly Turkic languages. The Turkic languages constitute a Language family of some thirty languages spoken by Turkic peoples across a vast area from Eastern Europe and the Inscriptions in Turkic alphabets were found from Mongolia and Eastern Turkestan in the east to Balkans in the west. Mongolia (mɒŋˈɡoʊliə, literally Mongol country/nation,) is a Landlocked Country in East DO NOT ADD THE FLAG OF EAST TURKESTAN TO THIS ARTICLE *** THIS ARTICLE IS ABOUT A GEOGRAPHICAL AREA AND Most of the preserved inscriptions were dated to between 8th and 10th centuries AD.

The earliest positively dated and read Turkic inscriptions date from ca. 150, and the alphabets were generally replaced by the Uyghur alphabet in the Central Asia, Arabic script in the Middle and Western Asia, Greek-derived Cyrillic in Eastern Europe and in the Balkans, and Latin alphabet in Central Europe. Central Asia is a region of Asia from the Caspian Sea in the west to central China in the east and from southern Russia in the north to northern Pakistan in the south The Cyrillic alphabet (səˈrɪlɪk also called azbuka, from the old name of the first two letters is actually a family of Alphabets, subsets of which are used by Eastern Europe is a general term that refers to the Geopolitical region encompassing the easternmost part of the European continent. Central Europe is the Region lying between the variously and vaguely defined areas of Eastern and The latest recorded use of Turkic alphabet was recorded in Central Europe's Hungary in 1699 AD. There exist several Turkic alphabets, ie Alphabets used to write Turkic languages. Central Europe is the Region lying between the variously and vaguely defined areas of Eastern and Hungary (Magyarország 'mɔɟɔrorsaːg) officially in English the Republic of Hungary ( Magyar Köztársaság, literally Magyar (Hungarian Republic

The Turkic runiform scripts, unlike other typologically close scripts of the world, do not have a uniform palaeography as, for example, have the Gothic runes, noted for the exceptional uniformity of its language and paleography. The Old Turkic script (also Göktürk script, Orkhon script, Orkhon-Yenisey script; Turkish: Orhun Yazıtları, 鄂爾渾文字 Palaeography, palæography ( British) or paleography ( American) (from the Greek grc παλαιός palaiós, ^[43] The Turkic alphabets are divided into four groups, the best known of them is the Orkhon version of the Enisei group.

The Turkic language family is traditionally considered to be part of the proposed Altaic language family. Altaic, according to its proponents is a language family that includes 66 Languages ref> Altaic languages spoken by about 348 million people mostly in and around ^{[44][45][46][10]} The Altaic language family includes 66 languages^[47] spoken by about 348 million people, mostly in and around Central Asia and northeast Asia. List of language familiesA language family is a group of Languages related by descent from a common ancestor called the Proto-language of that family A language is a dynamic set of visual auditory or tactile Symbols of Communication and the elements used to manipulate them Central Asia is a region of Asia from the Caspian Sea in the west to central China in the east and from southern Russia in the north to northern Pakistan in the south ^[44][48][49]

The various Turkic languages are usually considered in geographical groupings: the Oghuz (or Southwestern) languages, the Kypchak (or Northwestern) languages, the Eastern languages (like Uygur), the Northern languages (like Altay and Yakut), and divergent languages (like Chuvash). The Oghuz languages, a major branch of the Turkic language family, are spoken by more than 110 million people in an area spanning from the Balkans to China Uyghur (/ ug-Latn Uyƣurqə/ug-Cyrl Уйғурчә, or / ug-Latn Uyƣur tili/ug-Cyrl Уйғур Altay is a language of the Turkic group of languages It is an official language of Altai Republic, Russia. Sakha, or Yakut, is a Turkic language with around 460000 speakers spoken in the Sakha Republic in the Russian Federation by the Sakha Chuvash (Chuvash Чӑвашла Čăvašla, ʨəʋaʂˈla also known as Chăvash, Chuwash, Chovash, Chavash, Çuvaş The high mobility and intermixing of Turkic peoples in history makes an exact classification extremely difficult.

The Turkish language belongs to the Oghuz subfamily of Turkic. Turkish ( tr Türkçe IPA) is a language spoken by over 63 million people worldwide making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. It is for the most part mutually intelligible with the other Oghuz languages, which include Azeri, Gagauz, Turkmen and Urum, and to a varying extent with the other Turkic languages. The Gagauz language ( Gagauz dili) is a Turkic language, spoken by the Gagauz people, and the official language of Gagauzia, Republic Turkmen ( Latin script: türkmen Cyrillic: түркмен ISO 639 -1 tk ISO 639-2 tuk is the name of the national language of Turkmenistan Urum is a Turkic language spoken by several thousand people who inhabit a few villages in the Southeastern Ukraine and in Diaspora communities world

Mythology

Turkic mythology is the mythology of the Turkic peoples that spoke Turkic languages which are a subfamily of the Altaic language family. The word mythology (from the Greek grc μυθολογία mythología, meaning "a story-telling a legendary lore" The Turkic languages constitute a Language family of some thirty languages spoken by Turkic peoples across a vast area from Eastern Europe and the Altaic, according to its proponents is a language family that includes 66 Languages ref> Altaic languages spoken by about 348 million people mostly in and around Tengriism and other Shamanistic religions had been the dominant religion for most of history. Tengriism ( Tengerism, Tengrianism, Tengrianizm, Tengricilik) was the major belief of the Mongols and Turkic peoples before

In one tradition, described in the ancient Zoroastrian text called the Zend-Avesta — similar to the biblical story of Noah — the Turkic peoples are descendants of "Tur" or "Tura", a grandson of Yima, who was the sole survivor of a catastrophe that depopulated the Earth. Zoroastrianism (ˌzɔroʊˈæstriəˌnɪzəm is the religion and philosophy based on the teachings Noah (or Noe, Noach;; Nūḥ; Arabic: نوح; "Rest") was according to the Bible, the tenth and last of

Animals

The Wolf symbolizes honour and is also considered the father of most Turkic peoples. The grey wolf or gray wolf ( Canis lupus) also known as the timber wolf or simply wolf, is a Mammal of the order Carnivora Asena (Ashina Tuwu) is the wolf mother of Tumen Il-Qağan, the first Khan of the Göktürks. Asena is the name of a female wolf in Turkic mythology. It is associated with a Göktürk ethnogenic myth "full of shamanic symbolism" Göktürks ( Turkish: Gök Türkler) were a Turkic people of ancient Central Asia.

The Horse is also one of the main figures of Turkic mythology. The horse ( Equus caballus) is a hoofed ( Ungulate) Mammal, one of eight living species of the family Equidae. Türks consider the horse an extension of the human, one creature.

The Dragon, also expressed as a Snake or Lizard, is the symbol of might and power. The dragon is a Legendary creature of which some interpretation or depiction appears in almost every culture worldwide A snake is an elongate Reptile of the suborder Serpentes Like all reptiles snakes are covered in scales. Lizards are a large and widespread group of Reptiles of the order Squamata, with nearly 5000 species and ranging across all continents except It is believed, especially in mountainous Central Asia, that dragons still live in the mountains of Tian-Shan (Tangri Tagh) and Altay. Central Asia is a region of Asia from the Caspian Sea in the west to central China in the east and from southern Russia in the north to northern Pakistan in the south The Tian Shan (天山 Pinyin: Tiān Shān "celestial mountains" also commonly spelled Tien Shan, is a Mountain range located in Central The Altai Mountains (Алтай Altay; Алтай 阿尔泰山脉 are a Mountain range in central Asia, where Russia, Dragons also symbolize the god Tengri (Tanrı) in ancient Turkic tradition, although dragons themselves aren't worshipped as gods. Tengri is the supreme god of the old Xiongnu, Xianbei, Turkic, Bulgar, Mongolian, Hunnic and Altaic

Personalities

Geser (Ges'r, Kesar) is a Tibetan/Mongolian religious epic about 'Geser' (also known as 'Bukhe Beligte') a Turkic prophet who taught Türks the new monotheistic religion Tengriism. The Epic of King Gesar is the central epic poem of Tibet and much of Central Asia. Tengriism ( Tengerism, Tengrianism, Tengrianizm, Tengricilik) was the major belief of the Mongols and Turkic peoples before It is unknown when he lived, and there are not many historical documents that mention him. Tengriism isn't approved by most Muslim scholars, but sura 108 of the Quran has the name Al-Kawthar,in which the word kawthar could potentially be read as 'Käusar', which may be an Arabisation of the Turkic name 'Geser'. Sura (sometimes spelt "Surah" ar سورة, plural "Suwar" ar سور is an Arabic term literally meaning "something enclosed or surrounded Surat al-Kawthar (سورة الكوثر (" Abundance " is the 108th sura of the Qur'an, and the shortest The name of this sura is conventionally interpreted as "all goods" or "abundance", but this is not certain and many scholars have different opinions on this sura.

The legend of Timur (Temir) is the most ancient and well-known. Timur also written Emir Timur or Amir Temur ( Chagatai: تیمور - Tēmōr " Iron " (1336 – 19 February 1405 among Timur found a strange stone that fell from the sky, an iron ore meteorite. Iron (ˈаɪɚn is a Chemical element with the symbol Fe (ferrum and Atomic number 26 A meteorite is a natural object originating in Outer space that survives an impact with the Earth 's surface He was a smith and decided to make a sword of it. Few knew about iron in Asia before then. He tried to make a sword from it by using the usual bronze sword making process. Bronze is any of a broad range of Copper alloys, usually with Tin as the main additive but sometimes with other elements such as Phosphorus Sword making, historically has been the work of specialized smiths or metalworkers called Bladesmiths or Swordsmiths Modern armorers and swordsmiths still ply their He mentioned that this material, iron, was very easy to change and manipulate, though it was even stronger than bronze. Today, the word "temir" or "timur" means "iron". The melting process was known before in Egypt, but it wasn't used that widely in Asia, because of the very high iron price (much higher than gold) in the Mediterranian and Europe at that time. This article is about the country of Egypt For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Egypt topics. Gold (ˈɡoʊld is a Chemical element with the symbol Au (from its Latin name aurum) and Atomic number 79

Bai-Ulgan (Bai-Ulgen, Ulgen, Ülgen, Ulgan) is a Turkic and Mongolian creator-deity. Bai-Ulgan or Ulgan (beɪˈʊlgən Old Turkic: Bey Ülgen; also spelled Bai-Ulgen, Bai-Ülgen, Bay-Ulgan, Bay-Ulgen

In the Bible, Togarmah, son of Gomer, was ancestor of the Turkic-speaking peoples. Togarmah ( Armenian: Thorgom, Թորգոմ Georgian: Thargamos, თარგამოს third son of Gomer, and grandson of Gomer ( גֹּמֶר, Standard Hebrew Gómer, Tiberian Hebrew Gōmer, go'mer) is the eldest son of Japheth, and father His sons Ujur (Uyghur: Mongol-Turks), Tauris, Avar, Uauz (Oghuz Turks), Bizal, Tarna, Khazar, Janur, Bulgar, and Sawir (Sabir, a Turkic people, probably of Hunnic origin) are the mythical founders of tribes that once lived around the Black and Caspian Seas. "Kazar" redirects here for the Marvel Comics character see Ka-Zar; for the village in Azerbaijan see Xəzər. For places in Azerbaijan see Sabir Azerbaijan. Sabir is also another name for the Mediterranean pidgin language Lingua Franca, from its word

Religion

Main articles: Islam in Azerbaijan, Zoroastrianism in Azerbaijan, Islam in Uzbekistan, Islam in Turkmenistan, Islam in Turkey, Islam in Cyprus, Islam in Kazakhstan, and Islam in Russia

A shaman doctor of Kyzyl. See also Religion in Azerbaijan Approximately 934 to 96 percent of the population of Azerbaijan is nominally Muslim. Zoroastrianism in Azerbaijan goes back to the first millennium BC and for at least a thousand years remained the predominant religion in Azerbaijan Islam is by far the dominant Religion in Uzbekistan. In the early 1990s many of the Russians remaining in the Republic (about 8% of the Traditionally the Turkmen of Turkmenistan, like their kin in Uzbekistan and Afghanistan, are Sunni Muslims. The region comprising modern Turkey has a long and rich Islamic tradition stretching back to the dawn of the Seljuk period and Ottoman Empire. Islam in Cyprus was introduced when Uthman the 3rd Caliph conquered Cyprus in 649. Islam is the largest religion practiced in Kazakhstan. Ethnic Kazakhs are historically Sunni Muslims of the Hanafi school. Islam is currently the second most widely professed religion in the Russian Federation Kyzyl ( Tuvan and Кызы́л is a city, and is the capital of the Tuva Republic, Russia.

A diagram of the Tengriist World view on a Shaman's Drum. The World-tree is growing in the centre and connecting the three Worlds Underworld, Middleworld and Upperworld

Mosque in Kazakhstan. In the study of Mythology and Religion, the underworld (gr κάτω κόσμος) is a generic term approximately equivalent to the lay term Afterlife A "mosque" in English refers to all types of buildings dedicated for Islamic worship although there is a distinction in Arabic between the smaller privately owned mosque and the larger Kazakhstan, also Kazakstan ( Қазақстан, Qazaqstan, qɑzɑqˈstɑn Казахстан, Kazakhstán,) officially the

Various pre-Islamic Turkic civilizations of the sixth century adhered to Shamanist and Tengriist traditions. Tengriism ( Tengerism, Tengrianism, Tengrianizm, Tengricilik) was the major belief of the Mongols and Turkic peoples before The Shamanist religion is based on spiritual and natural elements of earth. Tengriism involves belief in Tengri as the god who ruled over the skies. Tengri is the supreme god of the old Xiongnu, Xianbei, Turkic, Bulgar, Mongolian, Hunnic and Altaic These civilizations also followed the Zoroastrian religion, especially in Azerbaijan, as well as Buddhism and Judaism. Zoroastrianism in Azerbaijan goes back to the first millennium BC and for at least a thousand years remained the predominant religion in Azerbaijan

Today, most Turks are Sunni Muslims. Sunni Islam is the largest denomination of Islam. Sunni Islam is also referred to as Ahl as-Sunnah wa’l-Jamā‘h (Arabic These include the majority of Balkan Turks, Balkars, Bashkorts, Crimean Tatars, Karachay, Kazaks, Kumuk, Kyrgyz, Nogay, Tatars (Kazan Tatars), Turkmens, Turks of Turkey, Uygurs, and Uzbeks. The Azerbaijanis of the Republic of Azerbaijan and Iranian Azerbaijan are the only major Turkic-speaking people that traditionally adhere to the Shia sect of Islam. Azerbaijan ( English; Azərbaycan officially the Republic of Azerbaijan (Azərbaycan Respublikası is the largest and most populous country in the South This article is about the region in Iran for other uses see Azerbaijan (disambiguation. The Qashqay nomads and Khorasani Turks as well as various Turkic tribes spread across Iran are also Shia Muslims. Qashqai (qaʃqaːʔiː also spelled Ghashghai, Qashqay and Qashqa'i) are a Turkic people living in Iran. The Alevis of Turkey are the largest religious minority in the country. Alevis (Aleviler Elewî are a religious sub-ethnic and cultural community in Turkey, numbering in the millions Their belief system is a branch Shia Twelver theology. See also Shi'a Islam Twelver Shi'ism ( ar اثنا عشرية Ithnāˤashariyyah) is the largest branch of Shi'a branch of Islam

The major Christian-Turkic peoples are the Chuvash of Chuvashia and the Gagauz (Gökoğuz) of Moldova. Chuvash Republic (Чува́шская Респу́блика Чăваш Республики or Chuvashia (ru Чува́шия is a federal subject Moldova, officially the Republic of Moldova ( Republica Moldova) is a Landlocked country in Eastern Europe, located between Romania Many Karaim Turks of Eastern Europe are Jewish, and there are Turks of Jewish backgrounds who live in major cities such as Istanbul, Ankara and Baku. PLEASE TAKE NOTE************ In the Siberian region, the Altay, some Tuvan and Hakas are Tengriist, having kept the original religion of Turkic peoples. The Khakas, or Khakass, are a Turkic people, who live in Russia, in the republic of Khakassia in the southern Siberia. The Yakuts of Yakutia in northeastern Siberia are traditionally Shamanists, yet many have converted to Christianity. The Sari Uygurs (Yellow Uygurs) of western China, as well as the Tuvans of Russia are the only remaining Buddhist Turkic peoples. The Yugurs ( or Yellow Uyghurs as they are traditionally known are one of China's 56 officially recognized nationalities, consisting of 13719 persons according In addition, there are small scattered populations of Turks belonging to other religions such as the Bahá'í Faith and Zoroastrianism. The Bahá'í Faith is a Religion founded by Bahá'u'lláh in nineteenth-century Persia, emphasizing the spiritual unity of all humankind

Even though many Turkic peoples became Muslims under the influence of Sufis, often of Shi'a persuasion, most Turkic people today are Sunni Muslims—although a significant number in Turkey are Alevis. For other meanings including people named 'Islam' see Islam (disambiguation. Sufism ( تصوّف - taṣawwuf, Persian: صوفی‌گری sufigari, Turkish: tasavvuf, Urdu: تصوف Sunni Islam is the largest denomination of Islam. Sunni Islam is also referred to as Ahl as-Sunnah wa’l-Jamā‘h (Arabic Alevis (Aleviler Elewî are a religious sub-ethnic and cultural community in Turkey, numbering in the millions Alevi Turks, who were once primarily dwelling in eastern Anatolia, are today concentrated in major urban centers in western Turkey with the increased urbanism. The traditional religion of the Chuvash of Russia, while containing many ancient Turkic concepts, also shares some elements with Zoroastrianism, Khazar Judaism, and Islam. Zoroastrianism (ˌzɔroʊˈæstriəˌnɪzəm is the religion and philosophy based on the teachings "Kazar" redirects here for the Marvel Comics character see Ka-Zar; for the village in Azerbaijan see Xəzər. The Chuvash religious calendar cycle and the agrarian cult that it was based on combined ancestor worship and worship of earth, water and vegetation. The Chuvash converted to Eastern Orthodox Christianity for the most part in the second half of the nineteenth century. The Eastern Orthodox Church is the second largest single Christian Communion in the world As a result, festivals and rites were made to coincide with Orthodox feasts, and Christian rites replaced their traditional counterparts. A minority of the Chuvash still profess their traditional faith. ^[50] Some Turkic peoples (particularly in the Russian autonomous regions and republics of Altay, Khakassia, and Tuva) are largely Tengriists. Altai Republic (Респу́блика Алта́й Altay: Алтай Республика is a federal subject of Russia (a Republic) Republic of Khakassia (Респу́блика Хака́сия Khakass: Хакасия Республиказы or Khakasiya (ru Хака́сия is a federal Tyva Republic (Респу́блика Тыва́ Respublika Tyva, rʲɪˈspublʲɪkə tɨˈva Тыва Республика Tyva Respublika) or Tuva Tengriism was the predominant religion of the different Turkic branches prior to the eighth century, when the majority accepted Islam.

The Gagauz people of Moldova are largely Christians. Moldova, officially the Republic of Moldova ( Republica Moldova) is a Landlocked country in Eastern Europe, located between Romania

There are Turkic-speaking groups of Jews, such as the Crimean Karaites. The Crimean Karaites (Crimean Karaim: sg къарай - qaray, pl

There are also a few Buddhist (e. g. Tuvans), Jewish, Zoroastrian, and Bahá'í Turkic peoples today. Tuvans or Tuvinians ( Tuvan: Тывалар Tyvalar) are a group of Mongols or Turkic people.

The traditional Inner Asian cults, commonly referred to as shamanism, survive in many places, often submerged in other religions. In post-Soviet Siberia, 300 years after their forced conversion, the Yakuts (Sakha) and others have completely rejected Orthodox Christianity in favor of a revived shamanism. Yakuts, self-designation Sakha, are a Turkic -speaking people associated with the Sakha (Yakutia Republic. The term Orthodox Christianity may refer to The Eastern Orthodox Church: the Eastern Christian churches of Byzantine ^[51]

Remark: The name Tengri has been changed to Tanrı in modern Turkish (as spoken in Turkey), the same as in Azeri, literally meaning "God" in English. Tengri is the supreme god of the old Xiongnu, Xianbei, Turkic, Bulgar, Mongolian, Hunnic and Altaic Tengri is the supreme god of the old Xiongnu, Xianbei, Turkic, Bulgar, Mongolian, Hunnic and Altaic Turkey (Türkiye known officially as the Republic of Turkey ( is a Eurasian Country that stretches The Azerbaijanis are an Ethnic group mainly in the Republic of Azerbaijan and northwestern Iran. However, traditionally, God is referred to as Allah in most daily usage. The word tengri / tanrı is still in use by citizens of Azerbaijan and Turkey, where Islam is the dominant religion. Azerbaijan ( English; Azərbaycan officially the Republic of Azerbaijan (Azərbaycan Respublikası is the largest and most populous country in the South Turkey (Türkiye known officially as the Republic of Turkey ( is a Eurasian Country that stretches

Ethnic subdivisions

See also: List of Turkic groups

The distribution of peoples of Turkic cultural background ranges from Siberia, where the Yakuts reside, across Central Asia, to Eastern Europe. This is a List of Turkic groups Altays (Oirots Azerbaijanis Balkars (along with Karachays speakers Siberia (Сиби́рь Sibir) is the name given to the vast region constituting almost all of Northern Asia and for the most part currently serving Yakuts, self-designation Sakha, are a Turkic -speaking people associated with the Sakha (Yakutia Republic. Presently, the largest groups of Turkic people live throughout Central Asia—Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Azerbaijan, in addition to Turkey. Kazakhstan, also Kazakstan ( Қазақстан, Qazaqstan, qɑzɑqˈstɑn Казахстан, Kazakhstán,) officially the Kyrgyzstan (ˈkɻ̩gɪztɑn (AmE or /'kɝgəztan/ (BrE Kyrgyz: Кыргызстан; Russian: Киргизия or Киргизстан or Кыргызстан Turkmenistan ( Türkmenistan; also known as Turkmenia) is a Turkic country in Central Asia. Uzbekistan, officially the Republic of Uzbekistan ( Uzbek: O‘zbekiston Respublikasi or Ўзбекистон Республикаси is a doubly Azerbaijan ( English; Azərbaycan officially the Republic of Azerbaijan (Azərbaycan Respublikası is the largest and most populous country in the South Turkey (Türkiye known officially as the Republic of Turkey ( is a Eurasian Country that stretches Additionally, Turkic peoples are found within Crimea, the Xinjiang region of western China, northern Iraq, Iran, Israel, Russia, Afghanistan, Cyprus, and the Balkans: Moldova, Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, and former Yugoslavia. Crimea (kraɪˈmiːə or the Autonomous Republic of Crimea (Крим Автономна Республіка Крим Avtonomna Respublika Krym; Крым Xinjiang ( Uyghur: شىنجاڭ Shinjang;; Postal map spelling: Sinkiang; Turkish: Sincan, Sincan Uygur Özerk China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iraq topics. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iran topics. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending Afghanistan /æfˈgænɪstæn/ officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan ( Pashto: د افغانستان اسلامي جمهوریت, Cyprus (Κύπρος transliterated: Kýpros,; Kıbrıs officially the Republic of Cyprus (Κυπριακή Δημοκρατία Kypriakī́ Dīmokratía Moldova, officially the Republic of Moldova ( Republica Moldova) is a Landlocked country in Eastern Europe, located between Romania Greece (Ελλάδα transliterated: Elláda, historically, Ellás,) officially the Hellenic Republic (Ελληνική Δημοκρατία The state of Bulgaria (България transliterated bg-Latn ''Balgaria'' The country preserves the traditions (in ethnic name language and alphabet of the First Bulgarian Romania ( dated: Rumania, Roumania See also Kingdom of Yugoslavia, Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Yugoslavia ( Serbo-Croatian A small number of Turkic people also live in Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania. Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania (Lietuvos Respublika is a Country in Eastern often referred to as Northern Europe or in the There is also a small number in eastern Poland. Poland (Polska officially the Republic of Poland There are also considerable populations of Turkic people (originating mostly from Turkey) in Germany, United States, and Australia, largely because of migrations during the twentieth century. Turkey (Türkiye known officially as the Republic of Turkey ( is a Eurasian Country that stretches Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics.

Atatürk with his adopted daughter Sabiha Gökçen, the world's first female combat pilot, from the archive of Turkish Air Force. Mustafa Kemal Atatürk (19 May 1881 &ndash 10 November 1938 was an army officer revolutionary Statesman Sabiha Gökçen ( March 22, 1913, Bursa — March 22, 2001, Ankara) was the first Turkish female Aviator The Turkish Air Force (Türk Hava Kuvvetleri is a branch of the Turkish Armed Forces.

Chinghiz Aitmatov

An exact line between the different Turkic peoples cannot easily be drawn. Chinghiz Aitmatov (Чыңгыз Айтматов tʃɯŋˈʀɯs ɑjtˈmɑtəf Чингиз Торекулович Айтматов (born 12 December 1928 in The following is a non-comprehensive list of the major groups:

• Altays (Oirots)
• Azerbaijanis
• Balkars (along with Karachays, speakers of the Karachay-Balkar language)
• Bashkirs
• Bulgars
• Chulyms
• Chuvashs
• Crimean Tatars
• Dolgans
• Gagauz
• Iraqi Turkmen
• Karachays (along with Balkars, speakers of the Karachay-Balkar language)
• Crimean Karaites
• Karakalpaks
• Karapapak
• Kazakhs
• Khakas
• Khazars
• Kipchaks (Cumans)
• Kizilbashs (Descendants of the 7 Turkic tribes who formed the Kizilbash-army)
• Krymchaks (speak a modified form of Crimean Tatar)
• Kumyks
• Kyrgyz
• Meskhetian Turks
• Nogais
• Qashqai
• Salar
• Tatars
  • Volga Tatars (or Kazan Tatars, or simply Tatars)
  • Crimean Tatars
    • Nağaybäklär
    • Baltic Tatars
  • Siberian Tatars
  • Lipka Tatars
• Tofalars
• Turkmens
• Turks of Turkey (see also Ottoman Turks or Seljuk Turk)
  • Turkish Cypriots
• Tuvans
• Uyghur
• Uzbeks
• Yakuts
• Yörüks

Sometimes the above list is grouped into six branches: the Oghuz Turks, Kipchak, Karluk, Siberian, Chuvash, and Sakha/Yakut branches. The Altay or Altai are an ethnic group of Turkic people living in the Siberian Altai Republic and Altai Krai and surrounding areas The Azerbaijanis are an Ethnic group mainly in the Republic of Azerbaijan and northwestern Iran. The Balkars ( Karachay-Balkar: sg малкъар - malqar, pl The Karachay-Balkar language (Къарачай-Малкъар /Qarachay-Malqar/ is a Turkic language spoken by the Karachays and Balkars. The Bashkirs, a Turkic people, live in Russia, mostly in the republic of Bashkortostan. The Bulgars (also Bolgars or proto-Bulgarians) were a seminomadic people probably of Turkic descent originally from Central Asia, The Chulyms, also Chulym Tatars, ( Чулымцы in Russian; self-designation Чулымские люди, the Russian phrase for Chulymian The Chuvash ( Chuvash Чǎвашсем Russian Чуваши Tatar: Çuaşlar Чуашлар are a Turkic -speaking people Crimean Tatars (sg Qırımtatar, pl Qırımtatarlar) or Crimeans (sg Dolgans (долганы self-designation долган тыа-кихи саха are a Turkic -speaking people who mostly inhabit Krasnoyarsk Krai, Russia The Iraqi Turkmen (also spelled Turkomen, Turcoman, and Turkman) ( Turkish: Irak Türkmenleri) are a distinct Turkic The Balkars ( Karachay-Balkar: sg малкъар - malqar, pl The Karachay-Balkar language (Къарачай-Малкъар /Qarachay-Malqar/ is a Turkic language spoken by the Karachays and Balkars. The Crimean Karaites (Crimean Karaim: sg къарай - qaray, pl The Karakalpaks (also Qaraqalpaqs) are a Turkic ethnic group who mainly live in the lower reaches of the Amu Darya and in the (former delta For the municipality in Azerbaijan see Qarapapaq. The Karapapak (Karapapakh Garapapag Terekeme are a small ethnic group of Turkic-speaking The Kazakhs (also spelled Kazaks, Qazaqs; Kazakh: Қазақтар qɑzɑqtɑr Russian: Казахи the English name is transliterated The Khakas, or Khakass, are a Turkic people, who live in Russia, in the republic of Khakassia in the southern Siberia. "Kazar" redirects here for the Marvel Comics character see Ka-Zar; for the village in Azerbaijan see Xəzər. Qizilbash or Kizilbash ( Nastaliq: قزلباش - Qizilbāš; Ottoman Turkish for "Red Heads" is a name given to a wide The Krymchaks ( Krymchak: sg кърымчах - qrymchakh, pl Kumyks ( Kumyk: къумукълар qumuqlar, Russian: кумыки are a Turkic people occupying the Kumyk plateau in north Dagestan The Kyrgyz (also spelled Kirgiz, Kirghiz) are a Turkic Ethnic group found primarily in Kyrgyzstan. Meskhetian Turks or Meskhetians are the former Muslim inhabitants of Meskheti (Georgia along the border with Turkey. The Nogai people (also written as Nogay or Noghai, and sometimes called Caucasian Mongols) are a Turkic ethnic group in northern Qashqai (qaʃqaːʔiː also spelled Ghashghai, Qashqay and Qashqa'i) are a Turkic people living in Iran. The Salar people ( Salar: Salar Chinese: 撒拉族 Pinyin: Sālāzú) are one of the 56 ethnic groups officially recognized by the Tatars ( Tatar: Tatarlar/Татарлар sometimes spelled Tartars, are a Turkic -speaking ethnic group or multiple ethnic groups Volga Tatars are a Turkic people of Russia most of whom occupy the west central portion of the Ural Mountains. Kazan (Каза́нь Казан tt Qazan) is the capital city of the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia, and one of Russia's largest cities Nağaybäk ( plural Nağaybäklär Russian: Нагайбаки are an ethnoconfessional group in Russia. The Finnish Tatar community about 800 people is recognized as a national minority by the government of Finland, which considers their language as a non-territorial language The Siberian Tatars are a sub-group of the Tatars, sometimes considered a separate ethnic group The Lipka Tatars (also known as Lithuanian Tatars, Belarusian Tatars, Lipkowie or Muślimi) are a group of Tatars living on the lands Tofalars (Тофалары тофа (tofa in Russian; formerly known as карагасы or karagas are a Turkic -speaking people in the Irkutsk Oblast This article is about the Turkmen people of Turkmenistan. For the distinct group of Turk peoples of Iraq see Iraqi Turkmen. The Turkish people (Türk Halkı also known as " Turks " ( Türkler) are defined mainly as being speakers of Turkish as a First language The Ottoman Turks were the subdivision of the Ottoman Muslim Millet that dominated the ruling class of the Ottoman Empire. The Seljuq (also Seljuq Turks, Seldjuks, Seldjuqs, Seljuks; in Turkish Selçuklular; in Ṣaljūqīyān; in Turkish Cypriots ( Turkish: Kıbrıs Türkleri or Kıbrıslı Türkler Greek: Τουρκοκύπριοι are the ethnically Turkish inhabitants of the Tuvans or Tuvinians ( Tuvan: Тывалар Tyvalar) are a group of Mongols or Turkic people. The Uyghur (also spelled Uygur, Uighur, Uigur, Uyghur: ئۇيغۇر) are a Turkic people of Central Asia. The Uzbeks (Self designation sg O‘zbek, pl O‘zbeklar) are a Turkic people of Central Asia. Yakuts, self-designation Sakha, are a Turkic -speaking people associated with the Sakha (Yakutia Republic. The Yörük, also Yürük or Yuruk (yörük Bulgarian юрук, plural юруци) are a Turkish people ultimately of The Oghuz (variously known as Ghuzz, Guozz, Kuz, Oguz, Oğuz, Okuz, Oufoi, Ouz, Ouzoi, The Karluks (obs Qarluqs, Qarluks, Karluqs, Arab/Persian Halluh,, customary phonetic Gelolu, Gelu, Khololo Siberia (Сиби́рь Sibir) is the name given to the vast region constituting almost all of Northern Asia and for the most part currently serving The Chuvash ( Chuvash Чǎвашсем Russian Чуваши Tatar: Çuaşlar Чуашлар are a Turkic -speaking people Sakha, or Yakut, is a Turkic language with around 460000 speakers spoken in the Sakha Republic in the Russian Federation by the Sakha The Oghuz have been termed Western Turks, while the remaining five, in such a classificatory scheme, are called Eastern Turks.

One of the major difficulties perceived by many who try to classify the various Turkic languages and dialects is the impact Soviet and particularly Stalinist nationality policies—the creation of new national demarcations, suppression of languages and writing scripts, and mass deportations—had on the ethnic mix in previously multicultural regions like Khwarezm, the Fergana Valley, and Caucasia. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 Joseph Stalin ( ნამდვილი გვარი ჯუღაშვილი|Iosif Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili; March 5 1953 was General Secretary of the Communist Party Khwarezm were a series of States centered on the Amu Darya River delta of the The Fergana Valley or Farghana Valley (Farg‘ona vodiysi Kyrgyz: Фергана өрөөнү Tajik: водии Фaрғонa Ферганская долина Many of the above-mentioned classifications are therefore by no means universally accepted, either in detail or in general. Another aspect often debated is the influence of Pan-Turkism, and the emerging nationalism in the newly independent Central Asian republics, on the perception of ethnic divisions. Pan-Turkism is a political movement aiming to unite the various Turkic peoples into a modern political State, a Confederation, or an economic union closely The term nationalism can refer to an Ideology, a sentiment, a form of Culture, or a Social movement that focuses on the Nation

Turkic republics flags

Flag of Altai Republic	Flag of Azerbaijan	Flag of Bashkortostan	Flag of Chuvashia
Flag of Gagauzia	Flag of Kabardino-Balkaria	Flag of Karachay-Cherkessia	Flag of Karakalpakstan
Flag of Kazakhstan	Flag of Khakassia	Flag of Kyrgyzstan	Flag of Sakha
Flag of Tatarstan	Flag of Turkey	Flag of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus	Flag of Turkmenistan
Flag of Tuva	Flag of Uzbekistan	Flag of Xinjiang

Physical appearance

The Turkic peoples possess physical features ranging from Caucasoid to Northern Mongoloid. Altai Republic (Респу́блика Алта́й Altay: Алтай Республика is a federal subject of Russia (a Republic) Azerbaijan ( English; Azərbaycan officially the Republic of Azerbaijan (Azərbaycan Respublikası is the largest and most populous country in the South Republic of Bashkortostan (Респу́блика Башкортоста́н Башҡортостан Республикаһы or Bashkiria (ru Башки́рия Chuvash Republic (Чува́шская Респу́блика Чăваш Республики or Chuvashia (ru Чува́шия is a federal subject Gagauzia ( Gagauz: Gagauziya or Gagauz-Yeri; Moldovan/Romanian: Găgăuzia Гагаузия formally known as the Autonomous Territorial The Kabardino-Balkar Republic (Кабарди́но-Балка́рская Респу́блика Kabardian: Къэбэрдей-Балъкъэр Республикэ Karachay-Cherkess Republic (Карача́ево-Черке́сская респу́блика Karachay-Balkar: Къарачай-Черкес Республика Karakalpakstan ( Karakalpak: Qaraqalpaqstan Respublikası or Қарақалпақстан Республикасы; Uzbek: Qoraqalpog`iston Kazakhstan, also Kazakstan ( Қазақстан, Qazaqstan, qɑzɑqˈstɑn Казахстан, Kazakhstán,) officially the Republic of Khakassia (Респу́блика Хака́сия Khakass: Хакасия Республиказы or Khakasiya (ru Хака́сия is a federal Kyrgyzstan (ˈkɻ̩gɪztɑn (AmE or /'kɝgəztan/ (BrE Kyrgyz: Кыргызстан; Russian: Киргизия or Киргизстан or Кыргызстан Republic of Tatarstan (Респу́блика Татарста́н Татарстан Республикасы|Tatarstan Respublikası is a federal subject of the Russian Turkey (Türkiye known officially as the Republic of Turkey ( is a Eurasian Country that stretches The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus ( TRNC) (Kuzey Kıbrıs Türk Cumhuriyeti KKTC) commonly called Northern Cyprus (Kuzey Kıbrıs though its Turkmenistan ( Türkmenistan; also known as Turkmenia) is a Turkic country in Central Asia. Tyva Republic (Респу́блика Тыва́ Respublika Tyva, rʲɪˈspublʲɪkə tɨˈva Тыва Республика Tyva Respublika) or Tuva Uzbekistan, officially the Republic of Uzbekistan ( Uzbek: O‘zbekiston Respublikasi or Ўзбекистон Республикаси is a doubly Xinjiang ( Uyghur: شىنجاڭ Shinjang;; Postal map spelling: Sinkiang; Turkish: Sincan, Sincan Uygur Özerk The Caucasian race, sometimes the Caucasoid race, is a term of Racial classification, coined around 1800 by Johann Friedrich Blumenbach for the " The term " Mongoloid " is a variation of the word "Mongol" meaning "Mongol-like" In western Turkic lands, such as Turkey and Azerbaijan, a great many people look "European" and "Mediterranean". In Turkey, people with light-coloured eyes such as blue, green, hazel, or gray and blond or brown hair are common. Caucasoid and Mongoloid facial structure is common among many Turkic groups, such as Kazakhs and Uzbeks. The Kazakhs (also spelled Kazaks, Qazaqs; Kazakh: Қазақтар qɑzɑqtɑr Russian: Казахи the English name is transliterated The Uzbeks (Self designation sg O‘zbek, pl O‘zbeklar) are a Turkic people of Central Asia.

There has been much debate about the racial nature of the original Turkic-speaking ancestors, with some in the past presuming a "Ural-Altaic race" with Caucasoid features at one end of the spectrum and Mongoloid features at the other. The term race or racial group usually refers to the concept of categorizing Humans into Populations or groups on the basis of various sets

Gallery

The "Kokbayraq" flag. This flag is used by Uyghurs as a symbol of the East Turkestan independence movement. The Uyghur (also spelled Uygur, Uighur, Uigur, Uyghur: ئۇيغۇر) are a Turkic people of Central Asia. East Turkestan Independence Movement is a broad term that refers to advocates of an independent self-governing Xinjiang, also referred to as East Turkestan It is almost identical to the flag of Turkey except with a blue background. The Chinese government prohibits using the flag in the country. Talk People's Republic of China) PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES	2nd century BC - 2nd century AD, characters of Hun- Syr-Tardush (Syanbi) script (Mongolia and Inner Mongolia), N. The Xiongnu ( Turkish: Doğu Hun were a confederation of nomadic tribes from Central Asia with a ruling class of unknown origin and other subjugated tribes The Xianbei ( were a significant nomadic people residing in Manchuria and eastern Mongolia, or Xianbei Shan. Ishjatms, "Nomads In Eastern Central Asia", in the "History of civilizations of Central Asia", Volume 2, Fig 5, p. 166, UNESCO Publishing, 1996, ISBN 92-3-102846-4	Oldest known Turkic alphabet listings, Rjukoku and Toyok manuscripts. Toyok manuscript transliterates Turkic alphabet into the Uyghur alphabet. Uyghur (/ ug-Latn Uyƣurqə/ug-Cyrl Уйғурчә, or / ug-Latn Uyƣur tili/ug-Cyrl Уйғур Per I. L. Kyzlasov, Runic Scripts of Eurasian Steppes, Moscow, Eastern Literature, 1994, ISBN 5-02-017741-5.	A copy of Göktürk (Orkhon) Epigraph in Ankara
Whirling dervishes in Turkey	Qashqai caravan halt in Iran	Karachay patriarchs in the nineteenth century	Mustafa Kemal Ataturk with his soldiers at Anafartalar, Çanakkale, 1915
Armed students of "Gökçeada Öğretmen	Kazan Tatar woman, 18th century	Crimean Tatar soldier fighting with the soldier of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth	Sultan Bayezid captured by Timur after the Battle of Ankara
Mehmed II enters Constantinople with his army. Ankara is the capital of Turkey and the country's second largest city after İstanbul. The Mevlevi Order or the Mevleviye are a Sufi order founded by the followers of Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Balkhi-Rumi, a 13th century Persian Qashqai (qaʃqaːʔiː also spelled Ghashghai, Qashqay and Qashqa'i) are a Turkic people living in Iran. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iran topics. Mustafa Kemal Atatürk (19 May 1881 &ndash 10 November 1938 was an army officer revolutionary Statesman Çanakkale (ʧɑˈnɑkːɑle is a town and seaport in Turkey, in Çanakkale Province, on the southern (Asian coast of the Dardanelles (or Gökçeada is a rural district of the Çanakkale Province of Turkey. The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, officially the Commonwealth of the Crown of the Polish Kingdom and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania also known as the Most Serene Republic Bayezid I ( Ottoman: بايزيد الأول Turkish: Beyazıt, nicknamed Yıldırım (Ottoman ییلدیرم "the Thunderbolt" Timur also written Emir Timur or Amir Temur ( Chagatai: تیمور - Tēmōr " Iron " (1336 – 19 February 1405 among The Battle of Ankara or Battle of Angora, fought on July 20 or July 28 1402 took place northeast of Ankara at the field of Çubuk	Suleiman the Magnificent	Golden Horde invasion of Russia in 1382. Suleiman I (سليمان Sulaymān, Süleyman almost always Kanuni Sultan Süleyman) ( 6 November 1494 5/ 6 September 1566 This article refers to the medieval Turkic state For the Irish rock band see The Golden Horde (band.	Babur, founder of the Mughal dynasty. Babur ( February 14 1483 - December 26 1530) was a Muslim conqueror from Central Asia who following a series of setbacks The Mughal Empire ( Persian and self-designation گورکانی; مغلیہ سلطنت) was an Islamic imperial power which ruled most

People

Turkish man	Azerbaijani girls	Qashqai women spinning (Iran)	Uzbek students
Turkmen girl	Kazakh people (performing traditional music)	Kyrgyz man performing epic poem	Uyghur girl (China)
Tuvan family in traditional clothing (Russia)	Performing Azeri musicians	Minusinsk Tatars

Notes and references

Further reading and references

• Chavannes, Édouard (1900): Documents sur les Tou-kiue (Turcs) occidentaux. Paris, Librairie d’Amérique et d’Orient. Reprint: Taipei. Cheng Wen Publishing Co. 1969.
• Findley, Carter Vaughn. 2005. The Turks in World History. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-516770-8; 0-19-517726-6 (pbk. )
• Charles Warren Hostler, The Turks of Central Asia, (Greenwood Press, November 1993), ISBN 0-275-93931-6
• H. B. Paksoy ALPAMYSH: Central Asian Identity under Russian Rule (Hartford: AACAR, 1989)
• Peter B. Golden, An introduction to the history of the Turkic peoples: Ethnogenesis and state-formation in medieval and early modern Eurasia and the Middle East, (Otto Harrassowitz (Wiesbaden) 1992) ISBN 3-447-03274-X
• Colin Heywood, The Turks (The Peoples of Europe), (Blackwell 2005), ISBN 978-0631158974
• Baskakov, N. A. 1962, 1969. Introduction to the study of the Turkic languages. Moscow. (In Russian)
• Boeschoten, Hendrik & Lars Johanson. 2006. Turkic languages in contact. Turcologica, Bd. 61. Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz. ISBN 3447052120
• Clausen, Gerard. 1972. An etymological dictionary of pre-thirteenth-century Turkish. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
• Deny, Jean et al. 1959-1964. Philologiae Turcicae Fundamenta. Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz.
• Johanson, Lars & Éva Agnes Csató (ed. ). 1998. The Turkic languages. London: Routledge. ISBN 0-415-08200-5.
• Johanson, Lars. 1998. "The history of Turkic. " In: Johanson & Csató, pp. 81-125. Classification of Turkic languages
• Johanson, Lars. 1998. "Turkic languages. " In: Encyclopaedia Britannica. CD 98. Encyclopaedia Britannica Online, 5 September. Events 1590 - Alexander Farnese 's army forces Henry IV of France to raise the siege of Paris. 2007. Turkic languages: Linguistic history
• Menges, K. H. 1968. The Turkic languages and peoples: An introduction to Turkic studies. Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz.
• Öztopçu, Kurtuluş. 1996. Dictionary of the Turkic languages: English, Azerbaijani, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Tatar, Turkish, Turkmen, Uighur, Uzbek. London: Routledge. ISBN 0415141982
• Samoilovich, A. N. 1922. Some additions to the classification of the Turkish languages. Petrograd. Classification of Türkic languages
• Schönig, Claus. 1997-1998. "A new attempt to classify the Turkic languages I-III. " Turkic Languages 1:1. 117–133, 1:2. 262–277, 2:1. 130–151.
• Voegelin, C. F. & F. M. Voegelin. 1977. Classification and index of the World's languages. New York: Elsevier.
• Amanjolov A. S. , "History of тhe Ancient Turkic Script", Almaty, "Mektep", 2003, ISBN 9965-16-204-2
• Baichorov S. Ya. , "Ancient Turkic runic monuments of the Europe", Stavropol, 1989 (In Russian)
• Ishjatms N. , "Nomads In Eastern Central Asia", in the "History of civilizations of Central Asia", Volume 2, UNESCO Publishing, 1996, ISBN 92-3-102846-4
• Kyzlasov I. L. , "Runic Scripts of Eurasian Steppes", Moscow, Eastern Literature, 1994, ISBN 5-02-017741-5
• Malov S. E. , "Monuments of the ancient Turkic inscriptions. Texts and research", M. -L. , 1951 (In Russian)
• Mukhamadiev A. , "Turanian Writing", in "Problems Of Lingo-Ethno-History Of The Tatar People", Kazan, 1995, ISBN 5-201-08300 (Азгар Мухамадиев, "Туранская Письменность", "Проблемы лингвоэтноистории татарского народа", Казань, 1995. с. 38, ISBN 5-201-08300, (In Russian)
• Vasiliev D. D. Graphical fund of Turkic runiform writing monuments in Asian areal. М. , 1983, (In Russian)
• Vasiliev D. D. Corpus of Turkic runiform monuments in the basin of Enisei. М. , 1983, (In Russian)

See also

• Chigils Turks
• Shatuo Turks
• Pan-Turanism
• Pan-Turkism
• Turkic European
• Turkic languages
• Turkic migrations
• Turkic states and empires
• Turko-Iranian
• Turko-Persian tradition
• Turkology
• List of ethnic groups
• European ethnic groups
• Peoples of the Caucasus

External links

• Turkic Republics, Regions, and Peoples: Resources - University of Michigan
• Turkic Cultures and Children's Festival, Turkic Fest
• Encyclopedia Britanica 1911 Edition
• turkicworld
• Ethnographic maps
• International Turcology and Turkish History Research Symposium
• Istanbul Kültür University
• Examples of traditional Turkish and Ottoman Clothing
• Türkçekent Orientaal's links for Turkish Language Learning
• Türkçestan Orientaal's links to Turkic languages
• Ural-Altaic-Sumerian Etymological Dictionary
• Crimean Tatar Internet Resources
• Crimean Tatar Web Site
• Kemal's Crimean Tatar Web Site with Crimean Tatar Language Resources
• Murad Adji's site Contains books in English

New DNA Results

• "Probable ancestors of Hungarian ethnic groups: an admixture analysis"C. R. GUGLIELMINO1, A. DE SILVESTRI2 and J. BERES
• MtDNA and Y chromosome polymorphisms in Hungary: inferences from the Palaeolithic, Neolithic and Uralic influences on the modern Hungarian gene pool
• World History Study Guide: "Dastan Turkic" at BookRsgs.com
• The Altaic Epic