The Abzakh (Adyghe: Абдзах; Russian: абадзехи; Turkish: Abzeh) are one of the twelve Circassian tribes. They lived in the mountains of today’s Adygea and Krasnodar Krai and had no princes: elders and assemblies ran their affairs. Today most Abzakh families live in Turkey, Jordan, Syria and Israel. They speak the Abzakh dialect of Adyghe.
The name
The name comes from the Abaza: Abzakh means the people living below the Abaza, because they lived lower down the mountains than the Abaza did. English Wikipedia and Turkish Wikipedia both explain it this way. The Abzakh are not the Abaza, a related people with a language of their own.
The mountain homeland
The Abzakh lived on the northern slopes of the western Caucasus, in the mountainous part of today’s Adygea and Krasnodar Krai, in the valleys of the Kurdzhips, Pshekha, Pshish, Psekups, Fars and Belaya rivers. Russian Wikipedia describes many of them living on farmsteads in forest clearings, among orchards whose traces can still be found in the woods. They farmed, kept gardens and bred prized horses.
Without princes
The Abzakh never had princes. They were divided into nine societies led by elected elders, who settled important matters at general meetings, and the sources call the tribe a republic. With the Shapsug and the Natukhai they were one of the three “democratic” tribes, the three stars in a row on the Circassian flag.
Where the Abzakh live today
Most Abzakh families live in the diaspora: they descend from families who left the Caucasus for the Ottoman Empire in the 19th century, above all in the 1860s. Turkey has the most; in Jordan the Abzakh are the largest Circassian tribe, and in Israel they live in the village of Rehaniya in the Galilee, which has a Circassian museum. There are Abzakh in Syria too.
In the Caucasus the Abzakh dialect is spoken in one village, Hakurinohabl in Adygea’s Shovgenovsky district. Another village, Mafekhabl in Maykop district, was built for Circassians who came to Adygea from Kosovo in 1998; Turkish Wikipedia says they were Abzakh.
The first Circassian primer
Umar Bersey, who published the first “Primer of the Circassian Language” in 1853, is listed among notable Abzakh. The date of its publication, 14 March, is now the Day of the Adyghe Language and Writing. See the Adyghe alphabet.
Dialect, and which course to take
The Abzakh speak the Abzakh dialect of Adyghe, West Circassian. In Adygea it has largely given way to the literary language, and Russian Wikipedia notes that mostly older people speak the dialect itself.
So the course to take is Adyghe (West Circassian): learn Adyghe with the Circassian App.
Find other Abzakh in the app
The Circassian App lets you add your family’s tribe to your profile, in the Origin field. In Search, the Tribe filter (free for everyone) shows people who chose the same tribe, so you can find other Abzakh, write to them and learn together.
The other tribes
Questions
Who are the Abzakh?
One of the twelve Circassian tribes, also written Abdzakh or Abadzekh (Russian абадзехи, Turkish Abzeh). They lived in the mountains of the western Caucasus and governed themselves without princes.
Where do Abzakh live today?
Mostly in Turkey, Jordan (where they are the largest Circassian tribe), Syria and Israel (Rehaniya). In Adygea, in the village of Hakurinohabl, and in Mafekhabl, built for Circassians from Kosovo.
What does Abzakh mean?
It is explained as “the people below the Abaza”: they lived lower down the mountains than the Abaza.
What language do the Abzakh speak?
The Abzakh dialect of Adyghe (West Circassian). To learn the language, take the Circassian App’s Adyghe (West Circassian) course.
Did the Abzakh have princes?
No. Nine societies led by elected elders ran their affairs through general meetings; with the Shapsug and Natukhai they were the three “democratic” tribes.
Free on iPhone & Android
Speak the language of your tribe
Kabardian or Adyghe lessons with audio, a Habze course, and people from your tribe to talk to.
4.9 on the App Store 50,000+ people in 100+ countries
Sources
- Wikipedia (English): Abzakhs, revision 1375142988.
- Wikipedia (Russian): Абадзехи, revision 151123751.
- Wikipedia (Turkish): Abzahlar, revision 37208868.
- Circassian App: the tribe list of the profile’s Origin field (src/data/origins.ts) and the Search filters, October 2026.
- Map: Liptink0, “Blank locator map of Circassia 1820s”, Wikimedia Commons, CC0 (after S. Khotko, «Открытие Черкесии. Картографические источники XIV–XIX вв.»).
- The three “democratic” tribes and the twelve stars: English Wikipedia, “Circassians”, as on the site’s page on the Circassian flag.
Meet Circassians from around the world
Chat with Circassians in Turkey, Jordan, Russia and beyond, and learn Kabardian or Adyghe together in short daily lessons.
Download free50,000+ people in 100+ countries
