The largest Circassian group in the world is a global diaspora

Wars & Conflicts · Published 17 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: While the Kabardians are a cornerstone of the North Caucasus, their story is not bound by a single border. From the mountains of Russia to the plateaus of Turkey and the deserts of Jordan, they represent a vast, multi-religious community that has shaped history across three continents.

Represented by a single star among twelve on the green-and-gold Circassian flag, the Kabardians constitute one of the twelve primary Circassian tribes. Historically rooted in the region of Kabardia in the north Caucasus, they are primarily identified today as living in the Russian republic of Kabardino-Balkaria. While Soviet administrative divisions created distinct designations like Adygeans, Cherkessians, and Shapsugs, these groups are essentially the same people—Circassians—with Cherkessians specifically being composed mostly of Kabardian and Besleney tribes. The scale of the Kabardian diaspora is significant. They constitute the largest Circassian group globally and form the largest populations of their people in Russia, Turkey, and Egypt. In Turkey alone, over 1 million Kabardians reside, with a major concentration on the Uzunyayla plateau in Kayseri Province.

Other notable communities exist in Jordan, the United States, and various regions across Turkey, including the Black Sea coast. Religion provides a complex layer to their identity. While the majority converted to Islam by the early 19th century—primarily practicing Sunni Islam of the Hanafi school—the group also maintains a history of early Christian conversion dating back to the late 2nd and early 3rd centuries. Today, some Kabardians remain Orthodox Christians in regions like North Ossetia–Alania, while a small percentage (1.8% in Kabardino-Balkaria) still practice the native Adyghe Xabze faith. There is even a small Roman Catholic minority, estimated at 1.8% of Russia's Catholic population in 2012.

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