Islam in Georgia (country)

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    Central Mosque in Tbilisi

    Muslims constitute approximately 9.9%[2] of the Georgian population. According to other sources, Muslims constitute 10-11% of Georgia's population.[3]

    In July 2011, Parliament of Georgia passed new law allowing religious minority groups with "historic ties to Georgia" to register. The draft of the law specifically mentions Islam and four other religious communities.[3]

    Mosques in Georgia operate under the supervision of the Georgian Muslim Department, established in May 2011. Until then the affairs of Georgia's Muslims had been governed from abroad by the Baku-based Caucasus Muslims Department.[4]

    In 2010, Turkey and Georgia signed an agreement by which Turkey will provide funding and expertise to rehabilitate three mosques and to rebuild a fourth one in Georgia, while Georgia will rehabilitate four Georgian monasteries in Turkey.

    Turkish bathhouse
    in Batumi.

    History

    Context

    The prevalent faith in modern-day Georgia is Orthodox Christianity, despite the country being geographically enclosed by the

    Islamic world. Simultaneously, the Middle Ages and the early Modern Era witnessed substantial interactions with the Islamic world, fostering conditions conducive to the propagation of Islam in Georgia.[6]

    Emirate of Tbilisi

    Main articles: Arab rule in Georgia and Emirate of Tbilisi

    The

    Caliph of Baghdad or, occasionally, by the ostikan of Armīniya. After the formation of the Emirate of Tbilisi, Arabic historical sources provide evidence of the use of the terms nisbas at-Tiflisi or at-Taflisi.[6]

    During the Arab period, Tbilisi (al-Tefelis) grew into a center of trade between the

    Khazar dominions. Upon the recapture of Tbilisi by Georgian King David IV in 1122, it was reinstated as the capital of the reunified Georgian state under the Bagrationi dynasty. Nevertheless, a noteworthy Muslim minority persisted in the city.[6]

    Timurids

    Main article:
    Timur's invasions of Georgia

    Between 1386 and 1404, Georgia was subjected to invasions by the armies of

    Turco-Mongol conqueror Timur, whose vast empire stretched, at its greatest extent, from Central Asia into Anatolia. In the first of at least seven invasions, Timur sacked Georgia's capital, Tbilisi, and captured the king Bagrat V in 1386. In late 1401, Timur invaded the Caucasus once again. The King of Georgia had to sue for peace, and sent his brother with the contributions. Timur was preparing for a major confrontation with the Ottoman dynasty and apparently wished to freeze the currently prevailing situation in Georgia, until he could return to deal with it more decisively and thoroughly at his leisure. Thus, he made peace with George on condition that the king of Georgia supply him with troops.[7]

    Ottoman Empire and Iranian Period

    Rostom of Kartli, a Muslim Georgian ruler of the 17th century appointed by the Iranian Safavids.
    See also:
    Chveneburi, and Iranian Georgians

    The Safavid dynasty was in constant conflict with the Ottomans over full control and influence in the Caucasus. From the early 16th to the course of the second half of the 18th century, the Safavids had to deal with several independent kingdoms and principalities, as Georgia was not a single state at the time. These entities often followed divergent political courses. Safavid interests were largely directed at Eastern (the kingdoms of Kartli and Kakheti) and Southern (the kingdoms of Samtskhe-Saatabago) Georgia while Western Georgia came under Ottoman influence. These independent kingdoms became vassals of Persia as early as in 1503.[8]

    Botanical Street and Sunnite Mosque. Middle of 1880

    On May 29, 1555, the Safavids and the Ottoman Empire concluded a

    Ottoman–Safavid War (1532–55) by which the Caucasus was divided between the two. Western Georgia and the western part of southern Georgia fell to The Ottomans, while Eastern Georgia (comprising the kingdoms of Kartli and Kakheti) and the (largest) eastern part of southern Georgia fell to Safavid Iran. The bulk of Georgia and the region which had historically always been the most dominant stayed therefore in the Iranian sphere. This partition of the Caucasus and therefore including Georgia under Islamic rule was again confirmed in 1639
    .

    The religious approach diverged between the Ottomans and Iranians in their governance of Georgia. While the Ottomans leaned towards the complete Islamization of the Southwest Georgian populace or a hands-off approach in certain western provinces, the Iranians focused on converting the elite class in the eastern region without influencing the predominant Christian majority among the population.

    Afsharid and Qajar dynasties, who ruled them.[9]

    In the regions of southern and western Georgia, where Ottoman rule held direct sway, a distinct scenario unfolded. The triumph of Ottoman dominance over South Georgia (referred to in Georgian as Samtskhe-Saatabago/Meskheti) represented a significant setback for feudal Georgia. This historical period witnessed the gradual diffusion of Islam across various rural segments of the populace. Its initial penetration occurred in the aforementioned southwest region of Georgia, notably with the establishment of the Ottoman pashalik of Akhaltsikhe (Childir). Ethnolinguistic minorities within the country also embraced Islam, a phenomenon further catalyzed by the influx of Turkic-speaking Muslim communities.[10]

    The western sector of this region, designated as Adjara, underwent a challenging process of Islamization. In the sixteenth century, as per the Ottoman census of mountainous Adjara, the majority of inhabitants adhered to Christianity, subject to religious taxes. Notably, the initial conversion to Islam primarily involved the nobility. The comprehensive Islamization of the entire population, however, reached fruition only by the closing years of the eighteenth century.[10]

    Under the Russian Empire

    See also: Georgia within the Russian Empire

    The nineteenth century marked a significant turning point in Georgia's interactions with the Islamic world, primarily shaped by its integration into the Russian Empire. This transition gradually weakened the influence of the Ottoman Empire in western Georgia and Iran in the east. Despite these shifts, Georgia continued to hold strategic importance in the foreign policies of both Iran and the Ottoman Empire, a consequence of territorial changes resulting from the

    Russo-Turkish conflicts that saw a substantial part of the South Caucasus absorbed into the Russian Empire.[11]

    The historian Giorgi Sanikidze explains that understanding the demographic composition of nineteenth-century Georgia poses challenges, especially in determining the exact number of Muslims, their ethnic backgrounds, and the dynamics of demographic changes. Historical records often make it difficult to distinguish between ethnic Persians, Turkic-speaking Muslims (later known as Azerbaijanis), and other Muslim groups. Initially, Muslims were collectively labeled as "Tartars (Tatars)," and at times, reference was made to the "Turkish-Tartar" population. However, as the Russo-Turkish and Russo-Persian wars led to an increased Muslim population within the Russian Empire, a more nuanced distinction emerged. The term "Tartar" persisted in reference to Azerbaijanis. For instance, the well-known Russian poet Alexander Pushkin noted that the owner of Tbilisi's famous Persian bathhouse was Persian, while the bathhouse attendant was Tartar.[11]

    Demographics

    The Muslims constitute from 9.9% (463,062)[2] to 11%[3] of Georgia's population.

    There are two major Muslim groups in Georgia. The ethnic Georgian Muslims are

    Pankisi Gorge are also Sunni, but are largely Sufis of the Naqshbandi
    order.

    The Meskhetian Turks, also a Sunni Hanafi group, are the former inhabitants of the Meskheti region of Georgia, along the border with Turkey. They were deported to Central Asia during November 15–25, 1944 by Joseph Stalin and settled within Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan. Of the 120,000 forcibly deported in cattle-trucks a total of 10,000 perished.[12] Today they are dispersed over a number of other countries of the former Soviet Union. There are 500,000 to 700,000 Meskhetian Turks in exile in Azerbaijan and Central Asia.[13][14]

    There are also smaller numbers of Muslims in Georgia belonging to other ethnic groups of the

    Armenian Muslims
    ).

    Geographical distribution

    According to the 2014 Georgian Census, there were 398,677 Muslims in Georgia, down from 433,784 Muslims according to the 2004 Georgian Census. However, the share of Muslims clearly increased from 9.9 percent in 2004 to 10.7 percent in 2014. The Muslim population lives mainly in rural areas (298,668 people, or about 75% of the total population).

    Regions/Municipalities Population (2014) Number of Muslims %
    Kvemo Kartli 423,986 182,216 43.0%
    Adjara 333,953 132,852 39.8%
    Marneuli 104,300 86,777 83.2%
    Batumi 152,839 38,762 25.4%
    Kakheti 318,583 38,683 12.1%
    Gardabani 81,876 35,145 42.9%
    Bolnisi 53,590 33,716 62.9%
    Khelvachauri 51,189 28,841 56.3%
    Khulo 23,327 22,072 94.6%
    Kobuleti 74,794 21,573 28.8%
    Tbilisi 1,108,717 16,268 1.5%
    Sagarejo 51,761 15,804 30.5%
    Guria 113,350 12,951 11.4%
    Dmanisi 19,141 12,340 64.5%
    Shuakhevi 15,044 11,193 74.4%
    Keda 16,760 10,411 62.1%
    Lagodekhi 41,678 9,662 23.2%
    Ozurgeti 48,078 7,649 15.9%
    Tsalka 18,849 7,375 39.2%
    Samtskhe–Javakheti 160,504 6,060 3.8%
    Akhmeta 31,461 5,950 18.9%
    Shida Kartli 263,382 5,650 2.1%
    Telavi 38,721 4,893 12.6%
    Rustavi 125,103 4,566 3.6%
    Kaspi 43,771 3,787 8.7%
    Adigeni 16,462 3,302 20.1%
    Lanchkhuti 31,486 2,790 8.9%
    Chokhatauri 19,001 2,435 12.8%
    Tetritsqaro 21,127 2,297 10.9%
    Mtskheta-Mtianeti 94,573 2,296 2.4%
    Mtskheta 47,711 2,287 4.8%
    Kareli 41,316 1,264 3.1%
    Aspindza 10,372 1,207 11.6%
    Kvareli
    		 29,827 1,041 3.5%
    Imereti 533,906 931 0.2%
    Akhalkalaki 45,070 847 1.9%
    Dedoplistsqaro 21,221 770 3.6%
    Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti 330,761 766 0.2%
    Ninotsminda 24,491 540 2.4%
    Khobi 30,548 535 1.8%
    Gori 77,549 523 0.7%
    Signagi 29,948 367 1.2%
    Khoni 23,570 269 1.1%
    Vani 24,512 211 0.9%
    Samtredia 48,562 203 0.4%
    Telavi 19,629 149 0.8%
    Akhaltsikhe 17,903 140 0.8%
    Kutaisi 147,635 104 0.1%
    Poti 41,465 79 0.2%
    Ozurgeti 14,247 77 0.5%
    Tsqaltubo 56,883 71 0.1%
    Gori 48,143 69 0.1%
    Chkhorotsqu 22,309 47 0.2%
    Gurjaani 54,337 47 0.1%
    Abasha 22,341 45 0.2%
    Terjola 35,563 43 0.1%
    Zugdidi 62,511 34 0.1%
    Akhaltsikhe 20,992 13 0.1%
    Baghdati 21,582 11 0.1%
    Borjomi 25,214 11 0.0%
    Khashuri 52,603 7 0.0%
    Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti 32,089 4 0.0%
    Georgia 3,713,804 398,677 10.7%

    Freedom of religion

    This section is an excerpt from Freedom of religion in Georgia (country) § Muslims.[edit]

    Ethnic

    Azeris, most of whom are Muslim, form the majority of the population in the southeastern Georgian region of Kvemo Kartli. Other Muslim groups include ethnic Georgians in Adjara (an autonomous region in the southwestern part of the country) and Chechens in the northeast.[15]

    In November 2012, Muslims in a western Georgian community were prevented from gathering for prayer by Orthodox priests and townspeople; the local priest said that the local residents "would not allow any minarets and mass prayers in this village", and the police did not intervene.

    Ilia II, head of the GOC, who denounced oppression of Muslims and said he himself had grown up in a household that included observant Muslims.[16]

    In August 2013, government authorities disassembled and removed a 24-metre (79-foot)     minaret from a mosque in Chela (a village in southwestern Georgia) after objections were raised by members of the surrounding community. The minaret's confiscation was reportedly prompted by claims that the metal from which it was formed may not have been properly declared for customs purposes when it was imported from Turkey. Amidst protests against the action by Muslim residents of the village, police reportedly beat six residents and arrested eleven. Unlike in some other communities with a mixture of Muslim and Orthodox residents, there had not been any protests against the mosque or its minaret by residents of Chela.[17] The minaret was eventually returned to the mosque and was reinstalled in late November 2013.[18]

    Notable Georgian Muslims

    See also

    References

    1. ^ "Religious Composition by Country, 2010-2050". Pew Research Center. 12 April 2015. Retrieved 22 October 2017.
    2. ^ a b Religion and education in Europe: developments, contexts and debates, By Robert Jackson, pg.67
    3. ^ a b c Robia (8 July 2011). "Georgia Adopts Law on the Status of Religious Minorities". crrc-caucasus.blogspot.com. Retrieved 7 April 2018.
    4. ^ Georgia Establishes New Muslim Affairs Department Independent of Azerbaijan Archived 2011-06-13 at the Wayback Machine. IslamToday. 13 May 2011. Accessed February 11, 2012.
    5. ^ Georgia to fund restoration of historical monastery in eastern Turkey Archived 2011-09-29 at the Wayback Machine
    6. ^ a b c d Sanikidze, George (2018). "Muslim Communities of Georgia: Old Problems and New Challenges". Islamophobia Studies Journal. 4 (2): 248.
    7. ISBN 0-275-96892-8
      .
    8. ISBN 9781780230702
      . Retrieved 22 December 2014.
    9. ISBN 9780199746200
      . Retrieved 23 December 2014.
    10. ^ a b Sanikidze, George (2018). "Muslim Communities of Georgia: Old Problems and New Challenges". Islamophobia Studies Journal. 4 (2): 248–249.
    11. ^ a b Sanikidze, George (2018). "Muslim Communities of Georgia: Old Problems and New Challenges". Islamophobia Studies Journal. 4 (2): 249.
    12. ^ Brennan, Dan (2003-04-05). "Obituary: Guram Mamulia". the Guardian. Retrieved 2022-11-22.
    13. ^ "East of Center » Blog Archive » Meskhetian Turks Bouncing From Exile to Exile". eastofcenter.tol.org. Archived from the original on 5 April 2011. Retrieved 7 April 2018.
    14. ^ "ECMI - European Centre for Minority Issues: Publications". www.ecmi.de. Retrieved 7 April 2018.
    15. ^ a b "International Religious Freedom Report for 2012: Georgia". United States Department of State, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor. Retrieved 21 July 2013.
    16. ^ "Friday prayer disrupted again in Kakheti village". Democracy & Freedom Watch. 13 July 2013. Retrieved 25 July 2013.
    17. ^ "Authorities Remove Minaret Forcibly, Sparking Muslim Community's Protest". Civil Georgia. 26 August 2013. Retrieved 26 August 2013.
    18. ^ "Minaret back up in Georgian village Chela". Democracy & Freedom Watch. 28 November 2013. Retrieved 1 January 2014.
    19. ^ Shah ʹAbbas & the arts of Isfahan, by Anthony Welch, pg. 17
    20. ^ A history of the Georgian people, By William Edward David Allen, pg. 153
    21. ^ The decline and fall of the Ottoman Empire By Alan Palmer, pg. 52
    22. ^ İsmail Hâmi Danişmend, Osmanlı Devlet Erkânı, Türkiye Yayınevi, İstanbul, 1971, p. 60.

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