We have a Fund-Raising Program highlighting the rich tradition of quality Art and Craftmanship
First, take a journey in seeking traditional history of Ahiska...and the Arts & Crafts of Ahiska Turkey
Ahiska Turks, also known as Meskhetian Turks, are an ethnic group with a culture that emphasizes with passion...
family, religion, language AND AN APPRECIATION OF ART
FACTS
Religion
Most Ahiska Turks are Sunni Muslims, and yes, some are Christian. Many observe Islamic festivals, and many practices such as circumcisions, funerals, and in the middle east and Europe there are arranged marriages within some families according to Islamic traditions.
Family
Ahiska Turks place a strong value on family, kinship and networking.
Language
The main dialect spoken by Ahiska Turks is similar to the Eastern Anatolian dialects.
Agriculture
Ahiska Turks in history are primarily known as an agricultural people who also raise livestock and build wealth together as one.
Villages
It is said that Villages are important to Ahiska Turks back home, as a high percentage can trace their origins to a village in Ahiska, Georgia.
Ahiska Turks are originally from the Meskhetia region in southern Georgia, which is near the Turkish border. Their ethnic identity and historical origins are debated, with three main theories. Some historians believe they are ethnic Turks, while others believe they are Turkicized Georgians who converted to Islam during Ottoman rule.
Ahiska Turks have been forced to relocate multiple times throughout their history. In 1944, Stalin exiled them from their homeland to Uzbekistan. In 1989, they were exiled again from Uzbekistan to the Krasnodar region of Russia. In 2004, the US government granted refugee status to many Ahiska Turks in Krasnodar, and by 2006, around 17,000 had settled in the US.
The Russo-Ukrainian War has caused a new wave of Ahiska Turk refugees to flee to countries such as the US and develop support system among each other and their communities. We are a non-profit organization diligently raising funds to build a mosque and community center in Kent , WA.
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