Additional PDF Profile

Introduction / History

The Ossetians in Türkiye are descendants of migrants from the Caucasus region, primarily settling during the 19th century. Around 50,000 Ossetians migrated to the Ottoman Empire in the early 1860s, escaping conflict and repression. Many initially settled in eastern districts like Sarıkamış but later relocated further west after the Russo-Ottoman War (1877-78). By the 1960s, around 60 Ossetian villages were scattered across central and eastern Anatolia. Today, only three villages—Boyal?k, Karabacak, and Poyrazl? (in the Yozgat district)—remain predominantly Ossetian, where residents still speak the Iron and Digor dialects of the Ossetian language. Over time, urban migration led many Ossetians to move to major cities like Istanbul, Ankara, and Kars, accelerating their assimilation into Turkish society. Despite these changes, the Alan Cultural and Aid Foundation (established in 1989) continues to promote Ossetian heritage and support community solidarity.

What Are Their Lives Like?

The Ossetians in Türkiye predominantly follow Sunni Islam, a shift influenced by their migration to the Ottoman Empire, which was predominantly Muslim. This contrasts with Ossetians in the Caucasus, who remain primarily Eastern Orthodox Christians. The religious transition in Turkey resulted in the abandonment of some traditional Christian practices and customs observed in their ancestral homeland.

Despite their conversion to Islam, elements of pre-Islamic Ossetian traditions persist in their cultural practices, including rituals and celebrations tied to their Caucasian heritage. However, the influence of Turkish society has gradually shaped their religious and cultural identity over time.

What Are Their Beliefs?

Most Ossetians professed Christianity, which came from the Byzantine Empire and Georgia during the sixth and seventh centuries. Islam spread into Ossetia in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, and a large number profess Islam (Sunni).

What Are Their Needs?

Ossetians need the spiritual hunger it takes to seek and find Jesus Christ with all their hearts and minds. "Religion" is easily compartmentalized rather than a central part of life.

Prayer Items

Proclaim Scripture verses that God knows and loves these people and wants none to perish.
Pray the Scriptures that entire families will turn to Christ.
Pray that Christianity will be remembered in their traditions and the people will be attracted to the gospel.
Pray that the Holy Spirit will multiply Ossetian believers.

Scripture Prayers for the Ossette in Türkiye (Turkey).

References

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ossetians_in_Turkey
Ossetians – Wikipedia (general overview):
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ossetians
Ossetians.com – History of Ossetians and Alans:
http://ossetians.com/eng/news.php?f=3&newsid=27
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