Afro-Turks

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Not to be confused with Africans in Turkey.
Afro-Turks
Afrikalı Türkler
Total population
Between 5,000 and 20,000[1] [2]
Regions with significant populations
Muğla, Izmir, Antalya, Istanbul, Aydın, Denizli, Manisa, Mersin, Adana
Languages
Turkish
Religion
Majority Islam
Related ethnic groups
Bantus, Afro-Abkhazians, Afro-Iranians

Afro-Turks (Turkish: Afrikalı Türkler) are Turkish people of African Zanj (Bantu) heritage. Like the Afro-Abkhazians, they trace their origin to the Ottoman slave trade. Afro-Turk population is estimated to be between 5,000 and 20,000 people. Afro-Turks are different from African immigrants in Turkey, which are around 100,000 individuals.[3][4]

History[]

Beginning several centuries ago, a number of Africans, usually via Zanzibar as Zanj and from places such as Niger, Arabia, Libya, Kenya and Sudan,[5] came to the Ottoman Empire settled by the Dalaman, Menderes and Gediz valleys, Manavgat and Çukurova. African quarters of 19th-century İzmir, including Sabırtaşı, Dolapkuyu, Tamaşalık, İkiçeşmelik and Ballıkuyu, are mentioned in contemporary records.[6]

Chief black eunuch in the Imperial Harem in 1912.
Black eunuch of the Ottoman Sultan.

Some came from Crete following the population exchange between Greece and Turkey in 1923. They settled on the Aegean coast, mainly around İzmir.[5] Africans in Ayvalık declare that their ancestors from Crete spoke Greek when they came to Turkey and learned Turkish later.[7] Afro-Turks living in İzmir celebrated the traditional spring festival Dana Bayramı ("Calf Festival") until the 1960s. Dana Bayramı has currently been revived among the younger generation of Afro-Turks.[6]

Ahmet Ali Celikten who was the first black pilot in aviation history.

Ahmet Ali Çelikten, was an Ottoman warpilot during World War I.

Today[]

Areas with significant populations of Afro-Turks are in Turkey's Aegean and Marmara Region, especially Istanbul, İzmir, Aydın and Muğla provinces. People of African ancestry also live in some villages and municipalities of Antalya and Adana provinces.[8] Some of the descendants of the African settlers remain, mixed with the rest of the population in these areas and many migrated to larger cities.[5] Migration and assimilation make it difficult to estimate the number of Afro-Turks.[9]

Notable Afro-Turks[]

Fercani Şener (middle)

Arts

  • Esmeray (1949–2002), singer
  • Tuğçe Güder (born 1984), adopted by Turkish parents, model and actress
  • Kuzgun Acar (1928–1976), sculptor
  • , musician
  • Safiye Ayla (1907–1998), musician
  • , actress
  • , actor
  • , actress
  • , classical Ottoman musician
  • , musician
  • , actress, musician (Guinean grandmother)
  • , ballet dancer, choreographer (Guinean mother)
  • , ballerina
  • , actor, television presenter
  • , choreographer
  • Defne Joy Foster (1975–2011), actress, presenter (African American father)
  • , academician, yoga instructor, wellness trainer

Sports

Literature

  • Mustafa Olpak (1953–2016), writer and activist
  • , writer
  • , writer and columnist

Politics

Military

See also[]

Notes[]

  1. ^ "Afrotürken – Im toten Winkel der Geschichte". 3 April 2017.
  2. ^ "Afro-Turks •".
  3. ^ "Esenyurt'un Afrikalı göçmenleri". www.trthaber.com (in Turkish). Retrieved 26 October 2021.
  4. ^ "Afro Aksaray". www.haberturk.com (in Turkish). 3 June 2015. Retrieved 26 October 2021.
  5. ^ a b c "Turks with African ancestors want their existence to be felt". Today's Zaman. Todayszaman.com. 11 May 2008. Archived from the original on 27 August 2008. Retrieved 28 August 2008.
  6. ^ a b "Afro-Türklerin tarihi, Radikal, 30 August 2008, retrieved 22 January 2009". Radikal.com.tr. 30 August 2008. Retrieved 3 May 2012.
  7. ^ Yerleşim Yerleri ve Göç: Balıkesir/Ayvalık, afroturk.org, retrieved 25 January 2009 Archived 18 February 2009 at the Wayback Machine
  8. ^ "Yerleşim Yerleri ve Göç". Afroturk.org. Archived from the original on 18 February 2009. Retrieved 25 January 2009.
  9. ^ Afrika'nın kapıları İzmir'e açılıyor Archived 17 February 2009 at the Wayback Machine, Yeni Asır, 21 November 2008, retrieved 25 January 2009.

External links[]

  • (in Turkish) Afro-Turk Website of the Afro-Turks' association in Ayvalık
  • (in Turkish) Sessiz Bir Geçmişten Sesler Website of a research project on Afro-Turks
  • (in English) [1], Today's Zaman, 25 June 2008
  • (in English) [2], article published on 27 August 2012 about the Calf Fest, the Afro-Der Association and recent developments.
  • (in English) [3], Qantara by Ekrem Eddy Güzeldere, 27.08.2012
  • (in English) [4], Turkey's little-known African community, BBC, 07-09-2016
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