Historical legend

The Republic of Adygea is a land wrapped in historical legend. The Great Silk Road, linking Europe with Asia, passed through the country in the Middle Ages. The ancestors of the Adyge peoples formed the Maikop culture, well-known in world archaeology. Dozens of adjacent burial mounds, connected by legend, and the mysterious dolmens, typical only of the Northwestern Caucasus, are open-air museums in and of themselves. They testify to the fascinating culture of ancient Caucasians in the distant past, and their close ties with Europe and the Orient. Circassian gardens are also widely acclaimed.

The Adyge, after whom the republic was named, are the most ancient inhabitants of the Northwestern Caucasus, known in Europe and the Orient as Circassians since the 13th century. According to written evidence, their ancestors have been called Kasogs, Zikhs and Meats at different points in history. The Adyge language belongs to the Abkhaz-Adyge group of the Caucasian languages. Adyge and Russian are the official state languages of the Republic of Adygea. Many historical and cultural landmarks of different historical epochs are among Adygea's most interesting sights.

The rich fauna and flora of the Caucasus, a worm climate and an abundance of rock shelters have attracted people to the area since it was first discovered by ancient peoples. Archaeologists believe that people first appeared in the Northern Caucasus over 780,000 years ago. In the beginning of the Bronze Age, the powerful Maikop culture developed here. It got its name from the Maikop burial mound, an archaeological monument of world importance located on the eastern outskirts of Maikop. The 11-meter burial mound was explored by the famous Russian archaeologist Nikolai Veselovsky in 1897. The burial mound is unmatched in the Northern Caucasus in terms of wealth and historical value. The Dolmen culture coexisted with the Maikop culture in the Northwestern Caucasus. Dolmens are funeral memorials consisting of huge flat stones. Similar constructions can also be found in Spain's Pyrenees.

The historical destiny of the Meats, predecessors to the Adyge, is closely intertwined with the history of Greek colonies which existed at the time on the shores of the Black Sea and Kerch Strait. Remarkable landmarks of antique culture found on the territory of the republic are now displayed in museums in Adygea, St. Petersburg and Moscow.
In the 4th century A.D., the Byzantine Empire took a keen interest in the northern region of the Black Sea. The name Meats disappeared from written evidence, replaced by Zikhs after Byzantines penetrated the region. Christianity spread through the Caucasus precisely at that time, however Christianity actively spread only among the coast-dwelling ancestors of the present-day Adyge. The rest remained pagan by tradition.
A coherent Adyge nationality took shape during the 10th century A.D. By that time, they had a common territory and language, and recognized their ethnic unity. The Adyge lived on the territory stretching from the Laba River to the Black Sea coast. The Adyge's forefathers maintained contact with other Caucasian peoples from antiquity onward. Friendly relations between the Adyge's predecessors and ancient Russia is a tradition of many centuries. Rich natural resources, direct access to the sea and passage to Transcaucasia attracted foreign invaders to Adygea throughout history. The entire way of life of the Adyge was centered on rebuffing enemies. It was only natural that a military aristocracy should stand out in Adyge society. A code of honor for a knight on horseback was formed. The institution of Adyge atalyks (educators) largely promoted that process. A child was brought up in an alien house until he came of age, at which point he was taught the skills of a warrior. Great attention was paid to combat equipment-chain-mail armor, helmet, dogger and sabre. The ancient weaponry is a wonderful monument to the mastery of medieval craftsmanship.

Horse-breeding also played an important role in the Adyge's life, and horses were of huge value.
The local people were dubbed Circassians in the middle ages. "They are referred to as Zikhs in folk Greek and Latin, Tatars call them Circassinas, while their name is Adyge in their own dialect," wrote Georgia Interiano, an Italian traveler and geographer of the Renaissance. From the 13th to 15th centuries, Genoans came to the Adyge lands and founded towns-trade colonies such as Matrega, Capa and others. The population of the towns was mixed, consisting of Italians, local tribes, Greeks and Armenians. The townsfolk salted fish and caviar, which were major export items. Genoans acted as middlemen in the slave trade to Asia Minor and Egypt. As on indirect result, the unique phenomenon of the Mamelukes later took shape in Egypt.

The Protective Guards, made up mostly of Circassians and Turks, were called Mamelukes. In 1250, Mamelukes took advantage of the feebleness of the ruling dynasty and seized power in Egypt and Syria. The Circassian dynasty ruled there until 1517. Mamelukes left a considerable mark on the history of the Middle East. They rebuffed European attacks during the Crusades on Egypt and Syria, and thwarted Tamerlane's cavalrymen. Their rule was a flourishing period for medieval Egypt.

In the 18th century, Circassia and Kabarda- the Adyge's two territorial and political formations-came under the influence of the Ottoman empire with the arrival of Muslim missionaries. However, as was the case with Christianity, the majority of the population preferred old pagan beliefs to the new religion. Islam became firmly established only in the second half of the 19th century. Currently, some 3 million Adyge live outside Adygea in over 40 countries world wide. The Adyge are one of the most ancient peoples. They form a single ethnic, cultural, linguistic and anthropological domain in the ancient Caucasus.

Note: This information is edited from official web site Adyghe Republic (www.istnet.ru/~kma)