Turks in Tunisia

The Turks in Tunisia, also known as Turco-Tunisians and Tunisian Turks, (Arabic: أتراك تونس‎‎ French: Turcs de Tunisie Turkish: Tunus Türkleri) are the ethnic Turks who constitute a minority group in Tunisia. In 1534, with about 10,000 Turkish soldiers, the Ottoman Empire took control and settled in the region when Tunisia's inhabitants called for help due to fears that the Spanish would invade the country. Thus, during the Ottoman rule, the Turks colonized and dominated the political life of the region for centuries; as a result, the ethnic mix of Tunisia changed with the migration of Turks from Anatolia and the evolvement of the "Kouloughlis" who are people of mixed Turkish and central Maghrebi blood.

Demographics

Families of Turkish origin live mainly near the coastal cities, such as Tunis and Mahdia, and the islands (such as Djerba), although there are also many living within central Tunisia as well.

Religion

The Ottoman Turks brought with them the teaching of the Hanafi School of Islam during the Ottoman rule of Tunisia which still survives among the Turkish descended families today. Traditionally, Turco-Tunisian mosques have octagonal minarets. Examples of Ottoman-Turkish mosques include:

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  Hammouda Pasha Mosque

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  Sidi Mahrez Mosque

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  Mosque of the Turks

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  Youssef Dey Mosque

Notable people

The Turks in Tunisia were traditionally a privileged élite in Tunisia who held positions in the military and the bureaucracy. However, by the nineteenth century, marriages with the local population linked the ruling families to indigenous notables. At this time, many Turks also turned to commerce and the crafts, initially in the Souq el-Trouk (the Bazaar of the Turks), where a considerable number of merchants of Turkish ancestry emerged. The Turks also entered the corps of artisans. The Ben Romdhan family, who are of Turkish origin, claim much of the notable Tunisian families of Mahdia such as the Hamza, Turki, Gazdagli, Agha, and Snène families. Other prominent Tunisian families of Turkish origin include the Bayram's, Belkhodja's, El Materi's, Sfar's, Osman's and the Slim's.

• Ahmed Abdelkefi, economist
• fr:Hassan Hosni Abdelwaheb, historian
• Mahmoud Aslan, writer
• fr:Saloua Tarzi Ben Attia, politician
• Al-Husayn I ibn Ali at-Turki, founder of the Husainid Dynasty
• Mohamed Salah Baratli, militant to the French occupation, opponent to the President Bourguiba and human rights activist.
• fr:Ahmed Bayram, religious cleric
• fr:M'hammed Bayram, religious cleric
• fr:Mohamed Bayram V, intellectual
• fr:Mohamed Taieb Bayram, religious cleric
• fr:Ahmed Belkhodja, religious cleric
• Asma Belkhodja, pioneer of the Tunisian feminist movement
• fr:M'hammed Belkhodja, politician
• Ali Bach Hamba, journalist and politician
• Mohamed Bach Hamba, writer
• Mahmoud Ben Mahmoud, filmmaker
• Yasemin Besson, wife of Éric Besson
• Lotfi Bouchnak, musician
• Hassen Bouhajeb, doctor
• fr:Mahmoud Bourguiba, journalist
• Ahmed Chérif, doctor
• fr:Béchir Dinguizli, doctor
• Mustapha Dinguizli, politician
• Ali Douagi, literary and cultural icon
• Abderrahman Dziri, medical researcher
• Mustafa Elkatipzade, Fenerbahçe football manager
• Nazli Fadhel, pioneer of the Tunisian feminist movement
• Sadok Ghileb, politician
• fr:Fadhila Khetmi, theatre director
• Mohamed Lahbib, pioneer of theater and television in Tunisia
• Mahmoud El Materi, physician and politician
• Moncef El Materi, former soldier and businessman
• Sakher El Materi, businessman
• Tahar El Materi, businessman
• fr:Habib Osman, photographer
• fr:Mustapha Osman, artist
• Chafia Rochdi, singer and actress
• Hichem Rostom, actor
• Mourad Salem, artist
• Rachid Sfar, former prime minister
• Mongi Slim, nationalist leader and Minister
• fr:Mustapha Kamel Tarzi, diplomat
• Najiya Thamir, writer and radio producer
• Hedi Turki, painter
• Yahia Turki, painter
• Zoubeir Turki, painter
• fr:Abdeljelil Zaouch, Minister of Justice (1936–1943)
• fr:Sadok Zmerli, professor

See also

• Kouloughlis
• History of Ottoman-era Tunisia
• Tunisia-Turkey relations
• Turkish minorities in the former Ottoman Empire
  • Turks in the Arab world
  • Turks in Algeria

Bibliography

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