Avars (Caucasus)

The Avars, also known as Maharuls (Avar: магӀарулал, maⱨarulal, "mountaineers"), are a Northeast Caucasian ethnic group. The Avars are the largest of several ethnic groups living in the Russian republic of Dagestan. The Avars reside in the North Caucasus between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea. Alongside other ethnic groups in the North Caucasus region, the Avars live in ancient villages located approximately 2,000 meters above sea level. The Avar language spoken by the Caucasian Avars belongs to the family of Northeast Caucasian languages. Sunni Islam has been the prevailing religion of the Avars since the 14th century

This article is about the modern North Caucasian Avars. For the medieval ethnic group at the Pannonian Basin of Central and Eastern Europe, see Pannonian Avars. For other uses, see Avar (disambiguation).

Avars
Imam Shamil, an Avar political, military, and spiritual leader of Caucasian resistance to Imperial Russia in the 1800s, the third Imam of the Caucasian Imamate (1834–1859).
Total population
c. 1.5 million
Regions with significant populations
 Russia 1,012,000 (2021)
 Azerbaijan150,000
 Ukraine1,496
 Kazakhstan1,206 (2009)
 Georgia6,000
 Turkey50,000 (2005)
Languages
Avar
Religion
Sunni Islam
Related ethnic groups
Other Northeast Caucasian peoples (especially Andi people, Tsez people and Dargins)
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