Hemshin in Türkiye (Turkey)

Introduction / History

The Hemshin’s ancestors (also called the Khemshin) migrated many times from Turkey until settling in Kyrgyzstan and Russia. Others remain in Turkey. They belonged as a branch of the Hemshin people from Turkey’s Hamshen region, located along the northeastern coast of the Black Sea. Their Christian Armenian ancestors converted to Islam in the 1890s through 1920 to save themselves from death at the hands of the Ottoman Turks. Researchers report that although the Hemshins are ethnic Armenians, many world citizens identify them as Muslim Turks due to their statelessness, language and Islamic religion. Religion and language are the primary differences between them and the more numerous Armenians. In Turkey and Russia, they speak Turkish; only the ones in Kyrgyzstan still speak Armenian.

During Soviet times, people in Russia and Kyrgyzstan were re-settled for various reasons under Stalin’s policies. These migrations occurred due to political upheaval, economic pressures, or ethnic resettlement programs rather than a voluntary choice. Forced migrations have led them to feel unwelcome and stateless even to this day. Today, they live in Russia, Turkey and Kyrgyzstan.

What Are Their Lives Like?

Today, they still mostly live in rural, mountainous areas along the Black Sea. They work in their traditional occupations, including farming, cultivating tea and beekeeping.

The Hemshin are known for their clever jokes, riddles, and stories. In Turkey, they maintain some distinct cultural traditions, such as their language and cuisine.

What Are Their Beliefs?

The Hemshin people in Turkey presently make up diverse groups of Sunni Muslims. The vast majority follow Sunni Islam. Their practices align with the Hanafi school, which dominates the region. These people depend upon good works and obedience to the ways o

What Are Their Needs?

Full Bible resources exist in the Turkish and Armenian languages. Workers who appreciate their historical identity and traditions could become Christ’s ambassadors to the Hemshins.

Prayer Points

Pray for the Lord to call thousands of Hemshins to himself.
Pray that teachers will be sent to help them become firmly established in the truth of scripture and will help them learn to walk in the power of the Lord's Spirit.
Pray the Hemshin people will increasingly be drawn to Jesus (whom Muslims call Isa al-Masih), and that they will be prompted to seek the only true savior.
Pray for the Lord to visit them in dreams and visions.

Text Source:   Joshua Project