The Turks in Tunisia, also known as Turco-Tunisians. and Tunisian Turks, ( ar, أتراك تونس; french: Turcs de Tunisie; tr, Tunus Türkleri) are ethnic

Turks Turk or Turks may refer to: Communities and ethnic groups * Turkic peoples, a collection of ethnic groups who speak Turkic languages * Turkish people, or the Turks, a Turkic ethnic group and nation * Turkish citizen, a citizen of the Republic o ...

who constitute one of the minority groups in

Tunisia ) , image_map = Tunisia location (orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = Location of Tunisia in northern Africa , image_map2 = , capital = Tunis , largest_city = capital , ...

.. In 1534, with about 10,000 Turkish soldiers, the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...

took control and settled in the region when Tunisia's inhabitants called for help due to fears that the

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Cana ...

would invade the country. Thus, during the Ottoman rule, the Turkish community dominated the political life of the region for centuries; as a result, the ethnic mix of Tunisia changed considerably with the continuous migration of Turks from

Anatolia Anatolia, tr, Anadolu Yarımadası), and the Anatolian plateau, also known as Asia Minor, is a large peninsula in Western Asia and the westernmost protrusion of the Asian continent. It constitutes the major part of modern-day Turkey. The re ...

, as well as other parts of the Ottoman territories, for over 300 years. In addition, some Turks intermarried with the local population and their male offspring were called "

Kouloughlis Kouloughlis, also spelled Koulouglis, Cologhlis and Qulaughlis (from Turkish ''Kuloğlu'' "Children of The Empire Servants" from '' Kul'' "soldier" or "servant/slave" + '' Oğlu'' "son of"), but the translation of the word "kul" as slave is mislea ...

".. Consequently, the terms "Turks" and "Kouloughlis" have traditionally been used to distinguish between those of full and partial Turkish ancestry. In northern

Cap Bon Cape Bon ("Good Cape") is a peninsula in far northeastern Tunisia, also known as Ras at-Taib ( ar, الرأس الطيب), Sharīk Peninsula, or Watan el Kibli; Cape Bon is also the name of the northernmost point on the peninsula, also known as Ra ...

, the town of Hammam Ghezèze ( "Oghuz's

bath Bath may refer to: * Bathing, immersion in a fluid ** Bathtub, a large open container for water, in which a person may wash their body ** Public bathing, a public place where people bathe * Thermae, ancient Roman public bathing facilities Plac ...

") is populated with descendants of

Oghuz Turks The Oghuz or Ghuzz Turks (Middle Turkic languages, Middle Turkic: ٱغُز, ''Oγuz'', ota, اوغوز, Oġuz) were a western Turkic people that spoke the Oghuz languages, Oghuz branch of the Turkic languages, Turkic language family. In th ...

(''Ghezèze'' and ''Aghzaz'' being Arabic for "Oghuz").

Demographics

Families of

Turkish Turkish may refer to: *a Turkic language spoken by the Turks * of or about Turkey ** Turkish language *** Turkish alphabet ** Turkish people, a Turkic ethnic group and nation *** Turkish citizen, a citizen of Turkey *** Turkish communities and mi ...

origin live mainly near the coastal cities, such as

Tunis ''Tounsi'' french: Tunisois , population_note = , population_urban = , population_metro = 2658816 , population_density_km2 = , timezone1 = CET , utc_offset1 ...

Mahdia Mahdia ( ar, المهدية ') is a Tunisian coastal city with 62,189 inhabitants, south of Monastir and southeast of Sousse. Mahdia is a provincial centre north of Sfax Sfax (; ar, صفاقس, Ṣafāqis ) is a city in Tunisia, located ...

, Hammamet and the islands (such as

Djerba Djerba (; ar, جربة, Jirba, ; it, Meninge, Girba), also transliterated as Jerba or Jarbah, is a Tunisian island and the largest island of North Africa at , in the Gulf of Gabès, off the coast of Tunisia. It had a population of 139,544 a ...

), although there are also many living within central Tunisia as well.

Culture

Language

In 2012 the Tunisian government introduced the

Turkish language Turkish ( , ), also referred to as Turkish of Turkey (''Türkiye Türkçesi''), is the most widely spoken of the Turkic languages, with around 80 to 90 million speakers. It is the national language of Turkey and Northern Cyprus. Significant sma ...

in all Tunisian secondary schools.

Religion

The Ottoman

brought with them the teaching of the

Hanafi School The Hanafi school ( ar, حَنَفِية, translit=Ḥanafiyah; also called Hanafite in English), Hanafism, or the Hanafi fiqh, is the oldest and one of the four traditional major Sunni schools (maddhab) of Islamic Law (Fiqh). It is named afte ...

Islam Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...

during the Ottoman rule of Tunisia, which still survives among the Turkish-descended families today.. Traditionally, Turco-Tunisian mosques have octagonal

minaret A minaret (; ar, منارة, translit=manāra, or ar, مِئْذَنة, translit=miʾḏana, links=no; tr, minare; fa, گل‌دسته, translit=goldaste) is a type of tower typically built into or adjacent to mosques. Minarets are generall ...

s. Examples of Ottoman-Turkish mosques include: File:Minaret, mosquée Hammouda Pacha.jpg,

Hammouda Pacha Mosque Hammouda Pacha Mosque or Hamouda Pacha al Mouradi ( ar, مسجد حمودة باشا) is a mosque in Tunis, Tunisia. It is an official historical monument. Localization This mosque is located in the Medina of Tunis, Medina area of the city, in ...

File:Babsouika 1890.jpg,

Sidi Mahrez Mosque Sidi Mahrez Mosque, also known as Mohamed Bey El Mouradi Mosque, is a mosque in Tunis, Tunisia. It is an official historical monument. Localization This mosque is located in Medina area of the city. History It was built by Mohamed Bey El Mour ...

File:Mosquée des Turcs-Houmt Souk.jpg,

Mosque of the Turks The Mosque of the Turks ( ar, جامع الترك), also known as ''Jemaa ettrouk'', is a Tunisian historical mosque located in the center of Houmt Essouk in the island of Djerba. Location The mosque is located in Houmt Essouk, in front ...

File:MinaretMosquéeSidiYousefDey.JPG, 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, of

origin, claim much of the notable Tunisian families of

such as the Hamza, Turki, Gazdagli, Agha, and Snène families.. Other prominent Tunisian families of Turkish origin include the , , El Materis, , , Mamis and the s. * Ahmed Abdelkefi, economist *, historian *

Mahmoud Aslan Mahmoud Aslan (Arabic: محمد أصلان), (1902 – after 1971) was an active participant in literary life during the French protectorate of Tunisia. He produced numerous novels, short stories, and plays. He was also the founder of the journal "' ...

, writer *, politician *

Al-Husayn I ibn Ali at-Turki Al-Husayn I ibn Ali, also known as Hussein I ( ar, حسين الأول; born in 1675 – 13 September 1740). He was the founder of the Husainid Dynasty, which ruled Tunisia until the abolition of the monarchy in 1957. Biography Husayn was born ...

, founder of the

Husainid Dynasty The Husainid dynasty or Husaynid dynasty ( ar, الحسينيون) was a ruling dynasty of the Beylik of Tunis, which was of Greek origin from the island of Crete. It came to power under al-Husayn I ibn Ali in 1705, succeeding the Muradid dynast ...

* Mohamed Salah Baratli, resistant of the French occupation, opponent of President Bourguiba, human rights activist *, religious cleric *, religious cleric *, intellectual *, religious cleric *, religious cleric * Asma Belkhodja, pioneer of the Tunisian feminist movement *, politician *

Ali Bach Hamba Ali Bach Hamba (1876 - 29 October 1918) was a Tunisian lawyer, journalist and politician. He co-founded the Young Tunisians with Béchir Sfar in 1907. Biography Bach Hamba was born in 1876 in Tunis into a family of Turkish origin, his brother, ...

, journalist and politician * Mohamed Bach Hamba, writer *

Mahmoud Ben Mahmoud Mahmoud Ben Mahmoud (born in 1947, Tunis) is a Tunisian film writer and producer. Biography Mahmoud was born in 1947 in Tunis, Tunisia, to a family of Turkish origin who had settled in Tunisia in 1710. His father was a theologian and amateur art ...

, filmmaker * Yasemin Besson, wife of

Éric Besson Éric Besson (born 2 April 1958 in Marrakesh) is a French politician and businessman. From 2009 to 2010, he was the Minister of Immigration, Integration, National Identity and Co-Development in the government of François Fillon. He left the So ...

Lotfi Bouchnak Lotfi Bouchnak ( aeb, لطفي بوشناق, Bosnian: Lutfi Bošnjak) (born January 18, 1954) is a Tunisian singer, oud player, composer and public figure. He is considered one of the best tenors in the Middle East, North Africa, and the Arab w ...

, musician * Hassen Bouhajeb, doctor. *, journalist * Ahmed Chérif, doctor *, doctor * Mustapha Dinguizli, politicianPaul Lambert, ''Dictionnaire illustré de La Tunisie : choses et gens de Tunisie'', éd. C. Saliba aîné, Tunis, 1912, p. 157 *

Ali Douagi Ali Douagi or Ali el-Du'aji ( aeb, علي الدوعاجي; January 4, 1909 – May 27, 1949) was a Tunisian literary and cultural icon who is considered to be one of the pioneers of modern Tunisian literature. He is best remembered as "the f ...

, literary and cultural icon * Abderrahman Dziri, medical researcher * Mustafa Elkatipzade, Fenerbahçe football manager * Nazli Fadhel, pioneer of the Tunisian feminist movement * Sadok Ghileb, politicianMohamed El Aziz Ben Achour, ''Catégories de la société tunisoise dans la deuxième moitié du XIX^e siècle'', éd. Institut national d'archéologie et d'art, Tunis, 1989, p. 235 *, theatre director *

Afef Jnifen Afef Jnifen (born 3 November 1963) is a Tunisian-born Italian fashion model, actress and television presenter. Biography Jnifen was born in 1963 in Ben Gardane, Tunisia and naturalized Italian citizen. She is the daughter of the former Tunisia ...

, model and actress * Mohamed Lahbib, pioneer of theater and television in Tunisia *

Mahmoud El Materi Mahmoud El Materi (December 1897 – December 13, 1972) was a Tunisian physician and politician. He was the first president and one of the founders of the Neo Destour. Biography Early life In his private journals, Mahmoud El Materi mentions ...

, physician and politician *

Moncef El Materi Moncef El Materi (born 20 November 1934) is a Tunisian businessman and former commanding officer of the artillery of Tunisia. He established Al Adwya, one of Tunisia's biggest private pharmaceutical companies, with his brother Tahar El Materi in th ...

, former soldier and businessman * Sakher El Materi, businessman * Tahar El Materi, businessman *, photographer *, artist *

Chafia Rochdi Zakia Bent Haj Boubaker Marrakchi, better known by her stage names Chafia Rochdi and Nana (November 7, 1910 – July 21, 1989) was a Tunisian singer and actress. Biography Born November 7, 1910, in Sfax as Zakia Bent Haj Boubaker Marrakchi, Roch ...

, singer and actress *

Hichem Rostom Hichem Rostom (26 May 1947 – 28 June 2022) was a Tunisian actor. He appeared in more than 70 films and television shows since 1987. He starred in '' Golden Horseshoes'', which was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 1989 Cannes ...

, actor * Mourad Salem, artist *

Rachid Sfar Rachid Sfar ( ar, رشيد صفر; born September 11, 1933), is the former Prime Minister of Tunisian President Habib Bourguiba, was born in Mahdia, the ancient Fatimite capital of Tunisia. He is the son of the Destourian leader Tahar Sfar, an ...

, former prime minister *

Mongi Slim Mongi Slim ( ar, منجي سليم, tr, Mengi Selim) (September 1, 1908October 23, 1969) was a Tunisian diplomat who became the first African to become the President of the United Nations General Assembly in 1961. He received a degree from the ...

, nationalist leader and Minister *, diplomat * Najiya Thamir, writer and radio producer * Hedi Turki, painter *

Yahia Turki Yahia Turki, (), born Yahia Ben Mahmoud El Hajjem in 1903 in Istanbul, Ottoman Empire, died 1 March 1969, was a Tunisian painter described as the "father of Tunisian painting". After the Independence in 1956, Yahia became the president of l'Ecole ...

, painter *

Zoubeir Turki Zoubeir Turki (19 November 1924 – 23 October 2009) was a Tunisian painter and sculptor of Turkish people, Turkish origin. He was the younger brother of Hedi Turki (1922–2019). Born in the Medina of Tunis to a family of Turkish people, Tu ...

, painter *

Abdeljelil Zaouche Abdeljelil Zaouche (; 15 December 1873 – 3 January 1947) was a Tunisian politician, reformer, and campaigner in the Tunisian independence movement. Youth Zaouche was born into a wealthy bourgeois family which had arrived in Tunis from Anda ...

, Minister of Justice (1936–1943) *, professor

References

Bibliography

* * *. *. * *. *. *. *. *. * *. *. *. * *. * * {{Turkish diaspora Ethnic groups in Tunisia