Tat people (Iran)
Iranian ethnic group in Northern Iran
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Tats (Tati: Irünə Tâtün, ایرون تاتون) are an Iranian people living in northern Iran, especially in Qazvin province.
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| c. 300,000[1] | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Northern Iran, especially Qazvin province | |
| Languages | |
| Tati | |
| Religion | |
| Shia Islam | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Talyshis, Gilaks, Mazanderanis, and other Iranian peoples |
The Tats of Iran are mainly Shia Muslims and number about 300,000.[2][3][4][5][unreliable source?][verification needed]
Etymology
Starting from the Middle Ages[clarification needed], the term Tati was used not only for the Caucasus but also for northwestern Iran, where it was extended to almost all of the local Iranian languages except Persian and Kurdish.[citation needed]
Language
The Tats of Iran use the Tati language, a group of northwestern Iranian dialects which are closely related to the Talysh and Zaza.[6][7][8][9][10] Persian and Iranian Azerbaijani are also spoken.
Currently, the term Tati and Tati language is used to refer to a particular group of north-western Iranian dialects (Chali, Danesfani, Hiaraji, Hoznini, Esfarvarini, Takestani, Sagzabadi, Ebrahimabadi, Eshtehardi, Hoini, Kajali, Shahroudi, Harzani) in Iranian Azerbaijan, as well as south of it in the provinces of Qazvin and Zanjan.[11] These dialects have a certain affinity to the Talysh language, Mazanderani language and may be descendants of the extinct Old Azari language.[12]
Notable Tats
- Alireza Jahanbakhsh, Iranian footballer who plays for Iran and Feyenoord