Conversion of Ajarians to Orthodox Christianity: Different Narratives and Perceptions

Date

2019-02-07

Author

Aydıngün, Ayşegül
Köksal, Pınar

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Based on field research and interviews conducted in both Ajaria and Tbilisi, this article focuses on the different interpretations of the conversion of ethnically Georgian Muslim Ajarians to Orthodox Christianity. It is argued that Orthodox Christianity is an important aspect of self-identification and the national narrative of all Georgians. For many Muslim Ajarians, conversion appears to be a pragmatic act, with the ultimate goal of being recognised as 'fully Georgian' by both state and society.

Subject Keywords

Geography, Planning and Development, Economics and Econometrics, Sociology and Political Science, History

URI

https://hdl.handle.net/11511/39633

Journal

EUROPE-ASIA STUDIES

DOI

https://doi.org/10.1080/09668136.2018.1543651

Collections

Department of Sociology, Article

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Citation Formats

A. Aydıngün and P. Köksal, “Conversion of Ajarians to Orthodox Christianity: Different Narratives and Perceptions,” EUROPE-ASIA STUDIES, pp. 290–314, 2019, Accessed: 00, 2020. [Online]. Available: https://hdl.handle.net/11511/39633.