People group profile · PG024089
The Talysh of Azerbaijan
The Talysh of Azerbaijan, numbering about 134,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are an Iranian people of the Caspian's Talish region who ran an independent khanate in the 1600s before Russian rule began in the 1800s, their Soviet-era identity backed by Talysh schoolbooks until 1937, when acknowledging Iranian ethnicity turned dangerous.
They are an indigenous people in the Talysh people cluster of the Persian-Median Peoples. Their primary religion is Shia Islam, and they primarily speak Talysh.
Fast facts
- Country
- Azerbaijan
- Population
- 134,000
- Affinity group
- Central Asian Peoples
- People cluster
- Talysh
- Primary language
- Talysh (tly)
- Primary religion
- Shia Islam
- Strategic Progress Index
- Engaged yet Unreached
- Evangelical
- Less than 2%
- GSEC
- Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
- Lostness priority
- Expanding Unreached People Group
- Region
- Western Asia, Asia
Where they live
Gospel status
The Talysh are Engaged yet Unreached, which means fewer than 2% are evangelical Christians, but there are sustained efforts to establish self-sustaining churches consistent with evangelical faith and practice. In GSEC terms, this people group is less than 2% evangelical, some evangelical resources are available, but there has been no active church planting among them within the past two years.
- Congregations exist Yes
- Church planting in the last two years No Churches Planted
Next steps for the Talysh
- Continue prayer and fasting for this group
- Continue gospel seed sowing and church planting among this group
- Begin training up local leaders to lead and develop strategies to reach their own people
Primary religion
Shia Islam · Islam
95% adherents
Primary language
Talysh · Indo-European family
50% speak Talysh
Gospel resources in Talysh
- Bible available, published 2018
- JESUS Film available
- Radio programs not available
- Gospel recordings not available
- Audio resources available
- Bible stories not available
Films
Bibles
- 2018 Kitab Shirketi · video, audio, text
- Korpu Ltd · video, audio
Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.
Pray for the Talysh
- John 17:3. Pray that many will come to know the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom he has sent.
- Psalm 27:1. Pray that new believers will be strengthened in the face of persecution, with the Lord as their stronghold.
- Romans 12:4–5. Pray that believers from many cultures will work together as one body so that the church is built up.
- Revelation 7:9. Pray for the day when people from this group stand before the throne with every nation, tribe, people and language.
Talysh in other countries
The same people (ROP3 109766) is reported in 1 other country.
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