People group profile · PG046644
The Southern Zaza of Turkiye
The Southern Zaza of Turkiye, numbering about 1,780,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are a Zazaki-speaking people of southeastern Turkey's Adiyaman, Diyarbakir and Sanliurfa provinces, believed descended from Daylamite migrants out of the Caspian region, distinguished from the Alevi Northern Zaza by their Sunni faith.
They are an indigenous people in the Kurd people cluster of the Persian-Median Peoples. Their primary religion is Sunni Islam, and they primarily speak Dimli (individual language).
Fast facts
- Country
- Turkiye
- Population
- 1,780,000
- Affinity group
- Central Asian Peoples
- People cluster
- Kurd
- Primary language
- Dimli (individual language) (diq)
- Primary religion
- Sunni Islam
- Strategic Progress Index
- Engaged yet Unreached
- Evangelical
- Less than 2%
- GSEC
- Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
- Lostness priority
- Frontier Unreached People Group
- Region
- Western Asia, Asia
Where they live
Gospel status
The Southern Zaza 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 No
- Church planting in the last two years No Churches Planted
Next steps for the Southern Zaza
- 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
Sunni Islam · Islam
95% adherents
Primary language
Dimli (individual language) · Indo-European family
80% speak Dimli (individual language)
Gospel resources in Dimli (individual language)
- Bible available, published 2021
- JESUS Film not available
- Radio programs not available
- Gospel recordings not available
- Audio resources available
- Bible stories not available
Bibles
- Bible Society in Turkey · video, audio, text
Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.
Pray for the Southern Zaza
- Matthew 9:37–38. Ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest field.
- 2 Timothy 2:2. Pray for faithful local leaders who will teach others, so that the church multiplies.
- Ephesians 5:8. Pray that those walking in darkness will turn to the light and live as children of light.
- Romans 10:14–15. Ask God to send messengers, so that people can hear, believe and call on the name of the Lord.
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