Ethnic groups of Russia: Tabasarans

They are an indigenous people of southern Dagestan. Their history dates back to the powerful multi-tribal state of Caucasian Albania, which existed from the 1st century BC to the 8th century AD. Today, the Tabasarans number over 150,000.

The Tabasaran language belongs to the Lezgin branch of the Nakh-Dagestani language family. It has 46 cases, making it one of the most complex in the world. The Tabasaran script was once written using Arabic script, then Latin, and today, Cyrillic.

The Tabasarans are famous for their beautiful carpets — a craft that has been practiced for many centuries. They are handcrafted from sheep's wool, and each piece is distinguished by its durability, rich ornamentation, and multiple colors — a single rug can contain up to 200 shades!

Tabasarans prepare ‘chudu’ pies filled with meat, potatoes, cottage cheese, nettles, or pumpkin. The main national dish is ‘khinkal’: the dough is cut into small pieces, simmered in meat broth, and served with sauce and boiled beef or chicken.