Ethnic groups of Russia: Aghuls

The Aghuls are an indigenous small ethnic group  of the Caucasus that lives primarily in southeastern Dagestan and numbers around 37,000 people. The ethnonym ‘Aghul’ derives from the picturesque and remote Agul Valley, which is surrounded on all sides by high mountain ranges.

Richa is the most famous of the Agul villages. In the Middle Ages, it served as a vital political and religious center that fostered the spread of Islam in the region and was also known as the ‘Gate of Justice’. It’s home to one of the oldest Juma mosques in Russia.

The Aghuls are true polyglots and speak, on average, at least three languages: Aghul, Lezgin and Russian. Many also know Azerbaijani or the language of a neighboring ethnic group. Consequently, one can often hear Dargin, Lak or Tabasaran songs at Aghul celebrations.

Agul cuisine features ‘khinkal’ – pieces of dough boiled in meat broth and served with dried lamb, garlic sauce and the broth itself – as well as ‘khintsu’, a layered casserole filled with a mixture of meat and grain porridge. A traditional national dish known as ‘kuche mussu’ is prepared using roasted grain flour, wheat flour, milk and clarified butter.