Opening the Door of the Gospel to an Unengaged Unreached People Group (UUPG): The Zaza People
- mmihpedit
- Jul 3
- 3 min read
Kyo-un Jeong
Head of the Persian Studies Association
The historical, religious, and cultural community The Zaza people reside in central Türkiye, primarily in cities such as Tunceli, Erzincan, Elazığ, and Adıyaman. With a population of approximately 3.2 million, the Zaza possess a distinct language—Zazaki—and maintain a strong ethnic identity. Although classified as part of the Kurdish ethno-linguistic group, some claim descent from the nobility of the ancient Kurdish kingdom.
According to Çağlayan (2023), the Ottoman Empire did not administratively distinguish the Zaza as a separate ethnic group, instead categorizing them as Kurds, mountain dwellers, or Alevis. While the majority of the Ottoman Empire and Kurds followed Sunni Islam, many Zaza adhere to Alevism, a sect of Shia Islam. Tunceli serves as a central hub for Alevi belief, and Sunni communities often regard Alevis as heretical.
Due to the geographic isolation of mountainous regions, limited transportation infra-structure, and prolonged religious persecution, the Zaza community developed a closed, tightly-knit society characterized by strong internal cohesion. Ethnic and religious tensions, exacerbated by political instability, frequently escalated into conflict. As a result, the Zaza were subjected to severe repression by both the late Ottoman Empire and early Republican Türkiye. Despite such historical adversity, the Zaza have preserved their distinct ethnic identity.
The Zaza are an ethnic and religious minority within a minority. Although broadly regarded as part of the Kurdish group, Zazaki and Kurdish are mutually unintelligible, and the Zaza themselves distinguish their identity from that of the Kurds. While they share general Islamic doctrines, nomadic traditions, and Middle Eastern cultural traits, the Zaza maintain unique cultural practices, including oral traditions, songs, and dances performed during rituals.
Among Alevi Zaza communities, the Cemhane (Alevi place of worship) has traditionally served as the focal point of communal life. These institutions play not only religious roles but also mediate various aspects of daily life—marriage, funerals, local governance, dispute resolution, and informal legal functions. In some areas, patriarchal structures persist, where the authority of elders and internal communal rules are upheld.
Missiological Approach to the Zaza
In light of these factors, local churches in Türkiye and among the Kurds have recognized the spiritual need of the Zaza people and have begun sending missionaries and initiating church planting efforts. Nevertheless, according to the Joshua Project, the Zaza remain 0% evangelized.
Although the Zaza are an ethnolinguistically distinct group, they live within Türkiye’s national system and share certain characteristics with the Kurdish population. Therefore, effective engagement must consider both national and ethnic identity. This principle is broadly applicable to all work among Unreached Unengaged People Groups (UUPGs).
Simultaneously, it is imperative to recognize the Zaza as a distinct ethnolinguistic group. Until now, they have been broadly subsumed under the Kurdish identity and perceived merely as a population concentrated in specific cities. As a result, little effort has been made to research the Zaza, and their missiological urgency has been largely overlooked.
We hope that through the UUPG-Zaza Youth Short-Term Mission Team this summer, the door to the gospel will be opened to the Zaza people. We further pray that the global church will become aware of the Zaza and that strategic prayer and mission initiatives will begin.
The Zaza and the Bible
The region inhabited by the Zaza is the source of the Euphrates and Tigris rivers—believed by some biblical scholars to coincide geographically with the Garden of Eden as described in Genesis. Based on this, some have suggested that the eastern region of Türkiye, Armenia, and western Iran may correspond to the biblical Eden.
May the door of the gospel open to the Zaza, who dwell in this land tied to the mystery of creation and the original paradise. May this hidden UUPG—long overlooked beneath national and major ethnic categories—be brought to light before the global church, and may strategic mission efforts toward them begin in earnest.
Referance Çağlayan, E. (2023). Osmanlı Coğrafya Kitaplarında Zazalar ve Zaza Coğrafyas. Nûbihar Akademi, 5(19), 71-93
