Mhallami

Mhallami
ܡܚܠܡܝ̈ܐ
محلّمى

Total population
150,000
Regions with significant populations
Turkey	60,000
Lebanon	50,000
European Union	25,000
Germany	15,000[1]
Languages
North Mesopotamian Arabic Syriac, Kurdish & Turkish
Religion
Sunni Islam
Related ethnic groups
other Semitic peoples Arabs

The Mhallami, or Mhalmites, (Arabic: محلّمى‎, Mḥallamī; Syriac: ܡܚܠܡܝ̈ܐ, Mḥallmāye/Mḥallmoye; Turkish: Mıhellemi) are Semitic people originating from Arabs. They originate from the Arab tribe of Banu Hanifa. Banu Hanifa's original land was Najd (central Arabia), but they were settled by the Umayad caliph Muawiyah I to this region. They are now primarily speakers of North Mesopotamian Arabic (qiltu variant) and Sunni Muslims of Shafi`i madh'hab.

Origin

The Mhallami people originate from the Arab tribe of Banu Hanifa. The homeland of Banu Hanifa was Najd (central Arabia), but they were settled by the Umayad caliph Muawiyah I to this region, so that they could observe the Christian population in that region.

Mhallami of Lebanon

Lebanon had a population of 70,000 to 100,000 Mhallami prior to Lebanese Civil War.^[2] Their origin and legal status became a particular concern when they started to seek asylum in Western European countries en masse in early 1980s.^[3]

Mhallami association

The first Mhallami cultural association of Turkey was founded in February 2008 in Hapsınas (Mercimekli) village of Midyat^[4] where the people still speak fluent Syriac.^[5] The association, jointly with the Syriac Cultural Association of Midyat, had organised the first international Mhallami conference in August 2008.^[6] Most of Mhallamis in Turkey live in Mardin and their famous place is Yerköy. It is a village that well known by the other name is Binardke. There are also 25 villages like that in the region.

References