Assyrian

Assyrian refers to an ethnoreligious group indigenous to the Middle East whose members trace ancestry to the ancient Assyrian civilization of Mesopotamia. Today the term commonly denotes people who identify as Assyrian and share linguistic, cultural, and religious traditions, though some communities also identify as Chaldean or Syriac, reflecting historical church affiliations and regional differences.

Ancient history and continuity

The term also designates the inhabitants of the ancient Assyrian Empire, which arose in northern Mesopotamia and reached its height in the Neo-Assyrian period (roughly 911–609 BCE). Capital cities included Assur and Nineveh. After the empire declined, Assyrian communities persisted in successive Mesopotamian polities and in the wider region, preserving a distinct Aramaic-speaking cultural and religious heritage that later fed into modern Assyrian identity.

Language and script

Modern Assyrians predominantly speak Neo-Aramaic languages, such as Assyrian Neo-Aramaic and Chaldean Neo-Aramaic, with Syriac as a traditional liturgical and literary script. The Syriac script has several variants, including Estrangela and Syriac cursive. While Aramaic remains central to religious life, many Assyrians also use regional languages (Arabic, Kurdish, Turkish) and, in the diaspora, English, Swedish, German, and others.

Religion

Religious affiliation is diverse. The largest groups are members of the Assyrian Church of the East (historically labeled Nestorian), the Syriac Orthodox Church, the Syriac Catholic Church, and the Chaldean Catholic Church. There are also Assyrian Protestants and secular individuals within Assyrian communities.

Geography and population

Historically concentrated in northern Mesopotamia—parts of present-day northern Iraq, southeastern Turkey, northeastern Syria, and western Iran—Assyrians have dispersed globally in recent centuries. Today they number in the low millions worldwide, with significant populations in the Americas, Europe, Australia, and within Middle Eastern states, particularly in Iraqi Kurdistan and surrounding areas.