The Assyrians are an indigenous ethnic group native to the ancient region of Mesopotamia (modern-day northern Iraq, southeastern Turkey, northeastern Syria, and northwestern Iran), considered direct descendants of the people who built the ancient Assyrian Empire—one of the world's earliest and most influential civilizations. They are a Semitic people with a distinct cultural identity shaped by millennia of history, marked by both remarkable achievements in empire-building and profound resilience amid persecution and displacement.

Brief History

Assyrian history spans nearly 5,000 years, beginning with early city-states in northern Mesopotamia around 2500 BCE and peaking during the Neo-Assyrian Empire (c. 911–609 BCE), when they controlled vast territories from Egypt to the Persian Gulf, known for advanced military tactics, monumental architecture (e.g., the palaces of Nineveh), and cultural innovations like cuneiform writing and libraries. After the empire's fall to Babylonians and Medes in the 7th century BCE, Assyrians persisted through successive empires (Achaemenid, Seleucid, Roman, Parthian, Sassanid, Byzantine, Arab Caliphate, Mongol, Ottoman), often facing marginalization as a minority. The 20th century brought tragedy, including the Assyrian Genocide (Sayfo) during World War I (1914–1923), where over 250,000 were killed by Ottoman forces, and more recent atrocities like ISIS attacks in 2014, displacing hundreds of thousands. A cultural revival in the 19th century, spurred by Western missionaries and Ottoman reforms, fostered education and national awakening but also deepened sectarian divides.

Language and Religion

Assyrians today primarily speak Neo-Assyrian and they continue using the same adopted Aramaic alphabet by their early ancestors.

 Assyrian language in the ancient empire and remain one of the world's oldest continuously spoken Semitic tongues. Classical Syriac, a liturgical form, is central to their religious texts. They are overwhelmingly Christian, affiliated with ancient Eastern and western denominations such as the Assyrian Church of the East  Chaldean Catholic Church, Syriac Orthodox Church, and Syriac Catholic Church—traditions tracing back to the early Christian era in Edessa (modern Şanlıurfa, Turkey).