List of Circassians

This is a list of notable Circassians (Adyghes, Cherkess, and Kabardays), including both ethnic Circassians and people of Circassian descent.

Politicians

• Mayor Ismael Babouk - The first Mayor of Jordan's capital, Amman (1909-1911).
• Youssef Zulficar Pasha- 1st Egyptian Ambassador to Iran
• Ahmad Mahir Pasha – Egyptian Prime Minister (1944–1945)
• Abdul Majid Kubar – Libyan Prime Minister (1957–1960)
• Abdüllatif Şener – Former Finance Minister in the 54th cabinet of the Turkish Government and served as the Deputy Prime Minister in the 58th and 59th cabinets of R.T. Erdoğan.
• Deniz Baykal – Turkish politician who was a long-time leader of the Republican People's Party (CHP) in Turkey.
• Cem Özdemir – German politician. Co-chairman of the German Green Party Bgane Shapsig family
• Khaled Mohieddin – Egyptian politician
• Toujan al-Faisal – Jordanian politician and human rights activist, member of Jordanian Parliament 1993-1977, first woman ever elected to the Jordan Parliament. For her outspoken opinions she was often dubbed "the only man in parliament.".
• Bassam Abdel Majeed – former Syrian interior minister and director of the military police.
• Muhammad Sharif Pasha – Egyptian Statesman
• Ali Mahir Pasha – Egyptian Prime Minister
• Sa`id Al-Mufti Habjoka – Jordanian Prime Minister
• Ali Fethi Okyar – The Second Prime Minister of Turkey (1924–25) and the second Speaker of the Turkish Parliament after Mustafa Kemal Atatürk
• Khaireddin al Tunusy – Prime Minister of Tunisia 1873–1877.
• Mahmoud Fawzi – Prime Minister of Egypt, 1970–1974
• Mahmoud Sami el-Baroudi – Egyptian Prime Minister
• Riyad Pasha – Egyptian Prime Minister
• Hussein Onn – former Prime Minister of Malaysia with 1/4 Circassian ancestry

Heads of the federal subjects of Russia

Presidents of the Republic of Adygea

• Aslan Dzharimov – The 1st President of the Republic of Adygea
• Hazret Sovmen – The 2nd President of the Republic of Adygea
• Aslan Tkhakushinov – The 3rd President Republic of Adygea

Presidents of Kabardino-Balkaria

• Valery Kokov – The 1st President of Kabardino-Balkaria
• Arsen Kanokov -The 2nd President of Kabardino-Balkaria

Leaders

• Zeti Akhtar Aziz – Current governor of Bank Negara Malaysia, Malaysia's Central Bank whose father, Ungku Aziz, was also of Circassian descent

Royal Families

Al-Ashraf Qansuh al-Ghawri

• The Babouk family are one of the few Circassian aristocratic families left in Jordan that descend from the 'warq' social class in Circassia.
• Barquq was the first sultan of the Mamluk Burji dynasty of Egypt.
• Barsbay was the ninth Burji Mamluk sultan of Egypt
• Qaitbay was the eighteenth Burji Mamluk Sultan of Egypt
• Al-Ashraf Qansuh Al-Ghawri was the last of the Mamluk Sultans
• Maria Temryukovna – Wife of the Russian Tsar Ivan the Terrible
• Shah Abbas II - the seventh Shah of Safavid Persia
• Shah Suleiman I - the eight Shah of Safavid Persia
• His Majesty; Colonel Ismail Hussain Shirin – second husband of Princess Fawzia, sister of Egyptian King Faruk, whose first husband was Mohammed Reza Pahlawi, the former Shah of Iran
• Sultana Melek Tourhan was the wife of Sultan Hussein Kamel of Egypt.
• HH Gevherin Nedaxe Kadın Efend -third wife of the Ottoman Sultan Abdulaziz
• Queen Farida -Queen consort of Egypt and the first wife of King Farouk.
• Princess Sana Asem
• Dina bint 'Abdu'l-Hamid - former Queen of Jordan as the first wife of King Hussein, is the daughter of Fahkria Brav of the Egyptian Circassian elite.
• Shahnaz Pahlavi - daughter of Iran's last king Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and his first wife Fawzia of Egypt
• Princess Fawzia - Queen consort of Iran and the first wife of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi

Military officers

• Çerkes Ethem – Turkish militia leader who initially gained fame for fighting against the Allied powers invading Anatolia in the aftermath of the World War I and afterwards during the Turkish War of Independence.
• Alexander Bekovich-Cherkassky – a Russian officer who led the first Russian military expedition into Central Asia.
• Salah Salem – an Egyptian Military officer and member in the Egyptian Revolutionary Command Council
• Gamal Salem – an Egyptian Air Force officer and political figure
• Hussein el-Shafei – an Egyptian Military officer and member in the Egyptian Revolutionary Command Council
• Zakaria Mohieddin – an Egyptian Military officer and member in the Egyptian Revolutionary Command Council
• General officer Aziz Almasri – an Egyptian Military officer
• Major General Ibrahim Pasha Othman Kashoqa – 1st commander of the Royal Jordanian Air Force (1956–1962)
• Hero of Samu Incident Lieutenant General Ihsan Pasha Shurdom −9th commander of the Royal Jordanian Air Force (1983–1993), his Hawker Hunter Jet Fighter still presented in the entrance of the Martyr's Monument in Amman, Jordan
• Major General Awni Pasha Belal −10th commander of the Royal Jordanian Air Force (1993–1994)
• Major General Kheiredin Hakouz Bgane Bghane , Shapsigh former commander of Royal Special forces - commander of several Royal Brigades , Public security operational commander former member of Jordanian Senate (Senator )currently Elected Member of Jordanian Parliament MP
• Major General Hussein Pasha Ahmad Shodash Shapsoug – 16th commander of the Royal Jordanian Air Force (2006–2010)
• Major General Mansour Pasha Hakouz Bgane BGHANE - Shapsig - commander of southern region - Commander of central Region Military Attache in Moscow - Russia - General Inspector of Jordanian Army
• Major General Izzat Pasha Qandour −9th commander of the Jordanian public security directorate (1969–1970)
• Lieutenant General Anwar Pasha Mohammed −12th commander of the Jordanian public security directorate (1971–1976)
• Major General Mamoun Pasha Khalil Ha'opsh −14th commander of the Jordanian public security directorate (1979–1981)
• Lieutenant General Mohammad Pasha Idris Dodokh −15th commander of the Jordanian public security directorate (1981–1984)
• Lieutenant General Thyab Pasha Yousef −16th commander of the Jordanian public security directorate (1984–1985)
• General officer Tahseen Pasha Shordum −22nd commander of the Jordanian public security directorate (2002–2004)
• General officer Tareq Pasha Ala'Eddin Bersik −7th commander of the Jordanian General Intelligence Department.
• Umar Mihayshi- member of the revolutionary council that ruled Libya in 1969 and then became an active member in the Libyan opposition to the Libyan regmine.

Cultural figures

• Tevfik Esenç – Last known fully competent speaker of the Ubykh language.

Film, TV, and stage

• Hussein Fahmy- Famous Egyptian Actor
• Mervat Amin – Famous Egyptian actress
• Najdat Anzour – Syrian television and film director.
• Ludmilla Tchérina – internationally-famous ballet dancer, actress, artist and sculptor who is a member of a royal family.
• Mimi Chakib-an Egyptian actress who appeared in some 15 films mostly in the 1940s and 1950s

Musicians

• Yuri Temirkanov – Russian music director and chief conductor of the Saint Petersburg Philharmonic since 1988.
• Zamudin Guchev – craftsman and musician
• Aidamir Mugu – Russian singer.
• Aslan Tlebzu – Russian folk musician.

Artists

• Mihail Chemiakin – Famous painter, stage designer, sculptor and publisher.

Writers

• Ahmed Shawqi- Very Famous Egyptian Arabic Poet-Laureate.
• Kuba Shaaban- Famous writer, poet, musician, and historian.
• Nadine Jolie Courtney – American blogger, beauty journalist and author of Beauty Confidential
• Mohydeen Izzat Quandour – Writer, intellectual, film producer and director, and musician
• Amjad M. Jaimoukha – One of the most influential Circassian writers and publicists. His books include: The Circassians: A Handbook (RoutledgeCurzon: London and New York, 2001), The Chechens: A Handbook (Routledge: London and New York, 2005), Circassian Culture and Folklore (Bennett and Bloom: London, 2010), Parlons tcherkesse: dialecte kabarde (L'Harmattan: Paris, 2009).

Athletes

• Mahmut Atalay – Wrestler, 1968 Olympic Gold medalist
• Hamit Kaplan – Wrestler, 1956 Olympic Gold medalist
• Bibras Natkho – Former captain of the Israel under-19 football team
• Suleyman Seba – ex-President of Besiktas Football Club
• Yaşar Doğu-1948 London Olympics middleweight wrestling champion
• Hamit Kaplan -1952 World wrestling champion.

Business men

• Wagih Abaza – A Famous Egyptian business man, the owner of the agent of Peugeot in Egypt
• Selahattin Kaya - The founder and Chairman of Group Companies of Selka in Eskisehir - Turkey

See also

• Adyghe people