The Zaza Civilization

The Zazas, (also known as Kird, Kirmanc or Dimili) are a people in eastern Anatolia who natively speak the Zaza language. Their heartland, the Dersim region, consists of Tunceli, Bingöl provinces and parts of Elaz¿¿, Erzincan and Diyarbak¿r provinces. The majority of Zazas consider themselves ethnic Kurds, part of the Kurdish nation,Among Kurdish Social groups, However, Zazas identify themselves with different names changing from region to region. Kirmancs, Kirds, Dimili/Dumbili and Zazas. And the dialect carry the names of their different regions - Kirmanchki, Kirdki, Dimilki and Zazaki. Compared to other Kurdish dialects, their dialect alone retains characteristics from ancient languages which have been preserved through time. Zazas originated in eastern Anatolia and are genetically indistinguishable from their Kurmanji neighbors, although linguistically connected to the region south of the Caspian Sea. The future of the Zaza will greatly be determined by the political processes in Turkey through the Government policies in Turkey. and through the prospective of Kurdish movement and the activity of Zaza intellectuals themselves.