Abstract
Evaluations on the Origin of “Fatherhood (Atalık) Institution” in Crimea-Caucasus Relationships
Atalık (fatherhood) is a term derived from the Turkic name ata which means father that expresses the tradition of raising a family’s child in another family in the Caucasus. That old turkic tradition can be seen in Göktürk, Seljuk, Bolgar and Kuman-Kipchak Turks as well. It is known that the princes of Golden Horde and Crimean Khans were grown up in the Caucasus. The institution which is named as Atalık is not peculiar to Adige (Circassian) people but it has been carried from the North steppes by the nomadic warriors.<
Keywords
Crimea, Caucasus, traditions, atalık (fatherhood)