DPeopleTurkic republics in Russia
Kumyks
The largest Turkic people of the North Caucasus. They live on Dagestan's Caspian lowland; Kumyk was once the common language of the whole region.
The Kumyks are a Turkic people of the Kipchak branch living on the lowland along the Caspian coast in north-eastern Dagestan. Makhachkala, Buynaksk and Khasavyurt are historic Kumyk centres. In the Middle Ages this was the seat of the Shamkhalate of Tarki.
In the 19th century Kumyk served as a common language among the many peoples of the North Caucasus. Today the Kumyks are one of Dagestan's largest peoples and the most numerous Turkic people of the North Caucasus.
Updated: September 28, 2026