Who are the Magyarabs - an African people who consider themselves Hungarians
Although it seems that there are almost no blank spots left on the world map, scientists continue to discover previously unknown tribes. Moreover, sometimes they make amazing discoveries about peoples who have lived next to us for centuries. A striking example is the Magyarabs. They live in Africa, look like typical representatives of the Black Continent, but in fact consider themselves Hungarians.
The Magyarabs have lived on the banks of the Nile in Egypt and Sudan for centuries, but only recently has widespread interest in them emerged. Scientists decided to study this unique ethnic group with an unusual and mysterious history. As a result, the world learned many amazing facts about the Magyarabs, and now these people are being talked about everywhere.
The history of the Magyarabs begins in medieval Europe. The Ottoman Empire, which was constantly at war with its neighboring countries, captured part of the territory of modern Hungary. According to the customs of that time, the conquered population began to be taken into the army of the invaders. Among those who replenished the Sultan's army were both captive Magyars and volunteers.
Hungarians fought in the Ottoman army in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. This is how they ended up in what is now Egypt and Sudan, a region formerly known as Nubia. Some of the Hungarians who served in the Turkish garrisons later returned home. Others decided to stay in the fertile lands of the Nile Valley, where it was always summer and the land yielded several harvests a year.
There were no women among the strangers, so they took Nubian women as wives - stately and hardy. This is how a new people appeared - the Magyarabs. The name of the ethnic group was formed from the name of the Hungarians - "Magyars", to which they added the local Nubian word "ab", meaning tribe.
The place to live turned out to be extremely successful, and it was not only about the fertile soil and favorable climate. Since ancient times, the Nile served as the most important trade artery, connecting remote corners of Africa. The Magyarabs settled in the region, which can safely be called the gateway to the Muslim part of the continent. Here, trade flourished no less than agriculture.
Ethnographers knew the history of this people before, but for a long time they did not take it seriously - it seemed too incredible. Moreover, centuries later, the Magyarabs do not look like Europeans at all and are almost indistinguishable from the local population with predominantly dark skin.
If you look into it, there is nothing supernatural in the history of this people. The Magyars themselves once came to Europe from the Northern Urals, and their language is noticeably different from the languages of their neighbors. Scientists paid attention to the Magyarabs only at the beginning of the 20th century. The history of this people was discovered by the Hungarian researcher Laszlo Almasi.
Almásy lived for a long time among the Magyarabs, studying their way of life, customs and folklore. From the words of elders, he wrote down a local legend about the origin of the ethnic group. According to legend, the Magyar military leader Ibrahim el-Magyar arrived on the banks of the Nile with the Ottomans from Buda (present-day Budapest) at the beginning of the 16th century. There he married a local woman, who later gave birth to his son named Ali.
Ali had five sons, who are considered the ancestors of the Magyarabs. Of course, this is just a legend, and most likely there were many more Hungarian settlers. But the fact remains: the African people were closely connected with Hungary. The version of Arabic that the Magyarabs use still contains words of Magyar origin. And in their legends and songs, one can find motifs that are clearly imported from Europe. These people profess Islam, look like residents of North Africa, but at the same time carefully preserve their unique identity.
Over the centuries, the Magyarabs have endured many trials. Their lands have been shaken by bloody wars, colonial invasions, and other disasters. In the early 20th century, the construction of the Aswan Dam was another blow to this people. Many Magyarab communities had to be relocated from flood zones. People scattered across Egypt and Sudan. Finding themselves far from their fellow tribesmen, they gradually assimilated with the local population and lost their identity.
However, many Magyarabs continue to remember and honor their history. They are proud of their Hungarian origin, although they know very little about their historical homeland. Now the Hungarian authorities are trying to achieve recognition of this people as part of the Hungarian diaspora, despite the fact that the Magyarabs are almost not similar in appearance to modern Hungarians.
Do you know of any people with such an unusual history, living far from their historical homeland?