12:13, 22 May 2003

Aguls

They call themselves agul. A nation in Dagestan. Their population is 12 thousand people. They belong to the Balkan-Caucasus race of the big European race. They speak Agul language of the Nakh-Dagestan group of the North Caucasus branch. Dialects: Keren, Koshan and Gekhun (according to a different classification - Tpig and Burkikhan). Russian, Azerbaijan and Lezgin languages are also widely spread. The believers are Moslems-sunnits.

The Aguls are probably mentioned in the Armenian source of the 7th century under the name of Agutakani. The territories occupied by the Aguls were joined to Russia in the 2nd half of the 19th century.

Traditional occupations are: distant pasture cattle-breeding (mainly sheep) and agriculture (cereals). They were also good in making carpets, woolen fabrics, wood carving, smith?s work. The main traditional type of a house is a stone house of 2 or 3 (seldom 4) floors with narrow windows. The traditional costume is of general Dagestan type. Traditional foods are farinaceous , meat and milk dishes.