abkhazworld.com VS.

abaza.org

Naima Neflyasheva, Candidate of Historical Sciences, Senior Research Fellow, Centre for Civilisational and Regional Studies, Institute for African Studies, Russian Academy of Sciences. Today, 25 April, marks Circassian Flag Day. The elegant and aesthetically pleasing Circassian (Cherkess) flag serves not only as the national symbol of the Republic of Adyghea but also as the emblem for all Circassians, signifying their transnational spiritual and cultural unity. Circassian Flag Day is to be numbered among the truly national celebrations, featuring horseback-processions, car-rallies, dzhegu (Circassian dance-gathering – ed.), and online flash-mobs. However, our understanding of the Circassian flag actually remains somewhat limited. Each year, the online sphere is inundated with quotes from the Englishman Edmund Spencer's book, "Travels in Circassia", describing the flag's first appearance in Circassia, as well as multiple interpretations of the Circassian flag's symbols – the 12 stars and the three crossed arrows. I had a conversation with historian Samir Khotqo, Doctor of Historical Sciences and leading research fellow at ARIGI, about the real creator of the Circassian flag, the heraldic origins of its symbols, and the mission of Prince Sefer Bey Zaneqo [Circassian: Занэкъо Сэфэрбий - ed.] in the Ottoman Empire. Samir Khotqo, Doctor of Historical Sciences and leading research fellow at ARIGI. Naima Neflyasheva: In Western academic literature, the idea persists that the creator of the Circassian flag was Englishman [Scottish -ed.] David Urquhart, the secretary of the English embassy in Istanbul. Urquhart is known for a speech in which he refers to the flag of Circassia as the flag of freedom and claims to be its author. Regrettably, this has led to provocative and misleading articles about the supposedly non-Circassian authorship of the flag. Samir – has Urquhart's speech been scrutinised as a historical source? Is his involvement in the