Dom people

The Dom (or Domi) (دومي or دومري) of the Middle East are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group. Some authors relate them to the Domba people of India. They have a rich oral tradition and express their culture and history through music, poetry and dance. Initially it was considered that they are a branch of the Romani people, but recent studies of the Domari language suggest that they departed earlier from the Indian subcontinent, probably around the 6th century.

Their estimated population of 2.2 million is primarily spread across parts of Turkey, Egypt, Greece, Jordan, Israel, The West Bank, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Iran. The actual population, however, is thought to be higher as some Dom are excluded from national census and others label themselves in national terms rather than as Dom. Nowadays, they speak the dominant languages of their larger societies, but Domari, their national language, continues to be spoken by more insular communities. Iranians and Afghans called them Gurbati or Kouli which means foreigners.

References

External links

• Dom Research Center
• "The Gypsies of Jerusalem: the Forgotten People" By Amoun Sleem
• Domari The society of Gypsies in Jerusalem