Paper Title
Peculiarities of Syncretismof Religious Customs in Adjara
Abstract
One of the primary tasks of social science is the studyof ethno-confessional affiliation, the population, and the customs and traditions established as a result of the influence of this orthat religion on it.Fromthisperspective, Adjarais a fascinatingregi on that was part of the Ottoman Muslim Empire for three centuries (secondhalf of the 16th century - 1978).As a result, fragments of three religions (paganism, Christianity, andIslam) mergedin Adjara, resulting in religious syncretism, which persists to this day in various forms in Adjara's traditional culture. Regarding religiosity, Adjara, one of the most significant regionsin Georgia, garners considerables cholarly interest. When issues ofinter cultural relations are activated as a result of globalization processes, the study of the issue of religios it y using Adjara as an example as sumes greater significance on the con temporary stage.It is impossible to present and thoroughly study religious customsin Adjarain a complex manner without studying and analyzing individual religions. From this perspective, thearticleexaminesthecustomsofthepagan, Christian, and Muslim religions and the irinfluence on the daily lives of the Adjara population. Inparticular, on its economic and public life, as well as its material and spiritual culture, which is manifest on the modern stage. Forinstance, pagan (pre-Christian) elements are widely manifested in thee conomic customs of the Adjara population, who secounter parts are confirmedin othe rregions of Georgia. This demonstrates that Georgians shared a religious consciousness priort othe Christianera. Furthe rmore, despite three centuries of Islamic influence in Adjara'slife, Christianrules and customs have a clear position in the modern stage, and as a result, the culture characteristic of the Islamic religion has survived in the form of fragments, which was clearly visible in family culture and social life untilrecently. As a result of the research, intriguing conclusions have been drawn regarding the fact that, as is well-known, religions create distinctive cultures, and the combination of three religions in Adjara resulte dinanentirely different culturalsituation.